Radium Springs is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

located on the southeast outskirts of Albany in

Dougherty County, Georgia Dougherty County is located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 85,790. The county seat and sole incorporated city is Albany. Dougherty County is included in the Albany, GA Metr ...

, United States. It is part of the Albany Metropolitan Statistical Area. Radium Springs is best known as the location of one of the " Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia": the largest natural spring in the state. The deep blue waters of Radium Springs flow at 70,000 gallons (265,000 liters) per minute and empty into the

Flint River The Flint River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 15, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Georgia. The river drains of western Georgia, flowing south from the u ...

. There is also an extensive underwater cavern system. The water contains trace amounts of

radium Radium is a chemical element with the symbol Ra and atomic number 88. It is the sixth element in group 2 of the periodic table, also known as the alkaline earth metals. Pure radium is silvery-white, but it readily reacts with nitrogen (rather t ...

, and the water temperature is 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) year-round. Prior to the discovery of radium in the water in 1925, the site was known as "Blue Springs". A casino was built overlooking the springs in the 1920s, and Radium Springs was a popular

spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (and sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneoth ...

and resort. Northerners traveling by train to spend winter in Florida often stopped to swim in the springs, which were thought at the time to be healthful because of the radium content. The casino was severely damaged when the river flooded in 1994, and again in 1998, and was demolished in 2003.

References

Unincorporated communities in Dougherty County, Georgia Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia (U.S. state) Unincorporated communities in Georgia (U.S. state) Albany metropolitan area, Georgia Tourist attractions in Dougherty County, Georgia {{DoughertyCountyGA-geo-stub

See also

References