Soon it’ll be time to rack ‘em up and knock ‘em down in the Billiard & Bowling Pavilion – just like guests did more than 100 years ago at West Baden Springs Hotel.
You may have noticed the work being done on this historic building and wondered, “what exactly is that?” After decades sitting vacant, this recreation hall is being reopened for its original purpose. Take a closer look at the work being done inside…
Just like it did originally, the Billiard & Bowling Pavilion will contain six lanes for bowling. Keeping with the throwback theme, scoring will be kept by hand – no electronic scoring screens. (Learn more about the history of the Billiard & Bowling Pavilion here.)
Below, the progress of the bowling lanes from December 2022 to summer 2024.
The pavilion originally contained two small wings on each side. One wing was removed during the era when the Jesuits occupied the hotel after it closed to guests in the early 1930s. This wing is being built back, and as you can see in the photo below, it mirrors a matching wing on the other side of the building.
The rebuilt wing will contain a pizzeria and bar area, making this an ideal late-night hangout spot once things quiet down for the evening at West Baden Springs Hotel.
An exterior view of the opposite wing, which originally contained a shooting gallery. After renovation, this area will have restrooms and an entrance area.
You can’t have a Billiard & Bowling Pavilion without pool tables, and this open atrium area is where you can cue up a game.
A before and after of the ceiling over the bowling lanes. The lighting fixtures will hang down and mimic those of the original pavilion, as many elements are being rebuilt to keep it historically accurate.
Another original feature is the pair of limestone Tuscan columns, which separate the bowling portion of the building from the billiard portion.
A unique feature of the bowling lanes are the windows that line the sides to let in natural light.
As the building sits in a high-water plain, this project has been years in the making. Before any work was done inside the building, a flood control system was built with gates to protect it and pumps to steer away excessive water.
Picture it: hold a birthday party, wedding, reunion or special function in this beautiful, refurbished venue with all the amenities of West Baden Springs Hotel next door. The Billiard & Bowling Pavilion will be available to rent for private events.
You can see the overgrowth and near ruin of this building back in 1996 when work began to revitalize the West Baden Springs Hotel property. The Bowling & Billiard Pavilion was the only venue on hotel grounds that wasn't updated in that initial restoration. That will soon be changing as the Billiard & Bowling Pavilion comes back to life just as it once was — the latest remarkable preservation story here at French Lick Resort.
