painted desert inn

Made a quick stop for the view as we made our way through the park, and found out this is a museum and not a functioning inn. Didn't spend much time here, but it was interesting to learn about it's place in history. I'm agree with the others, as I wish it was a working inn.

We visited this neat old building in the Petrified Forest National Park. The park service has done a nice job of restoring and taking care of this old place. It is evident that it will continually need work. Great artifacts inside and interesting architecture inside and out. The park service ranger on hand knew a lot of the history behind the building. A must stop while at this little visited national park.

Take the time to stop here and walk through a bit of history. There are lots of artifacts and photographs from the time the building was a working inn. Don't forget to look up. The ceiling is gorgeous!

We made the stop in here ... wasn't open but very nice to walk around and look. I also had a very nice overlook area.

Loved seeing this place. The history, the architecture, the amazing artifacts, the glass panels in the ceiling. The vistas from here. One can only imagine the fun times that were had there back in the day. Don't miss the free lemonade!

It used to be an inn and used to serve meals and shakes. It is quite a cool little piece of history that you need to check out. It is located up near the north entrance of the park and is located near the Painted Desert. While you don't need to spend a large amount of time, you should spend some and the place will take you back in time to when it was built.

This is a wonderful building - the architecture is fantastic and its history is so interesting. The color palette and the view out the window are incredible. You won't need to stay long to really get a feel for it and imagine it full of travelers in days gone by. My children had no interest and stayed in the car. I was glad, because then I got to actually enjoy myself :)

This was once a functioning Inn, but now it is a museum piece. It is a lovely building and I was enchanted by it ambience. Such a pity though that it is not still being used (at least in part) for its original purpose. I would have liked to sit in a booth and drink a lemonade!

In the Kachina point, after seen the Painted Desert, I visited this Inn. It´s a historical gem!The place was an INN and dinning which at some point in the 40s was run by the Harvey Girls, aligned with the philosophy of offering good accommodation to travelers coming to these then inhospitable areas. The place preserves its original features and decoration from the 50s. It is well maintained and includes a small museum with valuable historical pictures of the place and the area. A very friendly and talkative ranger explained a lot about the history of the place to me. The building itself is a nice peace of the local architecture.There was an exhibition of postcards done by various artists at the lower floor. At the beginning of the 20th century, Thomas Moran, the American artist born in England, was in the region and one painting from him is preserved at the museum.No additional fees to see the Painted Desert INN once you have paid the tickets for the National Park. You can donate something to contribute with the preservation of the place.

The place was amazing. It look great. I love it and the old stuff was great. And the building were made better then , then now...

Very nicely restaured historical building.It's a pity they don't serve coffee or other drinks here. Could be a nice break after admiring painted desert and petrified forest.

A wander through the historic Painted Desert Inn, a National Monument itself, is well worth doing whilst driving through the Painted Desert portion of the Petrified Forest and here you will see the view from Kachina Point.

Painted Desert Inn sits near the north entrance of Petrified Forest National Park in a most gorgeous setting – the Painted Desert, of course. Walking through the old hotel gives a sense of days gone by right down to the price list posted in the Soda Fountain. The rooms, murals, and displays are all as interesting as the views from the windows and balcony. A park ranger gladly tells of the Inn and its history. Notice the large rock with a cat petroglyph near the ranger’s desk. Don’t rush through the hotel -- give yourself time to enjoy it both inside and out. It’s a wonderful piece of American history.

Too bad they no longer let you stay here. The old time dinner looked ready for business. Enjoyed the murals.

The Inn is in the original décor with counters and booths and menus from back in the 50's. There is also a guide and information about the place and the National Forest in general. There are trails that you can go on to view and admire the scenery of petrified wood and vegetation. A must-see!