Painted Desert Inn
United States historic place in Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona. Built 1937 by Lyle E. Bennett. Added to the National Register in 1987, and a National Historic Landmark.
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What it is
Painted Desert Inn is a historic complex in Petrified Forest National Park, in Apache County, eastern Arizona. It is located off Interstate 40 and near the original alignment of historic U.S. Route 66, overlooking the Painted Desert.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Building |
| Address | Off US 40, Petrified Forest National Park, AZ |
| County | Apache County |
| Listed | May 28, 1987 |
| Listed for | Art, Architecture, Social history |
| Level of significance | National |
| Reference number | 87001421 |
| Built | 1937 · more from the 1930s |
| Architect | Lyle E. Bennett |
| Type of place | lodge, Passport to Your National Parks cancellation location, architectural ensemble |
| Style | Pueblo Revival Style architecture |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark |
| Contributing resources | 1 building |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | Off US 40, Petrified Forest National Park, AZ |
| Coordinates | 35.0855° N, 109.7895° W · Directions ↗ |
| Nearest national park unit | Petrified Forest National Park · 7 miles · on Park Atlas |
Explore
Drawings & photographs
Measured drawings and photographs from the Library of Congress. Public domain. All 1 record ↗
Map
Nearby in Apache County
Public land around it
| Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area ↗Wilderness, National Park Service | Inside the boundary50,260 acres |
Wilderness Atlas publishes a centroid and an acreage for each unit, not a boundary line. Distance here is measured to a circle of the same area drawn around that centroid, so treat it as roughly right rather than surveyed.
Local history books for Apache County
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Guidebooks to historic places and travel in Arizona
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was Painted Desert Inn listed on the National Register?
May 28, 1987. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
When was Painted Desert Inn built?
1937, designed by Lyle E. Bennett, in the Pueblo Revival Style architecture style.
Source: Wikidata
Can I visit Painted Desert Inn?
Yes. Painted Desert Inn is recorded as open to the public.
Source: Wikidata
Where is Painted Desert Inn?
Off US 40, Petrified Forest National Park, Apache County, Arizona. The nearest national park unit is Petrified Forest National Park, 7 miles away.
Source: Petrified Forest National Park
Are there historic photographs or drawings of Painted Desert Inn?
Yes. The Historic American Buildings Survey at the Library of Congress has drawings or photographs of it.
Source: Library of Congress
Where is the nomination form for Painted Desert Inn?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Is there cell service at Painted Desert Inn?
FCC coverage maps show AT&T 4G LTE and T-Mobile 4G LTE at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 87001421. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA. Drawings and photographs are Historic American Buildings Survey records at the Library of Congress, public domain.