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No matter where you are in Texas, it’s likely an abandoned place is nearby. If we’re talking about the San Antonio area, that place is Hot Wells Hotel – or what remains of it, anyway. Once an opulent health spa for the rich and famous, the building has been reduced to little more than a pile of strange ruins.

Believe it or not, this unrecognizable heap of ruins in downtown San Antonio was once a luxurious resort.
Google/Bartholomew S. Taylor
It all started in 1892 when the executives of a nearby mental health institution drilled into Edwards Aquifer to supply water to a new facility that was being built. They accidentally stumbled upon a goldmine: a sulfur-rich, 104-degree well purported to have special healing powers.
The well spewed over 180,000 gallons per day, and entrepreneurs took full advantage by opening a health spa around it the very next year.
Google/Jonathan Delgado
Aptly named "Hot Wells Resort," the new spa was a hub for celebrities, attracting such names as Theodore Roosevelt and Charlie Chaplin.
Unfortunately, Hot Wells Resort burned to the ground in 1894, but its replacement was even more sumptuous.
Google/Vangie Avila
The new, Victorian-style resort boasted three swimming pools, a bathhouse, and absolutely lavish guest rooms.

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At its height, the hotel consisted of nearly 200 private suites.
Google/Bartholomew S. Taylor
Other improvements included steam heat, gas and electric lighting, and telephones in each room.
It wasn't until the early-to-mid-1900s that Hot Wells Resort shut its doors for good after yet another fire reduced it to rubble.
Google/Ruby Red
Today, the area has been repurposed into an urban park to preserve the history of these strange ruins.
Paved walking trails meander through the park, allowing explorers of all ages to safely enjoy the scenery.
Google/Rene Vasquez Jr.
It's actually quite a peaceful experience - somber, yes, but beautifully so.
Informational plaques give fascinating insight into various aspects of the resort in its heyday.
Google/Rick Fidelis Reed
Fun fact: there was an on-site ostrich farm that supplied hotel guests with feathers, as they were an essential part of women's fashion during that time period.

To learn more about the park, visit its website.

Have you ever seen the ruins of Hot Wells Hotel? If so, we’d love to hear all about your experience in the comments section below! Check out our previous article for another creepy abandoned place in Texas that’s begging for a visit.

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