Taste the Sans Souci at Wiswall Park.
Our mineral tubs are prepared for soaking, not drinking. To taste Sans Souci spring water, visit the restored public fountain in nearby Wiswall Park, just a short walk from Medbery.
The fountain offers another way to experience the mineral-water heritage of Ballston Spa and makes a meaningful stop before or after your visit.
Beneath Ballston SpaA living connection to the water that shaped a village.
The story of Medbery begins beneath the ground. Ballston Spa grew around mineral springs that drew visitors seeking the distinctive experience of naturally carbonated, mineral-rich water. One of the best known was the Sans Souci, a name often translated from French as “without care.”
Today, mineral water is still drawn on site at Medbery Spa & Wellness for private soaking experiences. Every bath offers a tangible connection between the spa you visit now and the history that made Ballston Spa a destination.
Drawn from deep beneath Front Street.
In 1870, an artesian well associated with the Sans Souci spring was drilled to a reported depth of 690 feet. Historical accounts describe the water rising through layers of rock under natural pressure, carrying dissolved minerals and natural carbonation to the surface.
A period analysis conducted at Union College documented strongly mineralized water containing sodium chloride and bicarbonates of calcium and magnesium, along with smaller amounts of other mineral constituents. Those findings belong to the historical record and help explain why the spring became part of Ballston Spa’s identity.
A distinctive mineral profile.
Historical analysis recorded a complex combination of dissolved minerals rather than one single defining ingredient. Sodium chloride was prominent, along with calcium and magnesium bicarbonates and smaller amounts of potassium, iron and lithium compounds.
Minerals such as magnesium and calcium are familiar to many modern bathers, but we do not need to turn history into a medical promise. The experience itself is the point: warm water, private time and the rare opportunity to soak in water drawn from a historic local source.
Small historical note:
Mineral information on this page is drawn from nineteenth-century records and is not presented as a current laboratory analysis of the water in our tubs. Medbery mineral baths are spa experiences, not medical treatment.
The tradition continues in a new chapter.
Ballston Spa’s springs have been bottled, studied, tasted and enjoyed across generations. Much has changed around them, but the water remains one of the village’s most distinctive natural and historical assets.
At Medbery Spa & Wellness, we preserve that connection in a simple, personal way. Your bath is prepared for you in a private room with fresh towels, chilled water and time to settle in without rushing.
Step into the story for yourself.
History is most memorable when you can experience it. Reserve a private mineral bath on its own or pair your soak with massage, skincare or sauna.