Petrified Forest National Park - Painted Desert Inn (U.S. National Park Service)

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eroding badland hill in the Painted Desert, Photo by Marge Post/NPS

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Petrified Forest National Park

Painted Desert Inn

painted desert inn includes:
Rehabilitation Project Stone Tree House Civilian Conservation Corps		Historic Route 66 Harvey Girls Hopi Heritage

NPS/Marge Post

Painted Desert Inn is once again dressed up with bright colors both inside and out.

Painted Desert Inn, a National Historic Landmark within Petrified Forest National Park, opened May 24, 2006 after 18 months of much needed rehabilitation. The building functions only as a museum and bookstore today, without overnight accommodation and food service.

Some work continues and displays are in the works, but the building is open and ready for your visit!

	Painted Desert Inn (19 Photos) Current photos of the inn, inside and out. View Album \| View Slideshow

If you are interested in historic structures, here are some on-line books you might find interesting:

Presenting Nature: The Historic Landscape Design of the National Park Service (1916 to 1942)

Rustic Architecture 1916 - 1942

Stone Tree House
Completed in the early 1920s, this was the original Painted Desert Inn.
more...

CCC men working on roof of Painted Desert Inn

Civilian Conservation Corps
During the late 1930s, this organization of young men completed many work projects.
more...

National Historic Landmarks
Only 3 percent of National Register sites are National Historic Landmarks.
more...


			Did You Know? Standing on the edge of a vast badlands landscape, a Spanish explorer is rumored to have named the area "El Desierto Pintado" (The Painted Desert) because the hills looked like they were painted with the colors of the sunset.

Last Updated: December 15, 2006 at 18:08 EST

Painted Desert Inn (19 Photos)