Some might have to spend thousands of dollars to fly eight-plus hours to Iceland or Italy just to visit a natural spring, but a 20-minute drive north of Dallas in Plano, Texas gets you to WorldSprings, a sprawling wellness resort that boasts 46 mineral-infused soaking pools alongside saunas, cold plunges and a spa. Here, you’ll find “the world’s greatest mineral waters, all in one place”—every pool is inspired by natural springs from around the globe, so you can take a dip without ever leaving Texas. And at $85 per person to access the 46 pools, it’s far cheaper than the price you’d pay to travel to all eight represented countries.
You’d be hard-pressed to find anything similar in the city. In fact, the closest natural springs are the ever-popular Barton Springs in Austin. Besides that, you’re looking at a nearly five-hour drive to the aptly-named city of Hot Springs, Arkansas, or a 600-mile journey to Big Bend National Park from Dallas. Given the scarcity of nearby springs experiences, WorldSprings is well worth the trip—so much so that I regretted complaining about the traffic to Plano.
How my WorldSprings experience went
My day at WorldSprings began in the sleek lobby, where I received an electronic wristband that allowed me to access my locker with one tap, as well as a color-coded wristband for staff to identify the 10am time slot I’d reserved. A typical reservation is for three hours, unless you’re coming for one of the five reduced-price slots before closing time (11pm Sunday to Wednesday, and midnight Thursday through Saturday).
After changing into my swimsuit, I exited the locker room and grabbed a complimentary towel. Plush robes can also be rented for $15 if you’re seeking a more elevated option. I skipped the bar and cafe adjacent to the women’s locker room, as I’d already eaten, but staff were available throughout the property to take drink orders and bring them poolside.
The complex looks intimidatingly large from the map provided online—it is, after all, the country’s largest outdoor mineral springs experience. WorldSprings is organized by region, with the South Pacific Region marked for all ages and the Dead Sea, European, Asiatic and Americas regions for 18-plus only. Navigating it, however, is fairly simple: all you have to do is follow the path. There’s plenty of signage if you want to skip straight to a specific region, but I did them in order to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
The path begins in the South Pacific region at the all-ages, freshwater Globe Pool, a great place to cool down between warmer soaks. Eager to experience the rest of the resort, I didn’t spend long here before making my way to the Dead Sea Pool, with hypersaline waters that purportedly relieve joint pain and improve skin health. Each pool at WorldSprings has corresponding signage that breaks down the water temperature, benefits and minerals—in this case, chlorine, magnesium and sodium.
After the Dead Sea, I headed to the European region. Inspired by Iceland’s famed Blue Lagoon, this pool was heated to a balmy 103 degrees, and its primary minerals of lithium, potassium and silica claimed to provide nervous system support and relieve hypertension. A layer of stones at the bottom of this pool offered added foot stimulation without feeling uncomfortable. Over at the Chianciano Terme, Italy-themed pool—also heated to 103 degrees Fahrenheit—I waited for the iron and magnesium to work their gastrointestinal magic.
The standout features that made it worthwhile
Of all the pools, I ended up spending the most time in Osaek, South Korea pool in the Asiatic region, which clocked in at 97 degrees and was enriched in bicarbonate, for its skin and anti-inflammatory benefits.
While I couldn’t actually feel every pool’s purported health benefits (for example, the pools didn’t immediately relieve joint pain), the warm water was enough, melting every amount of tension I had that day.
Before heading to my last region, I took a break to warm up by one of the fire pits. If Adirondack chairs aren’t your thing, plush cabanas are available for rental instead. I noticed a few cold plunge pools nearby, too, but it was a surprisingly chilly morning (for Texas!), so I opted for the 105-degree sauna. Instead of having one standalone room, WorldSprings erects birch-lined Finnish sauna “pods” that make it easy for multiple parties to privately enjoy the facilities.
My around-the-world adventure ended close to home in the Central Americas region. Imitating Fuentes Giorginas, Guatemala, the first pool claimed benefits of muscle relaxation and stress reduction—and I can definitely say both were true for me! The last pool I tried was themed after Grutas Tolantongo, Mexico. At 90 degrees, it was a nice way to ease into cooling down for the day while supporting my bone health with the calcium and magnesium-infused water.
Is WorldSprings worth the price?
By the time I dried off, all my stress had melted away. I felt light as air, and the few random aches I’d had coming in had definitely subsided. I thought my visit was well worth the $85, thanks to the combination of a rare (for Dallas) tranquil setting combined with the knowledge that I’d have to spend at least double the cost of admission to drive to Austin for anything remotely similar. And the variety of experiences offered makes it a steal.
Next time, I’ll be sure to try the complimentary yoga and aquatic exercise classes. When the travel bug hits, I’ll be here instead of shelling out the big bucks for a long-haul trip.