About Us

HOLIDAY INN AT SIX FLAGS | A Short History

At the turn of the 19th century the Indians who dwelled in this portion of Missouri dug deep springs on the present Holiday Inn at Six Flags acreage to be used in times of drought. Later, as more and more people traveled by stagecoach, the land became known as the “Deep Springs Stagestop,” an oasis for weary travelers seeking their first “good water” outside the city of St. Louis..

In the meantime, St. Louis’ population grew and many impoverished people began to move West.
To help ease some of the problems, the county purchased the land and laid it to build a farm for people escaping the growing city. Irish stone masons were employed to build a large rock building intended for a dormitory. The original structure, a two story L-shaped barn with handcrafted limestone walls up to 36 inches thick, still stands today, and serves as the center of the complex, housing the Hay Market Restaurant, and spacious meeting and convention and banquet facilities.

The construction of the building progressed slowly and then stopped altogether during the Civil War, after financial difficulties occurred. In 1894, an eminent St. Louis veterinarian, Dr. Charles Crowley, bought the land and converted the barn into an up-to-date “horse hospital,” boarding stables, and a horse stock farm which bred many fine race horses. The farm also served as a rest and watering place for cattle and sheep heading East to the National Stockyards in East St. Louis.

After Dr. Crowley’s death in the 1930’s, the land changed hands several times. For one period the barn housed the champion sire, Bar Money. The Deep Springs site was purchased by the Eckelkamp family in 1975 and was developed into the resort facility that you now enjoy, opening in 1981. A complete property renovation took place in 2003.

top