kids encyclopedia robot

National Register of Historic Places listings in Grand Canyon National Park facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, United States, is famous for its amazing natural beauty. But did you know it's also home to many important historic places? These special spots are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This list helps protect buildings, sites, and objects that are important to American history.

There are 23 places in Grand Canyon National Park that are on this list. Seven of these are even more special and are called National Historic Landmarks. This means they are super important to the history of the entire country! Let's explore some of these cool historic sites.

Historic Places at Grand Canyon National Park

Famous Buildings and Structures

The Grand Canyon has many buildings that tell stories of its past.

El Tovar Hotel: A Grand Stay

The El Tovar Hotel is a very old and fancy hotel right on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. It was built a long time ago, in 1905, and was designed to look like a mix of Swiss chalets and Norwegian villas. It's a National Historic Landmark because it's a great example of early 20th-century hotel design and played a big role in making the Grand Canyon a popular tourist spot. Imagine staying there over 100 years ago!

El Tovar Hotel in early 1900s
The beautiful El Tovar Hotel, built in 1905.

El Tovar Stables: Mule Power!

Near the El Tovar Hotel are the El Tovar Stables. These stables were built to house the mules that take visitors down into the Grand Canyon. Mules are still used today for these trips, so these stables are a living piece of history!

GRCA mule barn El Tovar
Mules at the El Tovar Stables, ready for a canyon adventure.

Grand Canyon Lodge: North Rim Views

On the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, you'll find the Grand Canyon Lodge. This lodge and its cabins offer amazing views of the canyon. It was built in the 1920s and is also a National Historic Landmark. It's a great example of how buildings were designed to fit into the natural landscape of national parks.

Grand Canyon view from Grand Canyon Lodge
The Grand Canyon Lodge offers stunning views from the North Rim.

Grand Canyon Railroad Station: A Journey Back in Time

The Grand Canyon Depot, also known as the Grand Canyon Railroad Station, is a historic train station. It was built in 1910 and is the end of the line for the Grand Canyon Railway. This railway brought many early visitors to the park. It's a National Historic Landmark because it's a unique example of a rustic train station built for a national park.

Railroad Depot, Grand Canyon National Park (Coconino County, Arizona)
The historic Grand Canyon Railroad Station.

Mary Jane Colter's Amazing Designs

Many of the Grand Canyon's most famous buildings were designed by a talented architect named Mary Jane Colter. Her buildings are known for blending in with the natural surroundings and often look like they're made from the earth itself. Several of her designs are National Historic Landmarks, including:

  • Desert View Watchtower: This tall stone tower offers incredible views of the canyon and the Colorado River. It was built in 1932 and looks like an ancient Pueblo Indian tower.
  • Hermit's Rest: This rustic building was designed to look like a hermit's dwelling. It has a huge fireplace and offers a cozy place for visitors to relax.
  • Hopi House: Located near the El Tovar Hotel, this building was designed to look like a traditional Hopi pueblo. It was built to sell Native American crafts.
  • Lookout Studio: Perched right on the canyon rim, this small stone building offers a perfect spot for visitors to take photos and enjoy the views.
Yavapai Observation Station
The Desert View Watchtower, one of Mary Jane Colter's famous designs.
Hermits Rest fireplace
The large fireplace inside Hermit's Rest.

Other Important Historic Sites

Beyond the main buildings, other sites tell important stories.

1956 Grand Canyon Mid-Air Collision Site

This site marks the location of a tragic airplane accident in 1956. Two airplanes, TWA Flight 2 and United Airlines Flight 718, crashed into each other over the Grand Canyon. All 128 people on board both planes died. This event led to major changes in how air traffic is controlled in the United States, making flying much safer today. It's a very important site for aviation history.

Severed tail of TWA Flight 2
A piece of wreckage from the 1956 mid-air collision.

Horace M. Albright Training Center

The Horace M. Albright Training Center is a place where park rangers and other National Park Service employees learn how to do their jobs. It's named after Horace M. Albright, who was an important early director of the National Park Service. This center has helped train many people who work to protect our national parks.

Grand Canyon Village-Horace M. Albright Training Center-1963
The Horace M. Albright Training Center.

Grand Canyon Village Historic District

The Grand Canyon Village Historic District is the main developed area on the South Rim. It includes many of the historic buildings we've talked about, like the El Tovar Hotel and the Railroad Station, as well as other important structures like employee housing and utility buildings. It's a National Historic Landmark because it shows how national parks were developed for tourism in the early 1900s.

GC Village
A view of Grand Canyon Village.

Navajo Bridge

The Navajo Bridge is a steel arch bridge that crosses the Colorado River near Lees Ferry, just outside the main Grand Canyon area. It was built in 1929 and was the only bridge crossing the Colorado River for hundreds of miles for a long time. It was very important for travel and trade in the region. A newer bridge was built next to it in 1995, but the old bridge is still there for pedestrians.

Navajo Bridge (May 2006)
The historic Navajo Bridge over the Colorado River.

Trans-Canyon Telephone Line

Imagine trying to communicate across the vast Grand Canyon before cell phones! The Trans-Canyon Telephone Line was an amazing engineering feat. It connected the North and South Rims of the canyon, allowing park staff and visitors to communicate. It followed trails like the Bright Angel and North Kaibab Trails. This line was very important for park operations and safety.

Trans-Canyon Telephone Line
Part of the historic Trans-Canyon Telephone Line.

Tusayan Ruins

The Tusayan Ruins are the remains of an ancient Pueblo village. They show how people lived in this area over 800 years ago. There's also a small museum nearby where you can learn about the ancient cultures of the Grand Canyon. It's a fascinating look into the lives of the first people who called this land home.

Tusayan Kiva
The Tusayan Kiva, part of the ancient Pueblo ruins.

These historic places help us understand the rich history of Grand Canyon National Park, from ancient cultures to early tourism and important engineering achievements. They are all protected so that future generations can learn from and enjoy them.

kids search engine
National Register of Historic Places listings in Grand Canyon National Park Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.