Painted Desert Inn: A Desert Landmark with a Storied Past
Step inside a landmark of Arizona's Painted Desert, and explore art, heritage, and nature intertwined.
Rainbow over Painted Desert Inn (2024-01)Arizona Preservation Foundation
Adobe elegance on the edge of the Painted Desert
Located alongside Route 66 within the Petrified Forest National Park, this building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987 for its beautiful design and notable history.
This vintage photograph shows a woman visiting Painted Desert Inn. The sign above her head announces that the Inn is run by the Fred Harvey Company.
West Side, Painted Desert Inn (2022) by Richard A WalkerArizona Preservation Foundation
A showcase of 1930s craftsmanship and design
The main building and guest cabins of the inn were designed in the Pueblo Revival style by National Park Service architect Lyle E. Bennett, alongside others from the National Park Service Branch of Plans and Design.
Painted Desert Inn (2017-10-17) by Paul BradyArizona Preservation Foundation
New Deal legacy in the Painted Desert
From 1937-1940, the construction of the inn was carried out by Civilian Conservation Corps builders and artisans, as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. Later, it was run by the legendary Fred Harvey Company, the famed railroad hospitality corporation.
The interior of the Inn was designed by architect Mary E. J. Colter. Colter also collaborated with Fred Harvey to design La Posada Hotel in Winslow, Arizona.
Blending pueblo revival with desert landscape
The building is uniquely designed to blend into the natural setting where it was built. Part of the main building uses local petrified wood in its design. Many of the patterns within the building were inspired by Navajo blanket designs.
Painted Desert Inn Mural (1948) by Fred KabotieArizona Preservation Foundation
Preserving Indigenous voices through design
Between 1947-1948, Hopi artist Fred Kabotie was hired to paint murals in the inn, which are still there today. The murals depict aspects of Hopi life, including a journey through the Painted Desert to collect salt.
Painted Desert Inn (1947) by KlickerChickArizona Preservation Foundation
From demolition to landmark
Scheduled for demolition in 1975, a public campaign successfully saved the Painted Desert Inn. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and became a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
Difficulties with the need to preserve later arose. Restoration and modernization work was done between 2004-2006 to postpone damage, including adding thirteen “floating” roofs, joint-less pipes in the walls, and re-laying flagstones to help with drainage.
Funded by generous public support, the National Parks Service continues to work to maintain the historical integrity of the building while presenting the inn as it was in its heyday during the late 1940s into the 1950s.
The Inn is named for the Painted Desert, part of the Petrified Forest National Park it is located within. Known for brilliant and varied colors, the geology of the desert creates striking stripes in the topography.
More than a museum: a portal to the past
While the site no longer operates as an inn, it is open to visitors year round as part of the Painted Desert National Park. Learn more about the Painted Desert Inn here.
Written by Reese Finnigan. Images sourced by Reese Finnigan and Brook Crowell.
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