Enjoy a movie in a historic hotel
Published 3:00 am Tuesday, April 9, 2024
- The renovated movie theater at the Lodge at Hot Lake Springs offers second-run movie showings to the public in the evenings on Thursdays through Sundays. The lodge owners have expanded public availability to Hot Lake through the movie theater, Thermal Pub and Eatery and day-use hot spring soaking.
UNION — First, a little history to appreciate the unique setting.
The Lodge at Hot Lake has a rich and varied story. The first wooden structure of the building was built in 1864. In 1884, the Union Pacific railroad started construction, running near Hot Lake.
The original wooden structure was demolished in 1903 and construction began on a new hotel and various bath houses. The famous brick hotel was built in 1906.
It was once called the “Mayo Clinic of the West” and attracted visitors and patients from all over the world. In 1917, Dr. Phy purchased the hotel, renaming it Hot Lake Sanitorium and the geothermal mineral waters from the springs were used and experimented with to treat patients and guests.
Dr. Phy died in 1931 and in 1934 a fire destroyed the majority of the building’s right side, completely demolishing the wooden structure of the hotel. However, the 65,000-square-foot brick portion of the building survived.
After the fire, business at the hotel declined and the property was used intermittently. It became a nurse’s training center and flight school during World War II. By 1953, the building was operating as a nursing home and later as an asylum.
In the 1980s, it was briefly operated as a spa and by 1991, the building was abandoned.
Today, the hotel has been restored over the last few years and offers a bed and breakfast, museum, spa facilities, a restaurant and a movie theater. The geothermal energy from the thermal spring lakes on the premises is utilized as a primary source of heat in the hotel.
Catch a movie
The movie theater at Hot Lake Lodge is a unique feature of the lodge. It has 60 theater seats and there are distinctive platforms attached to act as tables to enjoy the in-house food and drink service from the Thermal Pub and Eatery, the Lodge’s restaurant.
“The movie theatre adds to the overall visitor experience with another element of relaxation,” said Scott Newman, manager of Hot Lake Lodge. “Plus it’s a great affordable place for locals to have a family night with the kids or a date night.”
The theater offers showings from Thursday to Sunday at 6 p.m. for a $5 admission fee.
There is a diverse schedule of movies — both recent and classic. April brings “M*A*S*H,” “The Greatest Showman,” “Free Guy,” “Napolean Dynamite,” “Castaway” and more.
Find a complete schedule at hotlakelodge.com.
