Attractions

Native American Creek and Iroquois warriors were probably the first to discover the mineral-rich spring waters in Warm Springs, Georgia. Believing they held special medicinal properties, sick and wounded members of the tribes traveled to the springs to be healed. As the notoriety of the springs grew settlers were drawn to the area; eventually a resort was built at the site where the 88 degree water flowed from the hillside of Pine Mountain and pools were constructed to hold the waters. The resort became a popular summer retreat until the turn of the century, when both resort and town fell into decline.

Warm Springs pools were refurbished by the State of Georgia in 1994-95 for the 50th anniversary of FDR's death

The facilities languished for many years until Franklin Delano Roosevelt visited in 1924, hoping that the town’s naturally heated mineral springs would be an effective treatment for his polio-related paralysis. Swimming in the spring waters did not provide FDR with the miracle cure he hoped for, but it did bring him relief. After one such visit he exclaimed that the relaxation afforded by the warm, buoyant water had allowed him to move his withered leg for the first time in many months. From 1927 until his death in 1945, FDR made 41 visits to the springs and became a driving force in the treatment of polio, polio research, and rehabilitation in general.

Although the spring-fed public pools have been drained to minimize deterioration, visitors can still feel the warm water that bubbles to the surface from 3800 feet below the earth’s surface. These public pools are filled only once each year, on Labor Day, and mineral springs enthusiasts from all over the country rush to reserve their one and a half hour soak months prior to the occasion. An on-site museum/interpretive center provides extensive information about the unique geology in this part of Georgia that gives rise to so many warm springs, as well as information about the history of the springs. The landmark is open daily from 9:00 a.m. until 4:45 p.m., with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Warm Springs, Georgia is located approximately 1.5 hours southwest of Atlanta. For more information call 706-655-5870.

Photo credit: Barbara Weibel

Article by Barbara Weibel at Hole In the Donut Travels