Berkeley Springs: Springs, Baths and Culture

During a stay in Berkeley Springs, you can choose between spring water baths, local history, art at the Ice House, and the Apple Butter Festival in October. If you’re looking for a hotel for your visit, plan your travel dates around the activities that interest you; for the annual festival, the weekend is especially important.

Spring Water and Baths

At Berkeley Springs State Park and Spa, the outdoor pool is filled with natural spring water. The Bathhouse Spa offers therapeutic massages, hot stone massages, mineral baths, and reflexology; services may change. So check the current offerings before your visit. The Old Roman Bathhouse has a private, walk-in Roman Bath with 750 gallons of mineral water heated to 102 degrees Fahrenheit. This distinguishes the outdoor pool, spa treatments, and private mineral bath as possible focuses for a visit.

Local History and Walking Tour

Built in 1815, the Roman Bath House in Berkeley Springs State Park is considered the oldest public building in the historic Town of Berkeley Springs. The Museum of the Berkeley Springs is on the second floor; local citizens founded it in 1984. Exhibits include the geology of the springs, artifacts from Indigenous peoples, historic bathing suits, and materials about George Washington. The museum is also an interpretive center for the western section of the Washington Heritage Trail National Scenic Byway. The geology of the springs, bathing history, and other exhibits offer different ways to explore the history of the town.

Each plaque on or near a building in Berkeley Springs marks a stop on a walking tour of the Town of Bath and also identifies one of the 134 original lots established when the Town of Bath was laid out in 1776. The tour thus connects its stops with the historic division of the lots.

Art at the Ice House

The MAC Ice House Galleries include several gallery spaces and are open Thursday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Since opening hours may change, check the current hours before your visit. The Ice House offers year-round art classes and visual arts programs for all ages. The Ice House Artist’s Co-Op Gallery showcases and sells works in various media by more than 30 regional and local artists selected by a jury. The Ice House Theater Project, the Morgan Arts Council’s community theater committee, is also based at the Ice House.

Apple Butter Festival in October

Since 1974, the Apple Butter Festival has been held every year on the Saturday and Sunday of Columbus Day weekend in October, in the park and on the streets of downtown Berkeley Springs. On the town square, apple butter is slowly cooked in large copper kettles over open fires, and passersby are invited to stir it. Unlike the year-round art programs at the Ice House, the festival takes place only on this October weekend. Check the specific festival dates for the year before traveling.

Spring Water in the Park

Free spring water is available from a pump or spigot at the foot of Warm Springs Ridge, on the west side of Berkeley Springs State Park. Bring a container and check local regulations before traveling.

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