Maribell Caves Hotel

Built in 1900 by an Austrian Immigrant to resemble buildings in the Old World, the hotel was billed as a place "where people could immerse themselves in fine bathing, boating and fishing". The Hotel had a natural spring on the property and the water from the spring was piped into the hotel so it's guests could both bathe in and drink this natural remedy--the water was also bottled and sold to fine restaurants and hotels in both Milwaukee and Chicago. It was very popular until 1915 when business began to slow. In the 1920's it's a known fact that both John Dillinger and Al Capone stayed at the Hotel on their way from Chicago to Northern Wisconsin, as the hotel was half way between the two areas.  It eventually closed, then was bought, refurbished and re-opened in 1981, but in 1985 there was a bad fire and although the outside stones still stood, the inside was ruined. The stones stood intact until  2013 when a tornado ripped through the area and did major damage to the remaining stonework---now it stands there, just a shell of it's former self & such an  unexpected site as you come over the hill--and yet still beautifully imposing!