History
The Painted Desert Inn stands on the rim of the Painted Desert in the northern section of Petrified Forest National Park, in Apache County, northeastern Arizona. The building originated in the late 1920s as a private trading post and roadhouse known as the Stone Tree House, constructed in part from local petrified wood. The National Park Service acquired the site in 1936 and, with Civilian Conservation Corps labor and under the direction of architect Lyle Bennett, redesigned and rebuilt the inn between 1937 and 1940 in the mature Pueblo Revival idiom that characterizes much of the agency's Southwestern park architecture of the period.
Construction combines coursed masonry of local sandstone and rubble with stuccoed wall surfaces, projecting wooden vigas and canales, hand-carved skylight grilles, ponderosa-pine ceilings, and punched-tin lighting fixtures executed by CCC craftsmen on site. The plan provides a central lobby and dining hall flanked by guest rooms, kitchen, and service spaces, all organized in the low, terraced, courtyard-respectful massing that the Park Service had developed as a regional model. In 1947 muralist Fred Kabotie was commissioned to execute Hopi-themed murals in the dining room, which remain a defining interior feature.
The inn served as a roadside Park Service concession on Route 66 through the postwar decades before changing federal policy and the rise of the Interstate Highway System reduced its commercial use. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under reference number 87001421 in recognition of its architectural and Civilian Conservation Corps significance.
The Painted Desert Inn today operates as a museum and visitor contact point within Petrified Forest National Park, with the Kabotie murals and CCC-era interior finishes interpreted for visitors. Within Arizona's adobe tradition it stands as one of the most fully realized National Park Service Pueblo Revival buildings in the state.
Common questions
What is the Painted Desert Inn?
The Painted Desert Inn is a historic Pueblo Revival building in Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona. It is designated a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places under reference number 87001421, and it is famed for interior murals by Hopi artist Fred Kabotie.
When was the Painted Desert Inn built?
The Painted Desert Inn's exact date of construction is unknown from the registry record alone. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 under reference number 87001421 and later elevated to National Historic Landmark status.
Where is the Painted Desert Inn located?
The Painted Desert Inn is located off US 40 within Petrified Forest National Park in northeastern Arizona. The site sits in Apache County, overlooking the Painted Desert near the park's northern entrance.
Can you visit the Painted Desert Inn?
The Painted Desert Inn is located within Petrified Forest National Park and is administered by the National Park Service. Visitors entering the park can typically access the building as a museum and historic site; current hours and access should be confirmed through the National Park Service.
What architectural style is the Painted Desert Inn?
The Painted Desert Inn is built in the Pueblo Revival style, a regional architectural tradition that draws on the forms and earthen-walled silhouettes of historic Pueblo construction. The building's interior features murals by Hopi artist Fred Kabotie.
Why is the Painted Desert Inn historically significant?
The Painted Desert Inn is designated a National Historic Landmark, the highest federal historic recognition in the United States. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places under reference number 87001421 and is significant as a Pueblo Revival landmark within a U.S. National Park.