Historic building of Hall of Waters in Excelsior Springs, Missouri is a reminder of when the city was founded

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The Hall of Waters is part of the history of Excelsior Springs

In the late 1800s, one of the first springs discovered in Excelsior Springs, Missouri was on the site of where the building known as the Hall of Waters sits.

This historical building was built as a health resort of mineral water and mineral baths and a water bottling plant that took in the water from the springs. At the time settlers began arriving in the 1800s, the natural springs were also believed to have healing powers. The water was also used for hydrotherapy treatments within the building.

The water bar inside the Hall of Waters.Eric Mueller from Los Angeles, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

The construction of the Hall of Waters was due to the idea of creating a health resort by bringing a lot of the water sources under one roof.

Excelsior Springs, Missouri, (population 10,847) was founded in 1880 on the site of a mineral water spring after settlers discovered its medicinal qualities. Twenty springs bubbling out of four distinct varieties of water let Excelsior Springs promote itself as having the world's greatest group of mineral waters. A particularly unusual feature of the group lies in the fact that it includes two of the six known iron-manganese springs in the world. (Source.)

Construction of the Hall of Waters to house the mineral water springs began in 1936. The city also began to bottle water. Interestingly, the waters were bottled and shipped around the world. The building was designed in the Art Deco style, and contains the world's longest water bar.

What is now the Visitor's Center.Source: Yelp.

When visitors traveled to the Hall of Waters decades and decades ago, accommodations needed to be built. One of the hotels popular today is the Elms Hotel which was built in 1912 and is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

In 1983, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You can find the building in the commercial east historic district.

The city offices of Excelsior Springs’ have been in the Hall of Waters since the 1940s. The building was named one of America's most endangered historic places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2020.

The building provides an ideal environment to witness first-hand and learn about the historic and economic importance of the mineral water regarding the development of Excelsior Springs. (Source.)

When visitors came to the Hall of Waters, imagine their surprise to see the length of the water bar. That area now serves as the Visitor's Center. At the time, they could sample different types of water such as the one with iron-manganese.

In 1991, the championship-size swimming pool was damaged by flooding and was closed. A flood in 1993 initiated some building repairs. In 2007, due to some necessary improvements needing to occur, and a lack of funds, the spa department closed.

Below is an excellent video taking you inside the Hall of Waters.

The city’s hope is that the building can be used in a way that is similar to the original purpose for the Hall of Waters. A place for health, wellness and calming waters. (Source.)

Thank you for reading.