Many Glacier Hotel is a historic hotel located on the east shore of Swiftcurrent Lake in Glacier National Park in the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

state of

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

. The building is designed as a series of

chalet A chalet (pronounced in British English; in American English usually ), also called Swiss chalet, is a type of building or house, typical of the Alpine region in Europe. It is made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof and wide, well-suppo ...

s, up to four stories tall, and stretches for a substantial distance along the lakeshore. The building has a Swiss alpine theme both on the outside and on the inside. The foundation is made of stone, with a wood superstructure. The outside is finished with brown-painted wood siding, and the window framing and balconies have wood sawed in Swiss jigsawed patterns. On the inside, the four-story lobby is surrounded by balconies, whose railings are patterned after Swiss designs. Construction began at Many Glacier Hotel in 1914 and was finished in just 1 year on July 4, 1915. The Great Northern Railway was establishing a series of hotels and backcountry chalets in the park and the Many Glacier Hotel was the "Gem of the West". This was part of an effort by

Louis W. Hill Louis Warren Hill (May 19, 1872– April 27, 1948), was an American railroad executive. He was the president (corporate title), president and board chairman of the Great Northern Railway (U.S.), Great Northern Railway, which served a substantial ar ...

, president of the Great Northern Railway and son of

James J. Hill James Jerome Hill (September 16, 1838 – May 29, 1916) was a Canadian-American railroad director. He was the chief executive officer of a family of lines headed by the Great Northern Railway, which served a substantial area of the Upper Midwes ...

, to establish Glacier National Park as a destination resort and to promote the area as the "American Alps". To this end, Hill chose a

Swiss chalet style Swiss chalet style (german: Schweizerstil, no, Sveitserstil) is an architectural style of Late Historicism, originally inspired by rural chalets in Switzerland and the Alpine (mountainous) regions of Central Europe. The style refers to traditi ...

for the hotels and chalets. The

Glacier Park Lodge Glacier Park Lodge is located just outside the boundaries of Glacier National Park in the village of East Glacier Park, Montana, United States. The lodge was built in 1913 by the Glacier Park Company, a subsidiary of the Great Northern Railw ...

(previously known as the Glacier Park Hotel) and the Many Glacier Hotel were intended to be the core structures, while the chalets and campgrounds were sited in the backcountry within an easy day's ride or hike from one of the hotels or another chalet. The chalets were intended to entice visitors to leave the hotels and see the backcountry in a more rustic manner. These chalets were especially used during the early 1900s when the Hotel first opened, and the main attraction in the park was horseback riding.

Current status

Today, the hotel still maintains its historic character. Most rooms either have views of Swiftcurrent Lake or the surrounding mountain scenery. The hotel is a contributing property in the

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

Great Northern Railway Buildings The Great Northern Railway Buildings are a set of five building complexes in or near Glacier National Park in Montana. They were built by the Great Northern Railway during the period of the park's founding to provide a unified tourist experience ...

district. Many Glacier Hotel is a member of

Historic Hotels of America Historic Hotels of America is a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation that was founded in 1989 with 32 charter members; the program accepts nominations and identifies hotels that have maintained their authenticity, sense of pla ...

, the official program of the

National Trust for Historic Preservation The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 by ...

History

This hotel was first built in 1914 near Glacier National Park. It was closed due to COVID-19 in 2020. It opened again on June 4, 2021. This hotel includes 2 suites, 7 family rooms and 205 guest rooms offering lakeside, deluxe, standard and value lodging options. All of the rooms have private bathrooms, telephones, king and queen beds or standard double or twin beds. Guest and hotel facilities are all non-smoking.

Notes

References

* * * {{NRHP in Glacier NP National Historic Landmarks in Montana Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Montana Great Northern Railway (U.S.) hotels Hotel buildings completed in 1914 Rustic architecture in Montana Tourist attractions in Glacier County, Montana 1914 establishments in Montana Historic district contributing properties in Montana National Register of Historic Places in Glacier County, Montana National Register of Historic Places in Glacier National Park Swiss Chalet Revival architecture Historic Hotels of America

Current status

History

See also

Notes

References