Old Faithful Inn

NPS / Jacob W. Frank

Quick Facts

Location:

Old Faithful

Significance:

Designed and constructed in the rustic style of architecture

Designation:

National Historic Landmark

MANAGED BY:

Yellowstone National Park Lodges

Amenities

9 listed

Accessible Rooms, Bicycle - Rental, Food/Drink - Bar/Alcohol For Sale, Food/Drink - Ice Cream, Food/Drink - Restaurant/Table Service, Gifts/Souvenirs/Books, Restroom, Restroom - Family, Toilet - Flush

A National Historic Landmark, the Old Faithful Inn is the most iconic building in Yellowstone National Park. Designed by Robert Reamer and built in 1903-1904 with local logs and stone, the inn is considered the largest log structure in the world. The towering lobby features a massive stone fireplace and a hand-crafted clock made of copper, wood and wrought iron serving as focal points. This reservable lodging facility is operated by Yellowstone National Park Lodges, an authorized National Park Service concessioner.

Amenities & Operating Dates

Specific offerings are typically open daily from May through mid-October:

• Inn Lodging: a range of room types—from Old House rooms (with or without private bathrooms) to standard and deluxe rooms, junior suites, and geyser basin view suites—offer heat and simple comforts including a coffee maker (most rooms), mini-refrigerator (select rooms), and fan. Most rooms are elevator accessible. Rooms do not have air conditioning, WiFi, or TV. No pets, smoking/vaping, or in-room cooking is allowed.
• Dining Room: open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Reservations are required for dinner, which can be made in advance for hotel guests. The dining room offers a culinary experience steeped in history and architectural splendor. 
• Bear Paw Deli: start your day with a hot coffee, or enjoy quick-service sandwiches, snacks, and ice cream later in the day. 
• Gift Shop: offering souvenirs and apparel for purchase.

See the website for current season dates. Hours and dates are subject to change.

Accessibility

Eight ADA-accessible rooms are available and include bathroom grab bars, a handheld shower hose, and an accessible toilet and sink. Wheelchairs are available for loan at the inn or for rent at the Old Faithful Medical Clinic. Wheelchair users may need assistance to access the lodge and cafeteria due to the lack of a curb cut. Designated accessible parking is available at the front and rear of the building.

Reservations

Make reservations online or by calling 307-344-7311 (307-344-5395 for TDD).

History

After the only hotel in the Upper Geyser Basin burned down in 1894, park officials pressured the Yellowstone Park Association, which held the lease on the property, to replace it with something more substantial. In 1902, the president of the Yellowstone Park Association obtained financing from the Northern Pacific Railroad for a new hotel. The lobby, rising six stories beneath a steeply sloped roof, was flanked by a dining room and two three-story wings containing guest rooms.

The Old Faithful Inn opened in 1904, and was equipped with electric lighting, but architect Robert Reamer designed the light fixtures to look like candlesticks. Both the electricity and the radiators were fueled by a steam generator. Evening meals were accompanied by a string quartet, and dancing was customary six nights a week. The east wing was added in 1919 and the west wing was added in 1927—both under Reamer's supervision.

The Old Faithful Historic District, which includes the inn and many of the surrounding buildings, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Like the inn, the district is historically significant because of its rustic architecture and its role in the development of concessions, including restaurants, to accommodate growing tourism in the early 1900s. The Old Faithful Inn was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. A major renovation program of the Old House was launched in 2004 to meet current building codes and restore the lobby so that it more closely replicates Reamer's original design.

Design

The Old Faithful Inn, named for the geyser, exemplifies the use of rustic architecture at a large scale to complement a natural landscape. The rhyolite that formed Yellowstone's caldera during volcanic upheavals provided the stone for the building's foundation, and local lodgepole pine the logs for its walls. Skilled craftsmen embellished the windows and stairways with gnarled wood selected for its inherent beauty. As designed by architect Robert Reamer, the inn combines rugged materials and organic motifs in a way that expresses both frontier sensibilities and elegance.