Hall of Waters

Unfortunately, the museum was closed for construction. They did let us look at some of the exhibits that were down the hall for storage. On the way, asked the facilities man where a good place to go for lunch would be. TR, recommended Rays Diner. In addition, he offered to show us the pools. He had stories about TJ's pool that had a wheel chair ramp for FDR. Thinking back to the 30's, this building was quite an architectural feat. He said the main pool,was already built when Eleanor Roosevelt's wanted the therapy pool for FDR, the engineers put it outside, then covered it with a porch. The pools,were flooded in 1993. I hope they get the funding to renovate. Very cool historic place with the nicest people. Thanks again Theodore Ray!

Art deco splendor!A working city building filled with reminders of the spring waters heydays here. Love the intact water bar which is now the welcome center.Lots of surrounding picture displays of the town's history and notable persons with connections to the general area.**No special water to drink or bathe here!

If you're going to be staying in the area, this is a must stop. There has been a lot of care taken to capture the history that is now quickly disappearing. It's a little primitive in some ways, but you can appreciate the work that's gone into and it's extremely informative. Excelsior Springs used to be THE place for healing. Even Al Capone and President Roosevelt thought so. It was a thriving community. However, once the government kind of put a stop to the mythical healing powers of the water, the city slowly died. When we were there the town was kind of a ghost town (to be fair, it was Labor Day weekend). Many of the shops were closed. And even The Elms, which is probably the biggest draw for most visitors, has really gone down hill since it's heydays. If you're expecting to experience top floor of the Titanic, you're really going to get the lower level experience. Not the lowest level, like mice and measly food options, but don't expect anything too fancy. Check out my review for the full details! After your tour the Hall of Waters be sure to also check out the old 'spa' too. It's very interesting! Also, don't waste your time trying to find a bottle of spring water. You can't. There's one in the Hall of Waters on display, but many years ago the company who did bottle the water, went bankrupt and no one has had the money to open up the wells and bottle it again. Outside the Hall is also a map of all the springs. We drove around looking for some of them but many can't be found or are no longer there. We had to also figure this out on our own. The town is just very self-guided. We probably (or at least hopefully) missed a lot because there's really just no one around except college students who just want a job. It's a little sad.

Neat little spot. Lots of history, excited for the finish of remodeling. Maybe it will be done the next time I'm back and I will check it out.

This historical art deco building is a must see if you are visiting Excelsior Springs! TR is so friendly and gave us a terrific tour filled with interesting facts about the location and even shared his ghost footage captured last year on Halloween night! The staff are very nice and have accommodated the Mid Continent Public Library during their building renovation. The library is set up in the Chamber Room on the second floor. This partnership was so helpful to the community!

I came for the architecture, details, and to learn a little more about the history of this medicinal water outlet. I really wish they could find a way to make the water bar functional again- it would be incredibly cool!! Alas, sleepy small towns have a hard enough time just trying to preserve historic gems like this, so please visit and make a donation or buy a bottle of Excelsior Springs water from the cooler on your way out. It's a very unique little gem just outside of Kansas City. We'll have to return when the Elms Resort & Spa is fully renovated so we can have a hydrotherapy treatment!

ArtDecoGoodness whereCity Hall meetsMuseum. Worth a gander if about.

The Hall of Waters (1937 WPA project) was a very cool and interesting place to visit on our trip to Excelsior Springs and surrounding areas. I was a little disappointed to find that some of the facilities (pool, for example) have not been restored or kept up for visitors and are completely closed. However the Hall of Waters is open to visitors (free) with a very neat yet small collection of exhibits. The building is also being used for city offices, which is nice to see that it's not just an unused fossil, especially since the building is so beautiful. My husband happened to "discover" some of the bath house facilities that weren't marked 'do not enter' but also not promoted by the docent, so I'm not sure if we were technically authorized to visit that part of the building or not - but we found it fascinating and I thought it was also a bit creepy. After returning home we researched some of the hydrotherapy methods used here in the past and found that very interesting too. Probably not an exciting stop for children whatsoever, but if you're a teen or adult interested in history and/or architecture, this is a must-see!

The art deco is beautiful. This building is must see. Don't miss it, if you are in Excelsior Springs.

Nothing about this building has been properly maintained. Honestly surprised that it is still standing. Discouraged by the lack of access, even the tour ignored 70% of the building and the history.