McKinley Park Hotel
McKinley Park Hotel
Mount McKinley National Park was established by President Woodrow Wilson on February 26, 1917. Initially, the area was designated a game preserve. By 1923 tourists began visiting the area and tent lodging was provided by private concessionier.
In 1937 the National Park Service began construction of the McKinley Park Hotel near McKinley Station. Final construction and ownership was turned over to the Alaska Railroad in 1938. The hotel opened June 1, 1939 with accommodations for 200 guests. The hotel was had 86 rooms and was open to the summer tourist from June 1st to September 1st. During the winter, most of the railroad service to this area was sporadic at best with the line usually being shut down due to heavy snowfall. The hotel was a very popular place for people going to the Mt. McKinley National Park.
The Alaska National Highway reached the park in 1942, but even at that, the primary means for transportation to and from the hotel remained via the Alaska Railroad. The actual Alaska Railroad depot was conventionally located directly next to the hotel and was built in the same décor as that of the hotel.
Eventually, a 50-room addition was built onto the hotel making it 136 total rooms. The hotel was advertised as being “123 Miles South of Fairbanks and 233 Miles North of Anchorage”. The Alaska Railroad, during this era, was operated by the United States Department of the Interior; rather, than as it is now today operated by the State of Alaska. In 1942, the Alaska Railroad hotel was managed by M.J. MacDonald.
During World War II the park closed down its conventional operations and basically became an Army recreation center. The hotel also was controlled by the U.S. Army who used it as a place for R&R for the troops.
In 1953 the Alaska Railroad pushed the debt-ridden hotel off to the National Park Service who in turn contracted its operations to a private concessionier. In 1954, the U.S. Department of the Interior seized control of the government-owned McKinley Park Hotel because of the unsatisfactory operation record of the concessionaire.
The hotel burned down on September 3, 1972, but was quickly replaced. All of the guest and staff were evacuated in time, but almost all of the hotel’s china and silver plate was lost in the fire. As a footnote, several rare pieces of Alaskan Artwork were destroyed in that fire also. The Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) commissioned this artwork in 1937 from 12 different artists. Several old Alaska Railroad sleeping cars were also used outside the hotel for lodging.
Construction of hotels just outside the park began in the 1970s and today over 1,000 rooms are located within a mile of the park entrance. Thus the need for the park hotel was gone and in September of 2001 it closed for good. The current plan is to demolish the hotel and use the location for a new two-story visitor's center and related service buildings.
|
Prior to construction, enlargement of tent area |
|
Under construction |
|
Under construction in 1938 |
|
Interior 1938-1939 |
|
Interior |
|
Interior 1938-1939 |
|
Lobby 1940 |
|
Lobby 1940 |
|
Lobby |
|
Exterior 1939 |
|
Dining room |
|
Dining room 1940 |
|
Dining room 1940 |
|
The tap room |
|
McKinley Park Hotel |
|
McKinley Park Hotel |
|
McKinley Park Hotel |
|
McKinley Park Hotel |
|
Construction of the McKinley Park Hotel |
|
McKinley Park Hotel 1930s |
|
McKinley Park Hotel 1930s |
|
Mt. McKinley Park Hotel in winter. Located on the Alaska Railroad, the Mt. McKinley Park Hotel is the headquarters for park activities. In winter the hotel is a popular ski resort. |
|
Winter at McKinley Park |
|
Kitchen |
|
Luggage tag |
Other links on this web site:
Page created 1/5/05 and last updated 12/14/10
