Painted Desert Inn may serve ice cream, baked goods

Painted Desert Inn

The historic Painted Desert Inn in the Petrified Forest National Park in eastern Arizona soon may partly go back to its original purpose as an eating place if the National Park Service has its way.

For the first time in 75 years, the park is asking for bids from concessionaires, according to the Arizona Journal. Xanterra Parks and Resorts is the current concessions vendor and still may be if its bid is accepted. But the park wants to see what other contractors are interested.

The winning contract will run gift shops at the Painted Desert Oasis and Rainbow Forest Lodge and the restaurant at the Painted Desert Oasis. But it’s the vision for Painted Desert Inn that sounds particularly appealing.

“We’d also like to see an ice cream shop and perhaps baked goods available downstairs at the Painted Desert Inn. People come here looking for that vintage Route 66 experience and we want to provide that,” explained Traver.

The Painted Desert Inn was built in the 1920s from petrified wood, but it was renovated into an adobe structure during the 1930s and retains that look today. Its heyday occurred during the 1940s, however:

The inn opened in 1940 under the management of the Fred Harvey Company, which was famous in the Southwest for providing hospitality services to tourists and travelers on the Santa Fe Railroad. For two years, the inn offered Route 66 travelers food, souvenirs, and lodging, and local people with event and meeting space. It closed in 1942, as American involvement with World War II shifted resources away from domestic programs.

In 1947, the Harvey Company’s noted architect and interior designer, Mary Jane Colter, was given responsibility for renovations of the facility. Along with overseeing repair work, Colter created a new interior color scheme and made other changes. New plate glass windows to capitalize on the magnificent surrounding landscape were an important addition. At Colter’s behest, Hopi artist Fred Kabotie painted murals on the dining room and lunchroom walls that are reflections of Hopi culture. The Harvey Girls provided their legendary service to the public at the Painted Desert Inn.

The Painted Desert Inn closed in 1963, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and became a National Historic Landmark in 1987. After years of renovations, it reopened to the public in 2006. It now holds displays about Route 66 and the Civilian Conservation Corps and shows Kabotie’s restored murals.

Other changes or possibilities for the Petrified Forest National Park:

  • A proposed camping park with up to five vintage travel trailers at the Chinde Point picnic area
  • Proposed charging stations for electric vehicles at the park visitor centers
  • Closure of the gas station and convenience store at the Painted Desert Oasis

The park wants to have the concessions contract in place by early 2016. Bids will close Oct. 9. More details on the contact are here.

(Image of the Painted Desert Inn via the National Park Service)

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