Underwater lights revealed eels, fish, and turtles, too. Guests enjoyed lavish meals, dancing, moonlit canoe rides, and swimming in the sparkling water. Set atop terraced stone walls rising from the pool, the colonial-style Casino building boasted an elegant dining room and a cavernous dance hall. Despite its name, the Casino did not house gambling, just entertainment. Developers in the early 1900s built a restaurant and guest cottages, followed by a grand "'Casino," finished in 1927. This historical marker is in Radium Springs in Dougherty County Georgia Whether or not Radium Springs' crystal-clear, blue water has mystical powers, people once flocked to take a dip in the natural pool. Today the grounds around the spring have been reborn as a botanical garden. Radium Springs is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia. The remaining structure was removed in 2003. Steps leading to a lower concrete walkway and to the water were placed in four different areas., Bobby Jones was one of many famous golfers to enjoy the curse at Radian Springs., The Casino Closes A fire in 1982 and floods in 19 damaged the Casino building beyond repair. Concrete walkway, complete with cement railing, surrounded a semicircular portion of the pool area. Just 4 miles from Albany, Georgia, the resort hosted golf tournaments, galas, and beauty pageants in its "Glory Years." During World War II, the Radium Springs Casino was rented as an Officer's Club by the Army Air Corps., (captions), The pool and was enlarged and banked with rocks removed from the spring. Daytime activities also included golf, horseback riding, hunting, and tennis., Radioactivity Revealed, American Indians called the spring "Skywater." White settlers called it "Blue Springs." Lab tests in the 1920s found traces of naturally occurring radium in the water, and the name changed to "Radium Springs.", Year-Round Retreat Winter, spring, summer, or fall, the Radium Springs swimming hole stays at 68☏. Guests enjoyed lavish meals, dancing, moonlit canoe rides, and swimming in the sparkling water., Underwater lights revealed eels, fish, and turtles, too. Despite its name, the Casino did not house gambling, just entertainment., Set atop terraced stone walls rising from the pool, the colonial-style Casino building boasted an elegant dining room and a cavernous dance hall. Whether or not Radium Springs' crystal-clear, blue water has mystical powers, people once flocked to take a dip in the natural pool. So whether you’re looking for a quick, relaxing getaway, want a chance to observe nature’s beauty or are a history buff curiously seeking new information about Georgia’s past, Radium Springs makes the perfect spring time destination.Radium Springs Resort. For the curious, scattered historic markers detail its strange history. Exotic and native plants bloom on the terraces above the springs. The city of Albany opened it to the public in 2010, no swimming allowed. The giant Casino was torn down, but its bright white base remained as a foundation for the garden. Meanwhile, a number of deaths, including divers who got lost in the complex cave system, cast a shadow over Radium Springs. A devastating fire in 1982 and two floods in the ’90s destroyed the building past recovery. There were dinners, dances, beauty pageants and evening canoe rides. In its heyday, the site housed a luxe resort known as the Casino. And since bathing in mineral water was all the rage at the time, developers set to work making Radium Springs the go-to destination of their day.Īnd it was. Radium glows a faint luminescent blue and is incredibly radioactive, but there’s not enough in the water to be dangerous. Then in the 1920s, traces of radium were found in the springs. For later settlers, it was a popular swimming hole called Blue Springs. It was originally a ceremonial site, revered by Native Americans who named it Skywater. Perhaps the best part about this natural wonder is that admission to Radium Springs Gardens is free.įor such a restful place, however, it has a storied past. It’s a peaceful place to have a picnic, snap a few photos and enjoy the scenery.
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