El Tovar Hotel
The El Tovar Hotel, also known simply as El Tovar, is a former Harvey House hotel situated directly on the south rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, United States.
El Tovar Hotel | |
U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
U.S. National Historic Landmark | |
U.S. National Historic Landmark District Contributing Property | |
The El Tovar Hotel in the early 1900s | |
| Location | Grand Canyon National Park, Rte. 8A, Grand Canyon, Arizona |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 36°03′27″N 112°08′14″W |
| Area | 4.1 acres (1.7 ha) |
| Built | 1905 |
| Architect | Charles Whittlesey |
| Architectural style | Swiss Chalet; Norway Villa |
| Part of | Grand Canyon Village Historic District (ID75000343) |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000334 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | September 6, 1974 |
| Designated NHL | May 28, 1987 |
| Designated NHLDCP | February 18, 1987 |
The hotel was designed by Charles Whittlesey, Chief Architect for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway and was opened in 1905 as one of a chain of hotels and restaurants owned and operated by the Fred Harvey Company in conjunction with the Santa Fe railway whose Grand Canyon Depot was 100 metres (330 ft) away. It is at the northern terminus of the Grand Canyon Railway, which was formerly a branch of the Santa Fe Railroad.
The hotel is one of only a handful of Harvey House facilities that are still in operation, and is an early example of the style that would evolve into National Park Service Rustic architecture. The Hotel is also featured in the 1983 film, National Lampoon's Vacation. It has also been a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, since 2012.