Ride the Spirit of Jasper vintage train on the 25-mile trip from Jasper to French Lick through the rolling hills of scenic Southern Indiana, swathed in autumn’s jewel-tone colors.
There was a time when swanky movie stars and swaggering gangsters also traveled by train to French Lick, a historic hamlet known for its magnificent resort and casino. Alas, by the mid-20th century, rail travel lost favor and authorities shut the casino down after belatedly discovering it was — surprise — still in operation.
But the past is often the present in this region of quaint towns and winding roads. And befitting this homage to heritage, passengers can now climb aboard the Spirit of Jasper, with its renovated 1917 lounge car and 1940s-era parlor car, at an architecturally authentic replica of the early 20th-century Southern Railway depot.
Though time had once diminished the French Lick Resort, an extensive historical restoration returned its glory. The train trip is a chance to enjoy the ride and cash bar before disembarking to walk among the historic gardens, take a horse and carriage ride, dine or sit on the large verandah.
But be sure to spend some time rolling the dice in the 51,000-square-foot casino, with its towering 27-foot ceilings and Vegas-style gaming options. The casino, connected to the resort by a long promenade lined with shops and the Grand Colonnade Restaurant, offers more than 1,300 slots, 41 gaming tables, live shows and 10-seat electronic Texas Hold’em Poker tables, as well as a chance to relive the glamour of the past.