The Omni Homestead Resort Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Significant dates

The Homestead
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark

Front view of The Homestead Resort
Location in Virginia
Location	US 220, Hot Springs, Virginia
Area	2,300 acres (930 ha)
Built	1892
Architect	Multiple
Architectural style	Queen Anne, Greek Revival, Colonial Revival
NRHP reference No.	84003494
Added to NRHP	May 3, 1984
Designated NHL	July 17, 1991

The Omni Homestead Resort is a famous place to visit in Hot Springs, Virginia. It sits in the beautiful Allegheny Mountains. This area has the biggest hot springs in Virginia. The resort is also known for its amazing golf courses. These courses have hosted many big national golf games.

The resort also has an alpine ski area. It started in 1959, making it the oldest ski resort in Virginia. The Omni Homestead Resort is a very old and important place. It has been around for over 250 years! It is even a National Historic Landmark.

History of The Homestead Resort

The Homestead in 1903

Old wing of the resort in 2016

Lobby of the resort in 2016

Early Beginnings: 1766 to 1888

The story of The Homestead began in 1766. A man named Thomas Bullitt built a lodge on this spot. This is seen as the start of the resort. Later, in 1832, Dr. Thomas Goode bought the land. He made the resort bigger. He added special spa treatments and water therapies, like those found in Europe. People have been coming to vacation here ever since. Many important guests have stayed, including twenty-three U.S. presidents.

Building the Modern Resort

The resort you see today was mostly built between 1888 and 1892. A group of investors, led by J. P. Morgan, bought the business. They started to rebuild it. The first hotel buildings burned down in 1901. This fire started in the bakery. After the fire, the main Homestead hotel was rebuilt. They added one new section each year. The main lobby was finished in 1902.

Famous Guests and World Events

Many American Presidents and important people have stayed at The Homestead. For example, William Howard Taft spent time here in 1908. He worked and relaxed before his election campaign. President Theodore Roosevelt also visited for a short time.

During World War II, from 1941 to 1942, The Homestead had a special role. It became a place where 785 Japanese diplomats and their families stayed. They were there until they could return to their home country. This was part of an exchange for American diplomats.

In 1943, also during World War II, The Homestead hosted a big meeting for the United Nations. At this meeting, they created the Food and Agriculture Organization. This group helps make sure people around the world have enough food.

Recent Changes and Renovations

In 1993, a company called Club Resorts bought The Homestead. Later, in 2013, Omni Hotels bought the resort. It was then renamed The Omni Homestead Resort. From 2021 to 2023, the entire resort had a huge update. This renovation cost over $150 million.

The Homestead was named a National Historic Landmark in 1991. This means it's a very important historical place in the United States.

Golf at The Homestead

Cascades Course logo

The Homestead has two main golf courses. The golf club is sometimes called Virginia Hot Springs Golf & Tennis Club. A famous golfer named Sam Snead lived nearby. He won 82 times on the PGA Tour.

The Old Course

The Old Course started with just six holes in 1892. Its first tee is the oldest one still used in the United States. By 1901, it had 18 holes. A famous golf course designer, Donald Ross, redesigned it in 1913. The course has been changed a few times since then. Today, it has six par 5s and six par 3s.

The Cascades Course

The Cascades Course is the most famous course at The Homestead. Many golf magazines often rank it among the top 100 courses in the U.S. The Cascades is where big national tournaments are held. It has hosted seven United States Golf Association championships. William S. Flynn designed it, and it opened in 1923.

There used to be a third course called the Lower Cascades. It was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1963. This course closed after the 2012 season.

Sam Snead's Connection

The famous PGA Tour champion Sam Snead lived near Hot Springs his whole life. For many years, he was the golf pro at The Homestead. Sam Snead also holds the course record of 60. He set this amazing record in 1983 when he was 71 years old!

Major Golf Tournaments Hosted

The Homestead has hosted many important golf tournaments, including:

1928 U.S. Women's Amateur
1932 National Intercollegiate Championship
1966 Curtis Cup
1967 U.S. Women's Open
1980 U.S. Senior Amateur
1988 U.S. Amateur
1994 U.S. Women's Amateur
2000 U.S. Mid-Amateur
2004 NCAA Division I Men's Championship
2009 USGA Senior Women's Amateur Championship

Fun Activities and Recreation

The resort has a very large spa area, which is about 60,000 square feet. This is a place where people can relax and get treatments. There are also many different places to eat at the resort, from fancy restaurants to more casual spots.

Skiing at The Homestead

The ski area at The Homestead opened in 1959. This makes it the oldest ski resort in Virginia.

Ski Slopes and Lifts

The resort's main ski slope faces northwest. It has three lifts to take skiers up the hill. One is a double chairlift for intermediate and advanced skiers. The other two are surface lifts for beginners and the tubing hill. The chairlift also has a stop halfway up the mountain. This lets skiers get off for intermediate runs. The resort offers other fun winter activities too, like snow tubing.

Ski Resort Statistics

Here are some facts about the ski area:

Elevation Details

Summit Elevation: 3,200 ft (980 m) (highest point)
Base Elevation: 2,500 ft (760 m) (lowest point)
Vertical Rise: 700 feet (210 m) (height difference)

Terrain Details

Skiable area: 40 acres (0.16 km²) (how much land you can ski on)
Runs: 10 total ski trails
- 35% are for beginners
- 55% are for intermediate skiers
- 10% are for advanced skiers
Longest run: 4,200 feet (1,300 m)
Annual snowfall: 50 inches (1.3 m) (how much snow falls each year)

Resort Capacity

Lift system: 3 lifts in total
- 1 double chairlift
- 1 rope tow
- 1 conveyor (a moving belt for beginners)
Uphill lift capacity: 1,143 skiers per hour (how many skiers the lifts can carry up)
Snowmaking: 100% of trails (they can make snow on all trails if needed)

Ice Skating Fun

The resort used to have a very big ice skating rink. In 2008, The Homestead built a new ice skating rink. It was 30 by 20 feet. In 2013, the ice rink moved to a new spot called Allegheny Springs. It is now right next to the outdoor swimming pool.