Hopi House

Hopi House opened on January 1, 1905, as the first Grand Canyon work of architect Mary Colter. Commissioned by the Fred Harvey Company to complement its new El Tovar hotel, it was designed to display and sell Indian arts and crafts. Colter modeled the building after structures in the Hopi village of Old Oraibi so that it would resemble a true Indian dwelling. When it opened, Hopi House contained sales areas and a museum, while its upper floors housed Hopi families who worked there. Visitors could watch artisans at work and, in the evening, experience traditional song and dance on the patio. The building was designed to blend commercial needs with a human and natural setting, an architectural concept then new in the Southwest. For almost 50 years, Mary Colter designed structures and interiors throughout the Southwest for the Fred Harvey Company, advancing a simpler architectural style that incorporated the Southwestern heritage she loved. She was a pioneer who succeeded in a man's field at a time when professional women were not widely accepted. Six of her works can be seen at Grand Canyon: Hopi House, Bright Angel Lodge, Lookout Studio, Hermit's Rest, Desert View Watchtower, and Phantom Ranch.

Grand Canyon Village, Arizona · United States