A hot sulfur spring surfaced here at 132°F, feeding ten sunken porcelain tubs, mud baths, and a mineral plunge. Frank Ferris designed the building, city founder Franklin Heald paid for it, and in 1887 it opened as the Crescent Bath House. People came from across the country to soak in it.
Tours by appointment · Friday to Sunday, 9am to 6pm · groups of up to 10
Few buildings in this valley have lived as many lives as this one.
Lory and Wilma Watts renamed it The Chimes in 1972 and ran an antique store here for thirty years. The painted sign is still on the wall. Every era left something behind in these redwood walls, and that is what we are preserving as the building opens its next chapter.
Designed by Frank Ferris and funded by city founder Franklin Heald, the Moorish-style bath house offered ten sunken porcelain tubs, mud baths, and a mineral plunge, all fed by a hot sulfur spring that surfaced at 132°F. Guests traveled from across the country to soak in its waters, prized as a remedy for arthritis, rheumatism, and the aches of the age.
With its sunken plunge pool and grand rooms, the bath house became a gathering place for social events and musical entertainment in the young resort city of Elsinore.
As the town changed, so did the building. It served as a rooming house and then an interior-design studio, while its one-of-a-kind façade kept watch over downtown.
Owners Lory and Wilma Watts renamed it The Chimes and ran a beloved antique shop here for three decades. In 1975 the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Preserved on the outside and thoughtfully modernized within, The Crescent House opens its doors again as an event venue, a workspace, and a living landmark.
Step past the front doors on a guided walk-through of the 1887 landmark. Hear the stories behind the mineral springs, the bath rooms, and the Moorish architecture, and see the details that photos never quite capture.
A guided walk through the original architecture, the grand rooms, and the details that survived.
The full history of the Crescent Bath House and its many lives, from spa to antique shop to landmark.
History lovers, school and community groups, and anyone who has driven past for years and wondered.
Tours run by appointment only, Friday through Sunday from 9am to 6pm, with groups of up to 10 so the home keeps its intimate feel. Adults are $7, children 5 to 12 are $4, children under 5 are free, and a visit lasts about 30 minutes. As a privately owned historic property, your entrance fee directly supports the preservation and restoration of the building. And before you go, stop by the gift shop inside and take a piece of the story home.
The tour goes up the main staircase and through the house, room by room, left much as it was. Restoration is still underway, so the route shifts as work moves through the building. No two tours are quite the same.
A landmark this old is never truly finished. The Crescent House Preservation Project is the ongoing work of restoring and maintaining the building, run by The Crescent Bathhouse Foundation. Alongside it, the Borsellinos are building The Cultural Plaza across the street, an extension of The Crescent House that will host community events and add venue space for The Chimes.
The Crescent Bathhouse Foundation, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, EIN 41-4891212, and it runs the restoration and preservation of this historic 1887 landmark for the Lake Elsinore community. Thank you for keeping history alive.
Any amount helps fund upkeep, repairs, and the careful restoration of the building's historic details.
Gifts to the Preservation Project go to The Crescent Bathhouse Foundation and are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. The button below takes a one-time gift. If you would like to give regularly, reach out and we will set that up with you.
Give to the restoration (opens in a new tab)Joe and Mercedes Borsellino are building The Cultural Plaza across the street, next to the site of the new parking lot. It will host events for the Lake Elsinore community and add venue space for The Chimes, as an extension of The Crescent House.
Gifts toward The Cultural Plaza are kept separate from the preservation work, so you can choose which one your support goes to. The button below takes a one-time gift. If you would like to give regularly, or you have a question about how a gift to the Plaza is handled, reach out and we will talk it through.
Give to The Cultural Plaza (opens in a new tab)Tell us a day that works and we'll walk you through the building ourselves.
Accessibility. The Crescent House was built in 1887 and the building reflects that. The Graham Avenue entrance has steps, with a ramp to one side that also reaches the front door. There is a step-free way in at the rear as well, from the parking on site. There is no elevator, so the second floor is reached by stairs. If step-free access matters for your visit, please call us before you book so we can go over the entrances and rooms with you.