Why visit French Lick
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 11 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Springs Stadium, French Lick Springs Hotel, Dixie Garage and Big Splash Adventure Indoor Water Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 21°F.
Weather in French Lick
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About French Lick
French Lick is a town within French Lick Township in Orange County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,722 at the time of the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article French Lick, Indiana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks8
French Lick Springs Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Hotel in Indiana
Dixie Garage
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Building in Indiana, United States of America
Oxford Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Listed on the NRHP in Indiana
West Baden National Bank
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Bank building in Indiana, United States of America
West Baden Springs Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
National historic landmark hotel in West Baden Springs, Orange County, Indiana
Homestead Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
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Restaurants and cafes11
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 0.8 mi
8524 West State Road 56, French Lick
Mo-Sa 08:00-22:00; Su 09:00-21:00
Taco Bell
Fast food · Tex-Mex · 1.2 mi
8324 West State Road 56, West Baden Springs
Su-Th 09:00-24:00; Fr-Sa 09:00-25:00
DQ Grill & Chill
Fast food · Ice Cream, Burger, Chicken · 0.9 mi
8493 West State Road 56, French Lick
History
French Lick was originally a French trading post built near a spring and salt lick. A fortified ranger post was established near the springs in 1811. On Johnson's 1837 map of Indiana, the community was known as Salt Spring. The town was founded in 1857. French Lick's post office has been in operation since 1847.
The sulfur springs were commercially exploited for medical benefits starting in 1840. By the latter half of the 19th century, French Lick was famous in the United States as a spa town. In the early 20th century it also featured casinos attracting celebrities such as boxer Joe Louis, composer Irving Berlin, and gangster Al Capone.
Because of wartime travel restrictions, the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox held spring training in French Lick from 1943 to 1944; in 1945 the Cubs stayed in town while the White Sox moved to Terre Haute, utilizing Memorial Stadium. In order to conserve rail transport during World War II, 1943 spring training was limited to an area east of the Mississippi River and north of the Ohio River.
The French Lick Resort Casino was the focal point of most of the entertainment; the hotel remained open well after the casinos were closed down and the heyday of the town was well past. The resort closed for renovation in 2005 and re-opened in 2006.
From the History section of French Lick, Indiana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay5
Churches and places of worship3
First Baptist Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Springs Valley Church of the Nazarene
Church · Nazarene · 1.1 mi
8352 W State Road 56, West Baden
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries4
Springs Valley Comm High School
School · 0.4 mi
326 S Larry Bird Blvd, French Lick
Springs Valley Elementary School
School · 0.4 mi
356 S Larry Bird Blvd, French Lick
Healthcare1
Map of French Lick
43 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°F | 21°F | 3.4 in | 3.7 in |
| Feb | 45°F | 24°F | 3.4 in | 5.2 in |
| Mar | 55°F | 32°F | 4.3 in | 1.2 in |
| Apr | 67°F | 41°F | 5.4 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 76°F | 52°F | 5.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 61°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 64°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 62°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 54°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 42°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 55°F | 32°F | 4.0 in | 0.1 in |
| Dec | 44°F | 26°F | 4.0 in | 2.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Paoli Hcn (7 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Orange County has had 14 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-08-15: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2025-07-22: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2020-04-03: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2011-06-23: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
French Lick Municipal Airport (FRH) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 3 miles away.
- Indiana Railway Museum map
- Jasper 20 mi southwest, about 33 min by car
- Bedford 23 mi north, about 37 min by car
- Oolitic 25 mi north, about 40 min by car
- Ferdinand 26 mi southwest, about 41 min by car
- Washington 30 mi west, about 49 min by car
- Dale 32 mi southwest, about 51 min by car
- New Pekin 33 mi east, about 53 min by car
- Corydon 35 mi southeast, about 57 min by car
- Bloomfield 37 mi northwest, about 1 h by car
- Bloomington 43 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- French Lick Resort and Larry Bird Boulevard, French Lick, Indiana 01-13-2002, Ichabod, CC BY-SA 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (16), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (17), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (18), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (15), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (20), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (14), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (37), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (13), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (33), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick Fire Department, WhisperToMe, CC0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (32), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (34), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (19), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (31), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (23), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (21), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (36), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (35), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick Springs Hotel, Nyttend, Public domain
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (8), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (7), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (6), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (9), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (12), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (4), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (10), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (11), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (3), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (5), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (1), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (38), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio (2), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- World Famous Pluto Spring, French Lick, Indiana 03, Dan Perry, CC BY 2.0
- French Lick Trains - Passenger Car, Dan Perry, CC BY 2.0
- French Lick Trains - Caboose, Dan Perry, CC BY 2.0
- World Famous Pluto Spring, French Lick, Indiana 01, Dan Perry, CC BY 2.0
- World Famous Pluto Spring, French Lick, Indiana 02, Dan Perry, CC BY 2.0
- French Lick, IN, USA - panoramio, Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- West Baden Springs Hotel dome at dawn, Nyttend, Public domain
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