El Garces, the former Harvey House in Needles, California, now is open for guided tours after a long and expensive rehabilitation in recent years.
A reader passed along a new flyer that advertises tours for $5 per person. All money goes toward maintenance of El Garces. One may schedule tours by calling 760-326-2344 and asking for Heidi.
El Garces also may be rented out for parties or gatherings.
El Garces’ renovation required a $5 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration. The city had hoped the agency would allow an ownership transfer Allan Affeldt, owner of La Posada Hotel in Winslow, Arizona, so he could convert El Garces into a hotel. However, FTA disallowed the transfer, and Affeldt walked away from the project so the city could use the funds, despite his spending considerable amounts of his own money. El Garves reopened last year as a community center.
Affeldt since has moved on to other things, including buying the Castaneda Hotel — also a former Harvey House — and Plaza Hotel, both in Las Vegas, New Mexico. He’s been busy renovating both properties.
El Garces opened in 1908, halted operations as a Harvey House in 1949, and closed entirely in 1988. Friends of El Garces persuaded the city to buy the property in 1999, and it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. El Garces sits next to an older downtown alignment of Route 66.
(Hat tip: Lynne Miller)
Are there any Fred Harvey item on display? What would one see on the tours? We were there last year and the building was looked empty
Dave Wolven
Train Day was held on March 14 in which there were several items on display including large format photographs of the El Garces in the 1900’s. The Needles Regional Museum, right across the street from the El Garces has the most known artifacts from the El Garces. The Museum is open 10-2 Tuesday-Friday until the end of May. Private tours can be arranged by calling 760-326-5678 during business hours.
What is the address?
The address of El Garces is 950 Front St. Needles, CA. Tours are offered by contacting Farmer’s Insurance at 760-326-4007. The cost is $5 per person. Just last night, the Chamber of Commerce made a proposal to the City Council to allow the Chamber to move into the El Garces; the building would then be open 5 days a week. Finding vendors for this great building have really lagged. The fountain on the train side has been completed and memorial bricks laid around it. You can access this area any time of day via the west side parking lot.