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Entry 94: Holiday Inn Six Flags: Historic Hospitality Near St. Louis with 200 Years of Travel Legacy

 Holiday Inn Six Flags

4901 Six Flags Rd, Eureka, MO 63025

The site where the Holiday Inn by Six Flags stands today has been a stopping point for travelers for nearly 200 years. It all started in the early 1800s when Native Americans dug deep springs on the land, creating a reliable water source. As stagecoach travel grew, the spot became known as the Deep Springs Stage Stop, a welcome rest area for travelers leaving St. Louis, offering them their first "good water" after the city.



In the mid-1800s, as St. Louis expanded, the county bought the land to build a farm to help people moving west. They hired Irish stonemasons to construct a large rock building, which was meant to be a dormitory. This building still stands today and is now the heart of the Holiday Inn, housing the Hay Market Restaurant, banquet rooms, and convention facilities inside its thick limestone walls.

During the Civil War, the farm project was put on hold, but in 1894, a St. Louis veterinarian named Dr. Charles Crowley purchased the property. He transformed it into a horse hospital with boarding stables and a stock farm. After his death in the 1930s, the land changed hands a few times until the Eckelkamp family bought it in 1975. They turned it into the resort it is today, opening the Holiday Inn in 1981.

Today, with 65 acres of scenic land, well-appointed guest rooms, an in-house restaurant, banquet spaces, and recreational facilities, the Holiday Inn by Six Flags carries on its long tradition of hospitality. Even after 200 years, it remains an oasis for travelers—just as it was back in the stagecoach days.



Early 1800s: Native Americans dug deep springs on this land, establishing a vital oasis for stagecoach travelers who relied on it as a refreshing stop after leaving St. Louis.

Mid 1800s: As St. Louis expanded, the county acquired the land to create a community farm. Irish stone masons constructed the large rock building, which now serves as the centerpiece of the resort.

1894: Dr. Charles Crowley, a notable St. Louis veterinarian, purchased the property and converted it into a horse hospital, featuring boarding stables and facilities for livestock heading to the National Stockyards.

1975: The Eckelkamp family acquired the land and began developing it into a resort.

1981: The resort officially opened its doors, marking the beginning of a new chapter in this historic location.

2017 & Beyond: Holiday Inn Six Flags continues to offer exceptional hospitality, blending historical charm with modern amenities for a memorable Six Flags vacation.

#HolidayInnSixFlags #missouri #sixflags #holidayinn #hotel



 

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