the baker hotel tour

The Baker Hotel

Conceived during the Roaring Twenties, the Baker Hotel opened in 1929 as a resort destination. This “Grand Lady” of Mineral Wells was built by T.B. Baker and designed by prominent Texas architect Wyatt C. Henrick. The hotel was constructed to take full advantage of the town’s famed mineral waters.

The Baker, which was modeled after the Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas, cost more than $1 million to complete and guests enjoyed a lavish grand opening on November 22, 1929. For more than 25 years the Baker reigned as one of the country’s most glamorous hotels. Consisting of 14 floors and 450 rooms, the Baker offered the finest resort-hotel services. The entire second level was reserved as the bath and massage floor. Services offered at the Baker consisted of a doctor’s office, mineral baths, steam rooms, salt rubs, hot packs, manicures, and facials. A number of the treatments the Baker offered were prescribed by doctors and were believed to cure everything from rheumatism to eczema. Other amenities included a private club complete with fine dining and dancing, a drug store, upscale boutiques, a beauty salon, a barbershop, and babysitting services.

Another big draw for the Baker was the variety of big-name entertainers offered nightly at the hotel. Names like Herby Kay, Paul Whiteman, and Lawrence Welk all graced the Baker’s stage a time or two. On the coattails of these great entertainers came great audiences, which almost always included a famous face. Some of the famous names to appear on the Baker Hotel guest list include Judy Garland, Clark Gable, the Three Stooges, Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird, Roy Rogers, Will Rogers, Marlene Dietrich, Mary Martin, General Pershing, Dorothy Lamour, Sammy Kaye, Jack Dempsey, Helen Keller, and Ronald Reagan. A local legend also contends that Bonnie and Clyde stayed in the hotel on one occasion under an alias.

The building was in constant use from 1929 to 1963, including a three-year period during World War II in which it served as military-dependent quarters. The building sat vacant for two years until 1965, when a group of Mineral Wellians re-opened the Baker, but it would not last.  The mid-1960s ushered in a time of change for the nation and resort travel was at a steep decline. The American lifestyle had changed throughout the years and it was because of this and other factors that the Baker ceased operation as a hotel. The Baker’s ground floors were utilized by merchants for a few years longer, but eventually, the majestic hotel succumbed to the changing times. Its doors were locked in 1972  and the Baker quickly began to deteriorate. Ten years later, in 1982, The Baker Hotel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Baker Today

Throughout the years there have been many inquiries about the depleting hotel. None were serious until 2008 when a group of developers led by Laird Fairchild of Hunter Chase Capital Partners in Southlake took an interest in the hotel. Fairchild and Chad Patton, another partner in the renovation process, have found a way to finance the renovation through an elaborate series of funds including grants from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Historical Commission and federal and state tax credits. Another major source of funding is the EB-5 visa program, where international investors can receive temporary residency by investing $500,000 in a U.S. business. The residents of Mineral Wells have been called upon to invest in the Baker Hotel. In May 2014, the citizens of Mineral Wells voted to implement a 4B economic development sales tax to accumulate $4 million. One-eighth of a cent of the city’s sales tax will be reallocated to the Baker Project. If all goes smoothly, securing the funding for the project, the renovation could begin as early as 2018.

The Walking Tour

In 2017, Leadership Mineral Wells 24, a civic and personal leadership organization, set out on a mission to raise funds to replace the plywood and old broken windows along the street level of the Baker Hotel block. The project would involve removing the old deteriorated plywood pieces and reframing 42 windows and installing new informative signs that tell the history of The Baker Hotel and the city of Mineral Wells. In June of 2018, that mission was realized.

On June 20, 2019, The Baker Hotel was officially purchased and the multi-million dollar restoration began shortly after. Due to construction, visitors to The Baker Hotel may view the signs only through the construction fence.

To keep up with the progress of the restoration, make sure to follow The Baker Hotel through their website and social media accounts. Website Facebook Instagram TikTok

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The Baker Hotel Ghost Walk

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The Baker Hotel Ghost Walk - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

After sitting abandoned for decades, the majestic Baker Hotel will open to guests once again

"We are reviving the hotel and restoring the town," says the developer behind the $65-million renovation project

By Raelyn Pracht & Roadtrippers

Driving through Texas, I take a short detour to the town of Mineral Wells. I’m in search of a particular abandoned historical landmark, but I have little idea what to expect. As I turn off the main highway and enter the small town, I immediately see it rising before me: the majestic Baker Hotel . 

The once-popular luxury destination opened its doors in 1929, but since the 1970s the hotel has sat empty in solemn ruin. Affectionately known locally as The Grand Old Lady, the long-shuttered structure still stands 14 stories tall and casts a long shadow—both literally and metaphorically—over the surrounding town.

I walk slowly around the hotel’s perimeter, soaking in its magnificence and grandeur. I long to go inside, but “No Trespassing” signs cover the crumbling Spanish Colonial facade. Broken windows give a distorted glance inside, and behind the hotel are the remnants of an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a grand fountain. Even though they officially closed in 1972, the doors of the Baker Hotel are set to open again soon thanks to a $65-million renovation project. 

An infamous past and a new beginning

Mike Allen, Mineral Wells’ former mayor, recently told the New York Times : “There’s something about that hotel. If you pay too much attention, she will put her claws into you.”

He’s right. Upon first glance, The Grand Old Lady’s claws immediately sink deep, but gently, into my heart. I am transported back to when Mineral Wells was a bustling tourist destination. The fully air-conditioned hotel opened two weeks after the great stock market crash of 1929, but its 460 rooms, suites, and spas still attracted celebrities, musicians, and politicians. 

People came from all over the world to experience the hotel’s opulent interiors and the “healing” mineral waters of the town’s eponymous wells. It’s not hard to imagine the hotel in its heyday, during the 1930s and 1940s when Clark Gable, Ronald Reagan, and Judy Garland stayed here—even the infamous duo Bonnie and Clyde stopped by.

As the Baker Hotel’s glory days faded, so did the town; the hotel closed briefly in 1963, but reopened two years later. It didn’t last long. Profits declined and the hotel was shuttered for good in 1972. Decades later, The Grand Old Lady still stands, in glorious patience, waiting for someone to breathe life back into her. 

Renovation and revival

That time may have finally come. The Baker Hotel is set to return to its former glory in late 2022, thanks to Chris Patton and a team of developers. “We believe that Mineral Wells will become a destination again,” Patton says. “Our goal, our vision, our belief is to restore the Grand Lady to prominence. We want to resurrect it in modern flair with respect to its history and the Spanish Colonial style on the outside. We are reviving the hotel and restoring the town.” 

The community of Mineral Wells stands strong behind its beloved landmark, believing in and encouraging the renovation from the beginning. “Over the years, the community has really gotten behind us and the project has snowballed,” Patton says. “There is strong support from city leadership and the citizens at large. This is a warm, receptive, and encouraging community.” 

There is palpable excitement in the air of Mineral Wells—and in the voice of my waitress at a local cafe. She talks excitedly about the hotel’s renovation, even though similar plans over the years ultimately haven’t come to fruition. “I just hope this time it really does happen. It would be so great for our town,” she says.

This time, the plans seem to have stuck. Demolition and abatement work on the hotel began in early October. According to the project’s website , the new Baker Hotel and Spa will be an “enchanting meeting point for residents and visitors alike to immerse themselves in luxury, comfort and hospitality, all while enjoying the natural landscape and burgeoning spirit of the recharged Mineral Wells.”

Larid Fairchild, a co-founder of Hunter Chase Capital Partners, a real estate developer in Southlake, Texas, told the New York Times , “This is not a renovation of a building. This is a renovation of a town.”

Meet the Authors

Raelyn Pracht

Raelyn Pracht is a marketing specialist and writer in Austin, Texas. She dreams of one day owning her own used bookstore, complete with a bookstore cat.

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The Haunted Baker Hotel, Mineral Wells, TX

Mineral Wells, Texas is home to a believed magical health secret – mineral-rich water aka Crazy Water . In the 1880s, people would travel from all over for one of Mineral Wells healing water. People once believed this water would cure anything from dementia to physical ailments. People still drink it to this day!

Brief History of The Baker Hotel

In 1929, the Baker Hotel opened its doors in Mineral Wells. It was a beautiful 14 floor hotel, with 450 rooms. Baker Hotel used the mineral water to attract its many, famous tenants. Some of these celebrities included: Bonnie and Clyde, the Three Stooges and Judy Garland.

This 1.2-million-dollar hotel was open for a short amount of time due to the effects of the Great Depression and WWII. With so many people checking in and out it makes sense that some of its guests seem to have never left.

The old, abandoned hotel is still very much alive today. If you ever find yourself in the Fort Worth area , travel 51 miles west to Mineral Wells and visit the Haunted Baker Hotel.

TD Baker built the Baker Hotel in 1929 and opened its doors two weeks after the construction completed. The Baker Hotel had a lavish pool and spa filled with the mineral-rich water. This drew all the famous and sick people to its doors.

The hotel went bankrupt in 1932 due to the stock market crash but was bought by new owners that kept it alive for a few more years. It then changed hands again during WWII and became a military dependents quarter from 1941 till 1944. The doors reopened as a hotel from 1963 till 1972 but has been closed since.

The hotel is occupied by spirits of those who were sick and came to the hotel to bask in the curing mineral water pools but ended up passing away. The most famous ghost story is the haunting of TD Baker himself and his mistress.

TD Baker and his Lover

TD Baker is believed to haunt the Baker Suite on floor 11. Baker is said to have died in his suite, leaving him to walk the halls of his masterpiece endlessly. Tour guides always knock on doors of the Baker suite in order to not anger TD by them entering.

Witnesses have claimed the entire 11th-floor smells of cigar smoke, matching the habit of the late TD Baker. Whenever a tour enters his suite, small items often disappear from the guests’ handbags or pockets. The tour guides will find them laying on the floor of Baker’s room hours later when it is time to close up for the night.

Baker seems to be having some fun in the afterlife. Many tourists say they come hoping for an encounter with the man himself.

Baker was believed to have a mistress whom he kept on the 7th floor. It is said that she jumped from the window of the 7th floor to her death. The reason for her suicide is unknown, but her fate as a permanent guest of the Baker is sealed.

Some say the affair became too much for her, so she decided to take her own life.  She has been spotted by countless patrons and her lavender perfume is difficult to miss.

Many visitors have spotted the spirit of the mistress. Her red hair, piercing green eyes, and lavender perfume is unmistakable. She was first seen in the 1950s by a hotel worker.

More recently, a maid of the hotel found broken glass scattered all over a room on the 7th floor, stained with the same red lipstick her ghost has been seen wearing.

The mistress will roam to different floors if she gets restless. Tour guides will hear the sounds of her high heels walking all around the first floor.

She is a flirtatious ghost who will touch and poke male tourists that she fancies. Mistress Baker is by far one of the most active spirits in the hotel, next to Baker himself.

The Bellhop and the Little Boy

The most gruesome spirit of the Baker is a bellhop. This poor young worker was in an elevator accident in the 1950s where he was chopped in half. His apparition is only the top half of his body.

Historical records have confirmed the death of the young elevator boy, matching the description of the ghost seen haunting the hotel. There is another young boy who walks the halls.

He passed around 1933 from leukemia while seeking treatment from the mineral springs. He is often accompanied by a shaggy dog.

He is one of the few spirits who has made the effort to communicate with local mediums asking for help. Most of the spirits who haunt the Baker hotel do not want to be helped.

One medium claimed that the Baker may seem like a hotel full of tortured souls but is the exact opposite. Many of these spirits came back or stay because of the great peace and relaxation they found while staying at the Baker Hotel.

The Haunted Windows

In the 1990s, a local woman working at a drive-through bank noticed that windows on multiple floors of the Baker would be opened and then later in the day those same windows would be closed.

The bank teller said she would always notice the open windows during slow times. She and a few of her co-workers started to monitor the windows, which ones opened and closed and on what days and times.

After a while, the patterns started to change. There was no rhyme or reason to the windows. No one has occupied the hotel since 1970.

The tour guides come and go during the course of the day, but they never stay past dark. No one would have been there to close the windows at the time the bank employees witnessed.

There is no doubt that the Baker Hotel is a very haunted location. It attracts many people yearly to its doors. It seems to be a place where the ghost coexists with the natural world.

It is not a place that should be feared, but rather a place of great beauty. It was one home to luxurious spas and housed many celebrities.

The sick came here to relax and heal, some had their final breaths in the halls of the Baker Hotel – others still live on to tell its rich and wonderful history.

Baker Hotel Restoration

Plans for restoration are already underway in the hope of restoring the Baker Hotel to resemble its former glory – are you going to be one of the first people to visit?

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The Baker Hotel & the Magical Water Wells

The Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells was once a glamorous luxury resort but now sits abandoned. The hotel’s main attraction was the cold mineral water pumped into each room, drawn from the city’s mineral springs that locals believed had healing properties. The hotel opened two weeks after the stock market crash that launched the country into the Great Depression. Despite enduring financial difficulties, the Baker Hotel was a hit, bringing in politicians, singers, actors, and even notorious outlaws like Bonnie and Clyde . Even during its heyday, the hotel was haunted. Ghosts, spirits, murders, and suicides plagued the hotel. In 1972, the Baker Hotel closed down for good due to financial difficulties. The empty hotel now attracts an assortment of vandals, vagrants, urban explorers, and ghost hunters. Those looking for a thrill are sure to find a myriad of ghosts and spirits from the hotel’s glory days. From the mystery of the embalmed body, to a bloody murder in the kitchen, to a bellboy who was crushed under an elevator; the Baker Hotel has quite a few stories to tell.

The Baker Hotel & the Mystical Healing Water

Mineral Wells was a town that thrived on tourism from the city’s spring wells, which before the advent of modern medicine, were believed to bring youth and cure diseases and ailments. The town already had numerous health spas that capitalized on the spring water and brought a steady supply of tourists into town. In 1922, T.B. Baker was consorted by Mineral Wells residents, who were concerned that non-citizens were profiting from the city’s famed spring water. Baker began construction in 1926, hiring renowned southern architect Wyatt C. Hendrick. Construction briefly halted when Baker visited a luxury resort in California that had a large swimming pool and decided that the Baker Hotel should have one. They added a swimming pool filled with the city’s healing mineral water as an added attraction. The hotel became the first luxury hotel with a swimming pool in Texas.

The stock market crashed two weeks before the Baker Hotel’s grand opening, casting a dark cloud over T.B. Baker and his masterpiece. The hotel was extravagantly built, costing $1.2 million, which equates to around $18 million today. The finished hotel was beautiful, with 450 rooms, health spas, a swimming pool, a ballroom, and a clock tower, but the high cost and devastated economy took a toll on Baker’s finances. The hotel declared bankruptcy in 1934, five years after the grand opening.

Despite the financial difficulties, the hotel continued to thrive in popularity, as the major attraction was its spring water, which attracted the well-to-do who wished to revitalize and look after their health. The hotel’s Cloud Room bar and lounge was the center of the city’s nightlife, where big bands played music into the wee hours of the morning. Celebrities, Hollywood stars, and politicians all flocked to the Baker Hotel. Clark Gable, Ronald Reagan, Glenn Miller, Lyndon B. Johnson, and the Three Stooges all frequented the hotel. Outlaws Bonnie and Clyde also stayed a few nights while on the lam.

Decline and Decay

The advent of modern medicine killed demand for the supposed healing properties of the artesian water in Mineral Wells. The city’s reputation as a health spa began to decline, as did bookings at the Baker Hotel. Antibiotics and penicillin lead local doctors to prescribe medicine instead of a stay at the Baker Hotel or nearby health spa. The city’s economy enjoyed a moderate boost during World War II when Fort Wolters military base opened up nearby.

After the close of Fort Wolters in 1945, the Baker declined steadily. The 50s saw a few conventions from the Texas Republican Party. T.B. Baker’s son, Earl, had since taken over the hotel’s operations and announced its closure in 1963. A new management group attempted to continue running the hotel, but they couldn’t turn a profit. The Baker Hotel closed permanently in 1972.

The Baker Hotel now sits abandoned, a 14 story eyesore over Mineral Wells, Texas. The hotel attracts graffiti artists, urban explorers, and ghost hunters from all over the state. They trawl through the ruins of the hotel, unearthing its old-timey machinery, much of it remaining unchanged from the 30s and 40s.

In 1999, plans were made to renovate the hotel and restore it to its former glory , though renovation efforts didn’t begin until 2019.

Ghosts, Spirits, and Murder in the Baker Hotel

Even while the Baker Hotel was open, ghosts were seen roaming about, and deaths were commonplace. The earliest known ghost sightings were of the “Woman on the 7th Floor” during the 1950s and 60s. According to a porter who worked there at the time, T.B. Baker had a mistress who stayed on the 7th floor. The affair had become too much for her to handle, so she committed suicide by jumping from her 7th story window. Ever since, guests and staff have seen her ghost in and around the 7th floor. The mistress is one of the most active ghosts, and her striking appearance makes her unmistakable. The woman has red hair and piercing green eyes. She also leaves behind clues to her presence. Some guests have heard a woman’s footsteps wearing heels walking up and down the 7th story hallways and stairwell, only to find nobody there. Her lavender scented perfume often fills the air near her room, and other guests felt cold spots and got chills down their spine when they arrived on the 7th floor. The mistress was said to be quite flirtatious and often attempted to woo men who she might fancy. The mistress still appears to those who wander into the ruins of the Baker Hotel.

The ghost of T.D. Baker is also one of the commonly seen spirits around the Baker Hotel. Surely the founder of the hotel wouldn’t leave his creation behind. He’s usually seen around his suite on the 11th floor, where he’s believed to have died. Tour guides and those familiar with Baker’s ghost always knock on his door before entering, as to not anger him. The entire 11th floor is said to smell of cigar smoke, as it did during the days Baker lived there. He’s been known to steal from the pockets of those on a tour guide, with their belongings ending up in a pile in Baker’s suite.

The mistress wasn’t the only woman to jump from the top of the hotel. The “Mystery of the Embalmed Body” involves a woman who had gotten drunk during a party on the 12th-floor suite balcony. In her inebriated state, she decided to pull a publicity stunt; she attempted to dive into the pool from the 12th floor. The move ended in tragedy. Her dead body was found in the courtyard the next day. Since nobody knew who she was, the hotel had her embalmed, and displayed her body in one of the windows facing the main road to the hotel in hopes that someone would identify her body.

“The Legend of the Bloody Kitchen” was one of the most brutal murders to take place in the town of Mineral Wells. A married cook in the Baker Hotel was having an affair with one of the maids. One night, the two were having an argument in the kitchen when the maid threatened the cook with revealing the affair to his wife. The cook then grabbed a knife from the chopping block and stabbed the maid to death. He then stuffed her dead body into the kitchen pantry.

The ghost of a bellhop also roams the halls of the Baker Hotel. The bellboy was standing under a service elevator when it malfunctioned and crushed the lower half of his body. The bellhop was sent to the hospital and died a few days later from his injuries. His ghost is often seen around the hotel, though witnesses only see the top half of his body. He’s said to be a friendly spirit.

One ghost remains from the days that the Baker Hotel was used as a health spa to cure illnesses. A boy was sent to the hotel by his parents in an effort to cure his leukemia. The boy didn’t make it and died in his room. His spirit is still quite often seen by urban explorers and is usually accompanied by a shaggy dog. Like the bellhop, he is quite friendly and is known to communicate with those who attempt to make contact.

Read more about the haunted history of Texas!

From Austin to San Antonio, ghosts and spirits run amok in the Lone Star State. Read about Geronimo and his battle against the U.S. government . His peers say that he had supernatural abilities and could see into the future. Take a stroll through Skinwalker Ranch , where you might see a UFO, or worse, a gruesome monster known to the Natives as Skinwalkers. Pay a visit to the Oakwood Cemetery if being spooked by Progressive Era ghosts in your thing. You can also read about the top ten most haunted spots in Texas right here!

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The Baker Hotel and Spa

Opening spring 2026.

As a celebrated Mineral Wells landmark since 1929, The Baker Hotel and Spa will be historically renovated and restored over a three-year period and will once again be known as a premier resort destination.

The Baker Hotel Development Partners, LLC and its affiliates — in conjunction with support from the city of Mineral Wells — will revive the 14-story Spanish Colonial Revival tower to feature a fully-renovated collection of 165 guest rooms and amenities — including a spa, convention and business facilities, event ballrooms, and restaurant, coffee shop and retail options.

The local mineral springs that once drew celebrities from around the world, will be utilized again, along with modernized amenities adapted to the lifestyle of the modern-day guest.

Blending historic architectural design with new technology, the hotel will offer expanded guest rooms and gracious public spaces to host weddings, special events, conventions and the sojourning weekenders.

History: The Baker Hotel

Entrepreneur T.B. Baker commences construction on The Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas at a cost of $1.2 million

The Baker Hotel opens two weeks after the great stock market crash

The hotel, with its 460 rooms, two suites, two complete spas, an outdoor Olympic-sized swimming pool and famous Cloud Room, serves as a playground for celebrities, famous musicians, cattle barons, political leaders and, reportedly, even the bank robbers, Bonnie and Clyde. The fully air-conditioned hotel also hosts actor Clark Gable, singer Judy Garland and, even, President Ronald Reagan.

T. B. Baker retires and leaves the hotel to his nephew, Earl Baker, who operates the hotel until he turns 70

The Baker Hotel closes its doors – but not for long

A group of civic leaders reopen the hotel for a handful of years, but little profit leaves them with little choice but to close

The Baker Hotel closes

Laird A. Fairchild and Chad Patton begin efforts to renovate The Baker Hotel, reimagining the resort as The Baker Hotel and Spa

The development team announces and begins the historical restoration of The Baker Hotel and Spa, a three-year, $65 million renovation endeavor to return The Grand Old Lady of Mineral Wells to her former glory, reigniting the hotel as well as the town of Mineral Wells

History: Mineral Wells

In 1877, James Alvis Lynch, his family and 50 head of livestock left Denison, Texas and headed west for a drier climate and a relief from malaria. Both James Lynch and his wife, Armanda, suffered from rheumatism. When the family received news of Comanche attacks further west, they decided to settle where they were – in a valley tucked among the hills of Palo Pinto County. Although the location the Lynch family settled in was beautiful, it was four miles from the only water source, the Brazos River. By the summer of 1880, a well-driller agreed to drill a well in exchange for some of the Lynch family’s oxen. At first, the taste of the water worried the family, so they watered their livestock with it. Soon after, the family began to drink from the well, and they found they were feeling better. News of the healing waters spread quickly and neighbors began drinking from the well. Within months, hundreds of strangers were arriving to the Lynch property inquiring about the water. With the popularity of the water spreading, the town of Mineral Wells was formed in the fall of 1881, with Mr. Lynch naming himself the first mayor.

History: The Mineral Water

Several water wells were drilled soon after Mineral Wells was established, with the most famous at the time being the Crazy Well. The well received its name from a story told about an elderly lady who drank water from the Crazy Well twice a day and overcame her mental illness. In Mineral Wells, most of the water wells contain a significant amount of lithium, which is used in the treatment of various mental and mood disorders. In the early 1900s, stories of Mineral Wells’ healing waters brought visitors from around the world and, shortly after, bathhouses, drinking pavilions and spas began to open. The trains that brought in the visitors also helped the mineral water companies distribute their products outside of Mineral Wells. During the Great Depression, mineral water companies suffered due to the luxurious nature of the product and travel costs, however, The Baker Hotel flourished, drawing in guests – from the local to the notable – throughout the bleak years.

• The Woodlands

The Baker Hotel remains one of Mineral Wells crown jewels. Viewed from the rooftop deck at the Crazy Water Hotel. (Photo by Courtney Dabney)

The seventh floor ballroom and pavilion at the Crazy Water once hosted big bands. (Photo by Courtney Dabney)

Crazy Water Hotel lobby with a view of Rickhouse Brewing.

Crazy - Water Hotel rooms include full kitchens and modern amenities.

Rooftop deck perfect for sunsets, concerts and parties at the Crazy Water Hotel in Mineral Wells. (Photo by Courtney Dabney)

Brisket marmalade with fresh burrata and jalapeno peach jam at the soon to open Second Bar + Kitchen. (Photo by Courtney Dabney)

Chef David Bull's farm to market salad with butter lettuce, basil and corn puree. (Photo by Courtney Dabney)

Crafty cocktails including the purple hued Bee's Knees at Second Bar + Kitchen Mineral Wells. (Photo by Courtney Dabney)

Beef short rib draped with both a sesame garlic crumble as well as a punchy pickled mustard butter sauce. (Photo by Courtney Dabney)

Pecan bar plated with salted caramel drizzle and fresh whipped cream. (Photo by Courtney Dabney)

The Baker Hotel with stunning architectural details (like local Wagley brick) around every corner. (Photo by Courtney Dabney)

The Baker Hotel - historic details have been preserved and catalogued for reinstallation. (Photo by Courtney Dabney)

The Baker Hotel's historic light fixtures are being restored for installation. (Photo by Courtney Dabney)

Large spans of terrazzo flooring remain remarkably fresh a century after they were installed. (Photo by Courtney Dabney)

The spiral staircase leading to the lobby fitted with its original wrought iron and tile work. (Photo by Courtney Dabney)

The check-in desk still sports its original tile and wooden key box. (Photo by Courtney Dabney)

At The Baker Hotel, little follies like these Juliette balconies will remain. (Photo by Courtney Dabney)

The future Brazos Club will be in the same location as the original restaurant. (Photo by Courtney Dabney)

Mineral Wells Embraces It Crazy Roots — A Small Texas Town Turns to James Beard-Honored Chef to Help Bring Two Historic Hotels Back to Life

The newly dubbed wellness capital of texas has already reopened crazy water hotel and the baker hotel's got next.

A lot of small Texas towns are named for their most famous attribute. Such is the case with Mineral Wells ― the small town located about 20 miles northwest of Weatherford. Any guesses as to what Mineral Wells (population 14,902) might be famous for? If you guessed that it’s water wells filled with an amazing array of mineral content, you would be correct.

Now, the city of Mineral Wells, located about 51 miles west of Fort Worth, is ready for its second act.

It is centered around a remodeled and restored Crazy Water Hotel. Many historic details are still intact throughout the remodeled hotel, which reopened in 2018. But the updated guest rooms are now sleek and modern, with full (and I mean full) kitchens in the king-bedroom suites, plus sitting and dining areas, and seriously spa-like bathrooms. Each room (there are a total of 62 suites and 12 apartments) even comes with local Crazy Water to sample.

The Crazy Water Hotel originally was built atop a famous mineral water well back in 1912. Its massive first floor includes the forthcoming Second Bar + Kitchen restaurant and the Crazy Coffee & Water Bar serving coffee and smoothies. Then there is Rickhouse Brewing ― a local brewer offering beer brewed with Crazy Water — and several boutiques for shopping in the pavilion. These stores include a brilliantly outfitted men’s shop, a women’s store, a fab toy store and an upscale shoe shop.

The views are epic from the historic seventh floor, which has hosted big bands and big events ever since the building’s birth. Both the glass-enclosed pavilion and the open-air deck, where music acts perform regularly, are a sight to behold. The entire seventh floor can even be booked for weddings and events, giving parties private access to both stunning spaces, as well as hotel rooms on the seventh floor.

Crazy Water Hotel’s restored and reimagined spa will be opening by the end of next year featuring, of course, the therapeutic waters of Mineral Wells. Guests will once again be able to enjoy mineral bath soaks, along with the newest therapies. That means infrared saunas, massages and facials.

Outdoor Dining with Bering's

It should all make Crazy Water Hotel a truly restful wellness retreat.

An Iron Chef Jumps Into Crazy Water

Adding to the perks and amenities of the newly restored Crazy Water Hotel is the soon-to-open second location of Second Bar + Kitchen restaurant. Chef David Bull opened the first one in Austin to rave reviews. The well known chef and Iron Chef America challenger has a few James Beard nods to his credit. Bull began his career (fresh out of the Culinary Institute of America) working alongside Dean Fearing at The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas.

That’s about the time Bull first met hospitality guru and historic preservation visionary Jeff Trigger, who was then the managing director of The Mansion, a role he held for some 15 years. To say that Bull and Trigger hit it off is an understatement. In separate interviews, they gushed with praise for one another. Each trusts implicitly in the other’s unique skill sets.

Over the past 30 years, Bull and Trigger have a lot of high-profile successes to tout. They have worked together through their La Corsha Hospitality , leading the renaissance of a few other historic hotels including The Adolphus and The Stoneleigh Hotel & Spa, both in Dallas, and Austin’s Driskill Hotel.

“We sold our interest in The Driskill. We opened Austin’s Second Bar + Kitchen in 2010,” David Bull tells PaperCity Fort Worth. “We still own East Austin Hotel, currently.”

I experienced a stay at the renovated Crazy Water Hotel, as well as to a taste of what chef Bull has in store when Second Bar + Kitchen opens to the public by the end of October.

I also got a hard-hat tour with Trigger and Bull of the highly anticipated (and most likely haunted ) Baker Hotel whose restoration and complete reimagining is still underway in Mineral Wells. I can tell you the plans are ambitious and city of Mineral Wells officials are excited. This long-forgotten wellness retreat hopes to become a regional draw once more.

Mineral Wells is leaning into its new official designation as the “Wellness Capital of Texas,” which was officially bestowed upon the town this summer by the Texas state legislature. Chef Bull has certainly gotten the memo. His Second Bar + Kitchen restaurant menu will be filled with locally sourced ingredients. He also plans to highlight wellness options with vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free alternatives all available.

We sampled what Bull called a brisket marmalade and burrata appetizer. The tender meat was shredded for spreading atop toast points along with creamy house-made burrata cheese and jalapeno peach jam. The farm-to-market salad course was an artistic creation featuring River Valley Farms butter lettuce, cucumber and zucchini twirls set amongst fresh corn puree, spiked by basil leaves.

The main course was not just any short rib. Served with sweet potato puree and wilted greens, the fall-apart rib meat was draped with both a sesame garlic crumble as well as a punchy pickled mustard butter sauce. For dessert, the chef utilized a pecan crunch bar which was purveyed by a local bakery. The dish was plated with salted caramel and fresh whipped cream.

When Second Bar + Kitchen opens by the end of this month, it should be a major draw. Especially for nearby Weatherford and Aledo foodies. The restaurant will be open weekends only to start. Bull is running the catering and banquet dining for the hotel as well.

Second Bar + Kitchen will be open Fridays from 11 am to 10 pm, Saturdays from 8 am to 10 pm  and Sundays from 8 am to 2 pm for breakfast and brunch. Reservations can be secured here .

What to Expect From The Baker Hotel

Both Trigger and Bull are thrilled to show off the historic details that set The Baker Hotel & Spa apart and demand its restoration rather than its implosion.

The grand hotel was designed by architect Wyatt C. Hedrick, a native Virginian whose architectural legacy and career left an indelible imprint on his adopted state of Texas, especially in Fort Worth .

The Baker opened as an international resort destination in 1929 just before the Great Depression forever stunted its legacy. Still, for more than 25 years, the glamorous resort drew high-profile celebrities like Clark Gable, Judy Garland and Lawrence Welk.

A steady economic decline led to its permanent closure in 1972. It was then left to decay for half a century.

“The city made a major move to make this thing happen, pledging future taxes to say yes to The Baker project,” Jeff Trigger tells PaperCity Fort Worth. “That little slice, as well as federal historic tax credits are critical to have everybody involved in restoring The Baker.”

One prominent exterior feature — the silver exhaust duct — will remain in place for that very reason. Once used to evacuate smoke from a coal-burning furnace, Trigger says it’s worth millions in historic tax credits itself.

The restoration project is massive. The progress is slow and painstaking. The funding is still evolving, with more money still needing to be secured for the next phase of the Baker Hotel restoration.

A tour of the building, which is still very much in decay, reveals historic plaster medallions made from horse hair, original intricate mosaic tile designs, locally produced Wagley brick walls peeping through chipping plaster, antique wrought iron railing and massive spans of nearly indestructible terrazzo. Looking as good as the day they were first laid in.

The original check-in desk with its wooden key box still intact will greet visitors once more when the restoration is complete. There are at least three years to go on the project.

“The lobby bar and check-in will lead to the Brazos Club, which is in the same location as the hotel’s original restaurant,” notes Bull, who is heavily involved in front and back of house design of The Baker’s future culinary program. “There will be three kitchens total. For catering, banquets and restaurants.”

La Corsha is only a small investor in the massive Baker Hotel project, but they are taking the lead on the hotel’s restaurant and hospitality offerings and layout.

“We are operating two separate properties ― The Crazy Water and The Baker — with one goal in mind,” Trigger says. “The town of Mineral Wells with its focus on wellness and economic development.”

The History of Mineral Wells

Plagued by unsafe water sources, which led to bouts of malaria, James and Armanda Lynch packed up their nine children in 1877 and drove their herd, which was then comprised of about 50 head of cattle, further West from Denison, Texas in search of a dryer climate. They found it in the lush hills of Palo Pinto County.

After drilling a well, the Lynches noticed the water had an unusual taste. Just to be on the safe side they watered their cattle with it first. Once the couple began drinking the water themselves, they noticed it had certain “healing properties.” For one, their rheumatism began to improve.

Word traveled fast, and soon thousands showed up to enjoy the water. More wells were drilled to satisfy the growing demand and the town of Mineral Wells was born.

As the story goes, one woman was even healed of her mental health and mood disorder by drinking from the so-called “Crazy Water” well. Perhaps the water’s natural lithium content (yes, lithium) was what made her feel better. Or maybe it was a coincidence. Either way, the town has thoroughly embraced its Crazy Water moniker.

Much like you can’t help seeing little green aliens when passing through Roswell, New Mexico, today you’ll find a little bit of craziness everywhere you turn in Mineral Wells. From the locally sourced mineral water brand Crazy Water with its four levels of mineral content to choose from to the Mineral Wells sign which has been welcoming all kinds of crazy for decades.

In its heyday, between the turn of the century and the Great Depression, tiny Mineral Wells swelled with visitors all in search of this “healing” water. The 9,000 hotel rooms spread across town included some of the most fashionable modern hotels in North Texas. Including The Baker Hotel and Crazy Water Hotel. Then, as the economy declined, the visitors fell away, leaving behind the shells of these century old luxury resorts.

Now, they’re finally coming back to life.

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Ghosts of the Baker Hotel

What does it take to revive a struggling small town?

by Jason Heid

April 15, 2019, 6:58 AM, CDT

A version of this story ran in the March / April 2019 issue.

by Jason Heid April 15, 2019

“T hose of you that don’t believe, I’m glad you’re on this tour,” Angela Morgan tells a crowd of about 150 ghost-seekers one Saturday night a couple of weekends before Halloween. “Because as long as you’re taking photos, at the very least you’re going to leave here with orbs, apparitions, fogs, mists.”

Morgan’s voice carries through the cool night with the help of a headset microphone and an amplifier attached to a pocket of her fashionably torn jeans. She’s holding a palm-sized spotlight and wears a long, colorful coat over her black “I Survived! The Baker Hotel Ghost Walk” T-shirt.

A lifelong paranormal enthusiast, Morgan got the idea to start sharing tales of the supernatural in Mineral Wells, her hometown of 15,000 about an hour west of Fort Worth, nearly seven years ago. With permission from local leaders, she’s led tours of Mineral Wells’ historic downtown most weekends year-round. “They thought I was absolutely crazy. [But] the first ghost walk had 252 people,” she says.

She speaks while standing a few steps up the stairs leading to the front entrance of the Baker Hotel, the tour’s — and the town’s — main attraction. The 14-story, 232,000-square-foot building is visible from miles away. Opened just a few weeks after the 1929 stock market crash that ushered in the Great Depression, the once-luxurious Baker is a relic of the town’s past as a resort destination. For decades in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, visitors flocked here for the purported benefits of the mineral-rich waters that gave the town its name. (Many Texas grocers still sell the town’s well water, bottled and branded as Crazy Water.)

But as advances in medicine made traveling to “take the waters” less popular, fewer people came. The hotel was shuttered in 1972, and the intervening 47 years haven’t been kind. Most of the hundreds of windows are broken, some by vandals, many by hailstorms. The exterior is weathered and dirty. In the Baker’s rundown state, it’s easy to understand why so many people come to hear — even believe in — the spooks that Morgan describes hanging around.

Unlike many struggling rural Texas towns, Mineral Wells has a tantalizing potential asset with a dominating physical presence. If only the Baker could be brought back, the thinking goes, it might spur a citywide renaissance. For the last 12 years, a pair of out-of-town developers have been working to make that dream a reality. Though their ambitious $60 million plan remains $25 million out of reach, widespread hope for its future persists.

From the top-floor Cloud Room, with its commanding view of the town and the hilly surrounding countryside, it’s not difficult to see what could be. Scrape the mud off the terrazzo floors. Scrub the muck off the wall tiles. Repaint the columns. It would take a lot of time and money, but how amazing it could look again — couldn’t it?

U ntil last summer, anyone driving through Mineral Wells who might have slowed to gawk at the hotel was left to guess at its origins. Now, however, a row of blue signs commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce runs along the exterior of the ground floor. Among the captions detailing the Baker’s history is a roster of celebrities who once visited: Lawrence Welk, Lyndon B. Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Marlene Dietrich, Clark Gable, Will Rogers, Roy Rogers and the Three Stooges, among others.

The shoeshine stand remains in the lobby, albeit a bit torn up. So does a row of wooden phone booths, the sort where harried reporters in old movies called in their scoops. Judy Garland stands next to the reception desk in a well-known photograph. According to local lore, famed bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde had the carpet removed from the hallway just outside their room so they could hear if law enforcement approached.

In those days, the town had a bustling tourism industry that had been steadily growing since 1877, the year James and Armanda Lynch settled the site that’s now Mineral Wells. The water drawn from the Lynches’ well had a funny smell and taste, so the family hesitated to drink it at first, fearing it might be poisoned. But when it seemed to cure Armanda’s rheumatism and the entire family began feeling healthier, word of the well’s curative properties spread. Soon, thousands of people were camping on the Lynch ranch to bathe and drink the water. The Texas and Pacific Railway came to town in 1891, making it even easier for visitors to enjoy the hotels, bathhouses, restaurants and shops popping up.

“Whether you are in search of health, recreation or a delightful place in which to live, you will want to come to Mineral Wells,” gushes a tourist guide likely from the 1940s. Its glossy photos show stylishly dressed visitors admiring the view from Inspiration Point, golfing on a well-tended fairway and taking in a jazz show. The town’s largest and grandest hotel was the place to see and be seen. “Baker Hotel guests are enchanted by a pool surrounded by flowers and a verdant garden,” reads a caption accompanying a scene that looks more like Hawaii than North Texas. In the solarium, guests could partake in trendy spa treatments: ultraviolet light therapy, colonic irrigation and, strangely, being “scientifically toasted” with steam while zipped to the chin inside a special cabinet. A system of pipes circulated ice water to the guest rooms, a welcome luxury in the Texas heat.

Mineral Wells was one of dozens of spa towns to pop up across Texas in the early 20th century, but its idyllic setting near the Palo Pinto Mountains made it especially popular, says Gene Fowler, author of Crazy Water: The Story of Mineral Wells and Other Texas Health Resorts . “It was a fun place to go to get away,” he says. “Riding donkeys out into the hills around [there] was real popular.”

Seeking healthy waters as a treatment for a wide variety of ailments was a trend that had made its way west from Europe and the East Coast. But by the 1940s, major medical discoveries such as penicillin made doctors far less likely to recommend a trip to health resorts. Most of the area’s 20-plus mineral water companies closed by the end of that decade, and the town’s economy shifted to greater reliance on the military. Fort Wolters was a key infantry training center during World War II, peaking with the presence of nearly 25,000 troops.

The Baker and the military kept drawing people to town for a little while, even as tourism faded. Both the Republican and Democratic parties hosted state conventions at the Baker during the 1950s, and in 1956 Fort Wolters became a helicopter flight training center. During the Vietnam War, tens of thousands of Army, Marine and Air Force helicopter pilots learned to fly there.

After Vietnam, Fort Wolters was deactivated. By then, the Baker and most other remnants of Mineral Wells’ resort fame had closed. No other major industry has stepped in since. One of the city’s largest employers, a privately run prison, closed in 2013. In 2017, Mineral Wells’ unemployment rate was just under 10 percent, more than twice the state average.

L aird Fairchild was once like so many visitors who drive through Mineral Wells, marveling at the Baker Hotel’s lost grandeur, on his way to a vacation property he leased with friends nearby. Surely someone had plans to redevelop it. In 2007, he got interested himself and contacted the Mesa, Arizona, family that’s owned the hotel since 1973. Twelve years later, Fairchild and his business partner, Chad Patton, are still working on the project.

They detail their plans for me in the glass-walled conference room of Fairchild’s company, Hunter Chase Capital Partners, in upscale Southlake, 75 miles east of Mineral Wells. Most of the Baker’s 450 guest rooms are small by today’s standards, so they’ll knock down walls to create just 157 larger rooms and suites. More space will be devoted to meeting rooms for corporate retreats, and the interior will be redone in a style they refer to as “Palo Pinto chic.” They show me a promotional video that features townspeople expressing their hopes that the Baker can reignite the local economy. Fairchild himself appears in the video, the hairs on his head noticeably darker and more numerous in the eight-year-old clip.

Fairchild and Patton describe the Baker as a labor of love. If they were just in it for the money, they say, they’d have given up long ago. “You look at the societal bottom line as well. What’s the impact on the society? And the third bottom line is the environment,” Fairchild says.

The Baker easily checks both the environmental and societal boxes, since renovating it would eliminate asbestos and other hazards as well as potentially revitalize the town. As for financial gain — well, that’s more complicated. The primary difficulty in saving the Baker — the reason it’s been left to rot for decades — is that the projected cost of the renovation ($60 million) significantly exceeds the expected value of the renovated property ($40 million). Traditional banks, which aren’t generally eager to finance hospitality projects even under the best of conditions, haven’t been interested. So Fairchild and Patton had to get creative.

The Baker qualifies for a variety of incentive capital, including tax credits available for historic buildings and low- to moderate-income census tracts. The city and county also approved tax-increment financing, and voters (with 96 percent approval) in 2014 agreed to devote sales-tax money to the project. Cobbling all that together, the developers are still about $25 million short. So they turned to the EB-5 visa program, which offers green cards to immigrants who invest at least $500,000 in the United States. Fairchild and Patton even traveled to China (where the vast majority of EB-5 applicants come from) for a 2016 conference with agents who represent potential investors.

Certifying the Baker as an EB-5 investment took a couple of years and about $250,000. Wrangling among federal lawmakers leaves the future of the controversial program in doubt. Because of this uncertainty, the developers are no longer counting on foreign investment. They’ve returned to pitching banks.

It’s not an easy sell. Mineral Wells hasn’t been a tourist draw in decades. Its residents earn significantly lower incomes and are less educated than the state average. Its population has dropped by 11 percent since the 2010 census, a period of explosive growth for much of North Texas. And Mineral Wells’ latest economic development effort — a deal offering incentives to an ammunitions manufacturer promising 150 jobs — went south shortly before the Dallas Morning News revealed that the company had previously been sued for fraud.

“There’s plenty of folks in social media that think we’re crazy,” Patton says. “But I think if they really have spent as many hours and as much time and identified as many potential resources for capital that we have, they would feel the same way that we do, which is we can’t turn our backs on this.”

J ust west of the Baker, much of the roughly five blocks of Oak Avenue comprising the heart of downtown Mineral Wells sits either unused or underused. A former department store is now a county government annex, its beautiful old wooden display cases housing artifacts for a small museum devoted to the town’s history. Several storefronts serve as storage spaces for the still-operating shops along a strip that suffered the same fate as many small-town Main Streets after the advent of big-box retailers.

As Phil Garrett shows me around, we seemingly can’t pass anyone without him pausing for a greeting and a handshake. For 26 years Garrett was the Palo Pinto County attorney, and he’s spent nearly his entire life in Mineral Wells. One of his grandfathers operated the pharmacy on the Baker’s ground floor. “If you’ve never lived in a community where you’re 50 years deep or 60 years deep, I don’t think I can translate it to the rest of the world,” he says. “I mean, you end up with a sense of community that’s hard to explain.”

Despite the rundown condition of many of the historic buildings, Garrett is optimistic about downtown’s future. He points out several new businesses that have opened in recent years. “We’re in the middle of a renaissance right now without the Baker,” he says. “We’ve seen a burst of energy in the town that we haven’t seen in decades.”

The model most often cited by people in Mineral Wells is Fredericksburg, the Hill Country town that has traded on its German heritage to bring visitors to shops, restaurants and bed-and-breakfasts. Mineral Wells similarly hopes to market its history. Outdoor enthusiasts who visit nearby Possum Kingdom Lake and Mineral Wells State Park might enjoy a night or two at the Baker or a visit to its rejuvenated spa, the thinking goes.

In 2014, the city government partnered with the University of Texas at Arlington to develop a plan for revitalizing downtown. They found that locals viewed a reborn Baker as a potential strength and a failed Baker as a potential threat to these efforts. Lead UTA researcher Ahoura Zandiatashbar believes that Mineral Wells’ proximity to Dallas-Fort Worth, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States, could help the Baker to succeed as a “staycation” destination. Yet when it comes to the chicken-and-egg question of whether the Baker could be the catalyst necessary to spark a community transformation or vice versa, Zandiatashbar doesn’t recommend betting on a hotel-first approach. “If downtown becomes revitalized … generally that’s the time that the investors would be interested,” he said. “Putting all of the weight on the Baker Hotel might not be the best strategy.”

The UTA planners also proposed creating a public green space along several mostly empty blocks to the west of North Oak Avenue. In November, the Mineral Wells City Council hired an architectural firm to create a 3D conceptual design for the park and other enhancements to beautify and connect downtown to the rest of the city.

It’s this park that developer Randy Nix is most excited about when I meet him to discuss several projects he has underway. Nix has lived in Mineral Wells most of his life and operates a realty business downtown. Since summer 2017, his company has purchased at least 11 properties along Oak Avenue.

A former theater, built in 1900, is now an arts and cultural space. Nix had a striking mural — a 1920s flapper blowing on a dandelion against a blue background — painted on its façade. There’s a former bathhouse, also dating from about 1900, that he hopes eventually to turn back into a spa. Most impressive so far is The Market at 76067, which opened in October under the management of Nix’s wife, Misty. It’s a sprawling, two-story space where about 50 local vendors sell gourmet foods, clothes, antiques and home decor. A coffee/cocktail lounge and a flower shop are attached. Nix and 10 other local investors are also working to renovate the town’s second-most historic hotel, the Crazy Water, transforming its seven stories into event spaces, restaurants and eventually apartments.

“A lot of people are tired of waiting on the Baker to bring back the tourism industry,” Nix says. “The only way the Baker is going to be successful is if you have an active tourism industry in downtown. So you’re going to have to flesh out downtown before you have the Baker.” It’s the same story I heard over and over from nearly everyone I encountered in Mineral Wells. For far too many years, locals would dolefully look up at the decaying treasure in their midst. No longer. Mineral Wells isn’t pegging all its hopes on a single project anymore.

When Angela Morgan’s ghost tour wraps up, Oak Avenue is mostly dark and empty. One lively courtyard restaurant behind the Brazos Market & Bistro opens for dinner and live music on weekends when the weather is nice, but even it closes by 10 p.m. A Fuzzy’s Taco Shop franchise used to stay open late, but ran afoul of some downtown residents complaining about noise before it closed in 2017.

Without bars, restaurants or ice cream shops to patronize, the ghost-seekers can’t do much but walk back to their cars and take one last look at the Baker Hotel as they drive off. Morgan is right that everyone can leave with a photo of at least one ghost — the Baker itself.

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Restoring the Baker Hotel: “They Said That Nobody Could Do It”

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Arissa Viering | 7/14/2020 | Goodday Mineral Wells | The Baker News & Updates

MINERAL WELLS, TX – After over six months, the Baker Hotel doors have been opened to the public for a tour hosted by the Mineral Wells Area Chamber of Commerce. Palo Pinto County residents who voted in the July Primary Runoff Election were eligible to attend the tour led by the owners and investors of the Baker Hotel.

Coordinated by both the Baker Hotel Group and the Mineral Wells Area Chamber of Commerce, the “Super Tuesday Baker Hotel Tour” event was quickly planned. The groups worked hard to ensure that the event would be in compliance with OSHA regulations and that COVID-19 precautionary measures would be taken.

“We really wanted to encourage people to get out and vote.” Cody Jordan

Cody Jordan, a coordinator of the tour took pride in the Baker Hotel Group’s decision to open the Baker Hotel doors to the Palo Pinto County voters. “We have so many amazing opportunities in front of us here in Mineral Wells. With all of the economic development, it is really our time to shine and we have to make sure that we have great representation at the state level . . . to make sure that all of these great things happen.”

Walking up the steps and over the threshold inside of the Baker Hotel, visitors noticed many new updates immediately. An old shoe shine station rests in front of re-plastered, white walls in the lobby. Workers prep the windows, labeled with the original floor level and room, to be installed. Images of future restoration plans are displayed in each room of the tour. Various architectural artifacts of the Baker are displayed upon long tables. Power lines braid between the old mail chute rails. Church bells ring in the background and faint echoes can be heard through the halls from some of the Baker Hotel owners as they speak to other tour groups regarding their progress.

“In a grand scale, the hotel has got to be restored architecturally.” Kurt Thiel

Kurt Thiel, Architectural Designer, is one of the leaders providing updates on the tour within the ballroom. After showing many visitors the echo chamber, Kurt described some of the obstacles that were encountered as he and his wife, Beth Thiel, Interior Designer, worked to design the restoration plans: “As you step out of the elevator, they want it to really feel like what it did in 1929. Because regulations have changed so much in accessibility, the way this building was built doesn’t come close to those clearances – to those ways of how to get on the toilet, or to get into the bathroom or the shower. Those [elements of construction] have a high degree of importance for governmental agencies. We’re doing this tug-o-war with ‘if you want to call it historic, then you have to keep that’ and then ‘honor regulations for accessibility’ . . . You have to walk a tight rope.”

Kurt states that when the Baker opens, a couple of rooms will be historically accurate while most rooms will hold a more luxurious/spacious design to allow for accessibility. Between future weddings, graduation parties, or formal dances, the Baker Hotel ballroom will surely be in high demand.

“We’re really excited that people can come and see the progress that has taken place . . . Being able to see the artifacts – that was really cool. Seeing the moldings and where they came from and the old spa doors. It’s really exciting to see people come out and I think we’re seeing people hopeful about the Baker. This is huge because, for a long time, people said it would never happen. So, to have people come out for the tours means that there’s some hope.” Rose Jordan, Director of Tourism & Marketing for the Mineral Wells Area Chamber of Commerce

Randy Nix, Local Developer and Partner, has a great amount of passion for the future vision of Mineral Wells and how the Baker Hotel entwines with that future.

“This hotel and the Crazy Water Hotel were built to support the entire community of this town. We ask everybody in the community to help bring this back. We’re doing our part to make this a destination resort again.” Randy Nix, Local Developer & Partner

The Baker Hotel Group continues to work tremendously hard to restore the Baker Hotel to its former glory. Cody Jordan sums up their dedication to teamwork well: “We’re making the best decisions for our city for long time growth – not just for today, but what is going to happen ten years from now. To everybody in this project, it is very essential that we grow together and that we all get on board. I’m super excited about what’s happening and getting to be a small part of it.”

Based upon many reports from Palo Pinto County residents, it looks as though Rose Jordan was very correct about the Baker Hotel restoration: There is hope .

“I’ve always said that this is ‘The Heart of Mineral Wells’ and, as long as it was dead, Mineral Wells was dead. I said that for forty years and everybody laughed at me. They said ‘nobody could do it.’ Then, Mr. Fairchild took the bull by the horns and it’s great!” Winford Masterson, Palo Pinto County Resident

To see further highlights of the Baker Hotel tour, check out our video:

Today, the residents of Palo Pinto County had the opportunity to tour The Baker Hotel and Spa, Mineral Wells Texas for… Posted by Goodday Mineral Wells on  Tuesday, July 14, 2020

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Former Co-Founder |  June 2020-Nov 2020 | Graduate of Texas Christian University with a background in medical anthropology, psychology, and creative writing. Passionate about writing novels. Loved the Mineral Wells community and all that it had offered her and her family.

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Inside the Massive Restoration of the Historic Baker Hotel

By katy blakey • published may 26, 2021 • updated on may 27, 2021 at 3:14 pm.

Yes, it is happening.

Work is well underway to revive the 'Grand Old Lady' of Mineral Wells.

This June will mark two years since a massive restoration project began to bring the neglected Baker Hotel back to life.

Originally opened in 1929 by T.B. Baker for a reported $1.2 million, it was the first air-conditioned hotel in Texas and boasted an Olympic-sized swimming pool and spa attracting thousands to enjoy the healing waters of Mineral Wells.

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But after closing its doors in 1972, the hotel began a slow decline until 2019 when a group of investors partnered with the city to buy the property and restore the famed hotel.

Since then eager residents and people passing through have watched the transformation unfold from the street.

Photos: Inside the Baker Hotel Renovation

“Every day there’s satisfaction,” said restoration project manager and general partner Mark Rawlings. “You see progress.”

While the credit for saving the historic hotel belongs to the town – community members and investors – who refused to give up on their dream to restore it, Rawlings is tasked with bringing the Baker Hotel back to life.

It’s believed to be the largest private restoration project in Texas history.

“I’m just in love with it,” said Rawlings. “It’s a long-time coming and I’m glad to be moving along with it.”

Rawlings has been involved in other high-profile restoration hotel projects, including Austin's Driskell Hotel and the St. Anthony in San Antonio, but says the Baker Hotel is his favorite.

“It’s amazing the amount of craftsmanship,” Rawlings said. “The place was done over the top for its day and they had some great craftsman so we’re honored to be carrying on the tradition and bringing things back and there was so much good stuff that was just buried.

Their work is most visible from the street and high above town.

All of the original 997 windows have been restored -- a process that was done entirely on-site and took nearly a year to do.

The most dramatic transformation to date may be the famed ‘Cloud Room’. The ballroom on the 12 th floor was once covered in debris, graffiti and had been partly covered up by renovations done decades earlier.

Crews demolished anything not original to the hotel with the plan for public spaces to look just like they did when the Baker Hotel opened in 1929.

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Rawlings is most excited to share details about what’s been dubbed the ‘treasure room’.

It’s where every item from the original chandeliers to moldings and doors are being preserved.

Rawlings said it is only now that the debris and muck has been removed that he and his team can start examining the architecture and symbolism behind the original details in the molding and walls.

“It’s making sure that we harvest everything, save everything and we’ve got rooms full of door hinges to old lavatories to light fixtures and we save all of it. It doesn’t deserve to go the dump,” Rawlings said.

The plan is to restore as many of the items as possible to put back in the hotel. What cannot be used will be sold, so the public can own a piece of the Baker Hotel. Money raised will go back into the project, said Rawlings.

Once completed a museum inside the hotel will display items uncovered during restoration along with the story of the Baker’s past.

People are invited to be a part of the restoration project by following the Baker Hotel & Spa on Facebook and Instagram and are invited to share old photos or stories they have of the hotel and even items that once belonged to the hotel.

One family donated back the original shoeshine stand they’d purchased during an auction years ago. It stood in the lobby when the hotel first opened.

Relatives of the original owner T.B. Baker also donated pieces of china that were once used in the hotel.

Rawlings said they are waiting on the final design plans to get started on guest rooms and public areas.

14 guest suites will stay their historic size, but the remaining guest rooms will be expanded to accommodating for modern living.

The restoration also includes the spa and the Olympic-size swimming pool.

Originally expected to open in the fall of 2022, Rawlings said he is now planning for an opening in 2024. Like many hospitality projects, the pandemic has caused delays.

“We didn’t have the effect that a lot of places have in that we were able to work straight through,” said Rawlings. “However, material pricing is crazy right now and we’re waiting and hoping that it stabilizes soon.”

Rawlings said he is most excited about opening the doors so everyone can enjoy what he enjoys every day.

“That’s the goal. We want to get it open and get everybody to come and enjoy it like we are.”

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Welcome To The Historic

Baker House

327 Wrigley Dr. Lake Geneva, WI 53147 262-248-4700

I Love the 80’s “School Night” Dance Party!!

Step into a time machine and groove back to the raddest decade of them all~ We know it’s a school night—that’s what makes it more fun!🎶

After our thrilling Murder Mystery Dinner, wer’re keeping the party going with an 80’s Dance Party in the speakeasy with the spectacular DJ Illya.

🕘 When: Thursday April 25th 9pm until midnight + 🎟️ No cover charge – all adults are welcome! 👗 Dress to impress in your best 80s attire!

Get ready to bust out your neon leg warmers, acid-wash jeans, and shoulder pads because it’s going to be totally rad! Let’s party like it’s 1985!

See you on the dance floor!

Murder Myster Dinner Theater “I Love the 80’s to DEATH!”

A Rockin’ Radical Night of Mystery

It’s the 80’s again, and all of the big names are here for a big concert. Tensions run rampant as backstage secrets spill out into the spotlight with like, totally tragic results!

Tickets are $90 per person, and price includes dinner and the show. Show starts at 7:00 but come at 6:30 and have one of our famous Old Fashioned or house cocktails, a glass of wine, and get ready for a night of revelry and fun!

Limited Seating.

Sunday May 12th

Mother’s day sunday brunch.

🌸 Treat Mom, Grandma, or that special Mother figure in your life to an unforgettable Mother’s Day Brunch at Lake Geneva Steak House, nestled within the historic charm of The Baker House. 🌸

$65 per person, plus tax and gratuity.

Hotel Special

Romance package.

Want to make your hotel visit more luxurious? We’ve got just the things you need- When you book your room, you can also add our Romance Package to set the mood, which includes:

• One dozen roses,
• A bottle of champagne
• Strawberry covered chocolates

Make your stay unforgettable at Baker House!

Let Us Host Your Special Occasion

Planning a wedding? Want to have a special rehearsal dinner? Need a place to host a birthday, graduation, corporate event, bachelorette party, baby or wedding shower? Baker House is the perfect venue – let us help you make your party unforgettable.

Events, Dining, Drinking & Live Music

What’s the latest.

There’s always something happening at Baker House. Whether it’s a holiday party, a dining experience, or live music, we’ve got something for everyone. 

FISH FRY FRIDAYS

Afternoon high tea saturdays, live music in the dining room with  joe nowicki fridays 5-9pm , live music in the dining room  saturdays 5-9pm, dj illya /ladies “drinks half price” night in the boiler room saturdays 8-11pm, sunday “bottomless mimosas” brunch with music by gary allen, half price happy hour thursdays/fridays, hotel & guest suites, elegant luxury.

When you check in to the Baker House you can look forward to an exceptional experience without equal in Lake Geneva or perhaps, anywhere in the world! Every room offers a distinct personality, individually decorated with period pieces, timeless elegance and exotic artifacts.

Restaurant & Lounge

Exceptional dining.

Our fine dining includes carefully crafted cocktails and fine wine, elegant dinner selections, and an abundant brunch buffet brunch. Guests are entertained throughout the 1st floor of the historic mansion and in the lakefront garden with beautiful views of Geneva Lake from every angle.

Private Events

Social engagements.

Perfect for weddings, engagements, corporate events, birthdays, anniversaries, reunions and more! Guests will be awe-struck by the decadent surroundings and indulged by the attentive staff ensuring that your special day is truly a stellar event.

BOAT MEMBERSHIPS & DOCKING

Whether you’re looking to have unlimited boating use, stopping to dock and dine, or rent a boat slip during your stay, we’ve got you covered! Explore our boat memberships & options for docking at the Baker House during your stay.

LAKE GENEVA'S NUMBER 1 LOCATION FOR WEDDING REHEARSAL DINNERS AND WELCOMING PARTIES