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Nashville, TN, USA-April 5, 2016: The Union Station Hotel on Broadway in Nashville, Tennessee
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American history is carried forward in many forms — from official monuments and museums to entire communities. But there is a surprising amount of history in our nation’s hotels, too. From inns in Maryland that existed before they had a country to call their own to midcentury modern grooviness on the Jersey shore, here are some of the U.S.’ most historic hotels.

Room rates and availability are subject to change.

Related: The World’s Most Remote Hotels

Alabama: The Malaga Inn

Malaga Inn, Mobile, Alabama
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MobileFounded: 1862

Check prices and availability Built during the Civil War by two brothers-in-law, the Malaga Inn‘s origins began as a set of townhomes. It’s also reported to be one of the most haunted hotels in Alabama. Today, the property features 39 guest rooms, many of which open onto a courtyard with flowers, fountains, and ambient outdoor lighting.

Related: The 20 Most Haunted Hotels in America

Alaska: Ma Johnson’s Historical Hotel

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McCarthyFounded: 1923Check prices and availability

This 20-room hotel is in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve — at 13.2 acres, America’s largest national park. McCarthy is rich with historical lore, having been known for being a “Sin City” while its ghost town sister city, Kennicott, just over 4 miles away, was more of a “Company Town.”

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Arizona: Royal Palms Resort and Spa

Royal Palms Resort and Spa
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ScottsdaleFounded: 1929

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Historic doesn’t have to mean drafty rooms and ghost-town destinations — this 1929 property was once a Spanish Colonial Revival villa, but is now home to spa treatments, award-winning cuisine, and incredible desert views.

Related: 15 Desert Vacation Spots to Heat Up Your Fall

Arkansas: Crescent Hotel & Spa

Crescent Hotel & Spa
Crescent Hotel & Spa by Alan Islas ((CC BY-SA))
Eureka SpringsFounded: 1886

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Built for around $300,000, the Eureka Springs newspaper called the Crescent “America’s newest and most luxurious hotel,” replete with Edison lamps, electric bells, steam heating, a hydraulic elevator, and more.

Related: 12 Small Towns Known for Being LGBTQ-Friendly

California: The Willows

The Willows
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Palm SpringsFounded: 1925Check prices and availability

The Golden State is chock full of historic hotels, but few can claim Albert Einstein as a past guest. This small hotel — made up of two Italianate-style mansions — hosted one of history’s great geniuses, as well as celebrities such as Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, and Shirley Temple.

Related: 15 Vacation Destinations to Avoid Kids and College Students

Colorado: The Strater Hotel

The Strater Hotel
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DurangoFounded: 1887Check prices and availability

Author Louis L’Amour used the Strater’s Room 222 — directly above the Diamond Belle Saloon — to work on many of his books because the small-town saloon’s “honky-tonk music helped set the mood for his novels of the Old West.” Today it rents out 88 rooms and has a restaurant, the saloon, and a “spiritorium,” a bar serving apps and cocktails. 

Related: 22 Coolest Themed Hotel Rooms Around the World

Connecticut: The Goodwin

The Goodwin
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HartfordFounded: 1881Check prices and availability

The Goodwin was originally an upscale apartment building — J.P. Morgan lived here during visits to his birthplace. Eventually converted to a boutique hotel, hotel, the Goodwin retains its original and striking English Queen Anne terra-cotta facade.

Related: 19 Virtual Tours of Famous Homes

Delaware: Hotel Du Pont

Hotel Du Pont
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WilmingtonFounded: 1913Check prices and availability

The Italian Renaissance-inspired Hotel Du Pont opened after more than two years of work by French and Italian craftsmen who “carved, gilded and painted this exceptional landmark to life.” Taking up an entire city block, the property was also home to the chemical company DuPont’s offices, and a playhouse.

District of Columbia: The Hay-Adams

The Hay-Adams hotel in D.C.
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Founded: 1928

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Positioned close to Lafayette Square and St. John’s Church, this luxury hotel has had famous guests including Ethel Barrymore, Amelia Earhart, Sinclair Lewis, and Charles Lindbergh. It also opened Washington D.C.’s first air-conditioned dining room in 1930.

Florida: Casa Monica Resort & Spa

St. Augustine, USA - May 10, 2018: Casa Monica resort and spa building exterior on sunny day in historic city and palm tree
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St. AugustineFounded: 1888Check prices and availabilityThe Casa Monica is in the oldest continuously inhabited European-established town in the contiguous United States, and an example of Moorish Revival and Spanish Baroque Revival architecture. Other than a period when it served as the local courthouse, it has always operated as a hotel.

Related: 51 Free Walking Tours From Across the U.S.

Georgia: The Marshall House

The Marshall House
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SavannahFounded: 1851Check prices and availability The Marshall House is distinctive for its green shutters and ornate balconies. Built in 1851 and operated as a hospital for both the yellow fever epidemic of the mid-1800s and for Civil War soldiers for a time. It’s now rumored that the hotel is haunted.

Hawaii: Moana Surfrider

Honolulu, USA - August 3, 2016: Front exterior panorama of the Moana Surfrider in Honolulu. Known as the First Lady of Waikiki, is a famous historic hotel on the island of Oahu built in 1901
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HonoluluFounded: 1901Check prices and availabilityThe Moana, on Oahu’s Waikiki Beach, was the first hotel in Waikiki and has reportedly hosted the likes of Agatha Christie, Amelia Earhart, Lucille Ball, Frank Sinatra, and Joe DiMaggio. A defining feature of the hotel is a 75-foot courtyard banyan tree planted in 1904.

Related: The Best of Hawaii on a Budget

Idaho: The Blackwell

The Blackwell
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Coeur D’AleneFounded: 1904Check prices and availability

The stately Blackwell hotel started life as a 1904 mansion and remain a private house until 1984. In addition to 10 guest suites, it offers guests a pool table, gazebo, and wrap-around porch.

Illinois: The Palmer House Hotel

The Palmer House Hotel
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ChicagoFounded: 1871Check prices and availability The Hilton-owned Palmer House was originally built in 1871, but burned down just 13 days after opening during the Great Chicago Fire. Prominent Chicago businessman Potter Palmer persevered and rebuilt the hotel in a new location in 1873, and counted the likes of Ulysses S. Grant and Mark Twain among its notable guests. A third and final incarnation of the Palmer House Hotel was then built between 1923 and 1925 and has operated as a hotel ever since. Its most notable characteristic may be its grand lobby’s recently restored ceiling fresco.

Indiana: West Baden Springs Hotel

West Baden Springs Hotel in Baden Springs, Indiana
West Baden Springs Hotel by Scutter ((CC BY-NC-ND))

West BadenFounded: 1850Check prices and availability Over the course of its history, the West Baden Springs has operated as a college and seminary. Today, the hotel — known for its 200-foot atrium dome — is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark.

Related: The 15 Best Casinos NOT in Las Vegas

Iowa: Hotel Manning

Hotel Manning
Hotel Manning by Sector001 ((CC BY-SA))
KeosauquaFounded: 1899Check prices and availability Bordering the Des Moines River, this hotel’s architectural style, Steamboat Gothic, mimics 19th-century riverboats. It opened in the late 1890s with an orchestra and more than 300 guests in attendance.

Kansas: Historic Elgin Hotel

Historic Elgin Hotel
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MarionFounded: 1886Check prices and availability After a rocky history, the Elgin Hotel was nearly demolished in 1974 but was saved by a lack of funding for a follow-up project. Remodels around 2006 and again in 2016 have restored the property to its former glory, and it now includes a second-floor bed and breakfast, fitness center, library, and game room.

Kentucky: Historic Boone Tavern Hotel

Historic Boone Tavern Hotel
Historic Boone Tavern Hotel by Parkerdr ((CC BY-SA))
BereaFounded: 1909Check prices and availability Named after Daniel Boone at the suggestion of the then-Berea College president’s wife, the Boone Tavern Hotel has hosted the likes of the Dalai Lama, Henry Ford, President and Mrs. Calvin Coolidge, Eleanor Roosevelt, Maya Angelou, and Robert Frost.

Louisiana: Hotel Monteleone

Hotel Monteleone
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New OrleansFounded: 1886Check prices and availability This French Quarter-located hotel has been operated by the same family for five generations, since its inception. The Monteleone was a favorite hangout for authors such as Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, and William Faulkner, and it served as a location for films including 1999’s “Double Jeopardy” and the more recent “Girls Trip.”

Related: Best Cheap Or Free Things To Do In New Orleans

Maine: The Seaside Inn

The Seaside Inn in Kennebunkport, Maine
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KennebunkportFounded: c. 1660Check prices and availability Owner Trish Mason, who runs the hotel with her husband, Ken, is a ninth-generation innkeeper — the Seaside has been in her family since 1756. But the inn’s origins are reported to go back to at least 1660, making it one of the oldest family-run businesses in the country still in operation.

Related: 20 Things You Never Knew About New England

Maryland: The Historic Inns of Annapolis

The Historic Inns of Annapolis
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AnnapolisFounded: 1727Check prices and availability This boutique hotel is actually spread out over three locations, each dating back to the American Revolutionary War or before: the 1727 Governor Calvert House, the 1772 Robert Johnson House, and the 1776 Maryland Inn.

Related: The 40 Best Places in America to Travel Back in Time

Massachusetts: Harbor View Hotel

Harbor View Hotel
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Martha’s VineyardFounded: 1891Check prices and availability This island retreat is in the Martha’s Vineyard community of Edgartown, one of the 1975 filming locations for the iconic movie “Jaws.” Today, in addition to guest rooms, the property offers cottages, a 2,270-square-foot penthouse, and the Historic Building, which claims to have a “legendary” guest book featuring the names of A-listers, athletes, and politicians.

Related: 22 Places to Hang Out Where You’re Most Likely to See a Celebrity

Michigan: Grand Hotel

Grand Hotel Mackinac Island
Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, View From The Lake by Dehk ((CC BY))
Mackinac IslandFounded: 1887Check prices and availability Located on an island in Lake Huron, the Grand Hotel has seen guests such as Mark Twain, Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour, and Christopher Plummer. The property’s front porch, once the longest in the world, was restored in 2017.

Related: Most Expensive Hotel in Every State

Minnesota: St. James Hotel

St. James Hotel
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Red WingFounded: 1875Check prices and availability This hotel southeast of Minneapolis — awarded the Best Small Historic Hotel Award in 2019 from Historic Hotels of America — has had just three owners over 145 years. The St. James‘ current operator? The Red Wing Shoe Co.

Related: Where to Buy Shoes and Boots That Are Made in America

Mississippi: White House Hotel

White House Hotel
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BiloxiFounded: c. 1890sCheck prices and availability The White House’s history dates back to the 1890s, and was popular enough to expand for many years afterward. Though it later fell into disrepair and sat vacant for 30 years, a 2013-2014 restoration has returned the hotel to its original splendor. Today, in addition to guest rooms, it has an on-site restaurant and bar.

Related: 24 Places to Enjoy Rooftop Views Without Sky-High Prices

Missouri: Hotel Frederick

Hotel Frederick
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BoonvilleFounded: 1905Check prices and availabilityBuilt by a local miller and banker who named after his son, the Hotel Frederick is now on the National Register of Historic Places and considered one of the best examples of Romanesque Revival architecture in the area. It functioned as a bus depot and retirement home for some time but was reopened in 2007 as a boutique hotel after a $4 million restoration.

Related: 22 Weird, Abandoned Places to Explore

Montana: Grand Union

Grand Union Hotel
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Fort BentonFounded: 1882Check prices and availability This hotel is older than the state of Montana itself, opening in 1882. Its website claims its history has seen it operate as both a luxury hotel and a “virtual flophouse,” but after being shut down for years, it reopened in 1999 with a major restoration by its current owners.

Related: 50 Stunning Photos of Historic Train Stations Across America

Nebraska: Kimpton Cottonwood

The Cottonwood Hotel
The Cottonwood Hotel by JonClee86 ((CC BY-SA))
OmahaFounded: 1916Check prices and availability The 1916 Kimpton Cottonwood, in Omaha’s popular Blackstone District, reopened recently after a renovation. It’s a gorgeous example of Second Renaissance Revival architecture that, before its latest reimagining, hosted the likes of presidents John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.

Related: 25 Steakhouses That Are Worth the Splurge

Nevada: Mizpah Hotel

Mizpah Hotel in Tonopah, NV
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TonopahFounded: 1907Check prices and availability This self-dubbed “jewel of the desert” opened in 1907 as one of the first luxury hotels in Nevada and a social destination in the booming mining town. The Mizpah was renovated in 2011 after being closed for 12 years and today offers 52 rooms, a full bar, dining in The Jack Dempsey Room, and gaming in the lobby.

New Hampshire: Hanover Inn

Hanover Inn
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DartmouthFounded: c. 1780Check prices and availability The Hanover began life as a tavern in 1780, and eventually moved to another site that incorporated a hotel. Through the years, the property has undergone many transformations, but these days it is fully modern, with a composting program and other protocols designed for maximum eco-friendliness.

Related: 40 Restaurants Where You Can See Dazzling Fall Foliage

New Jersey: Caribbean Motel

Caribbean Motel in New Jersey
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Wildwood CrestFounded: 1957Check prices and availability With its opening just six decades ago, the Caribbean might not be the most historic hotel on this list, but what it lacks in decades it more than makes up for in midcentury modern authenticity. It’s a certified Doo Wop property and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Related: 23 Iconic and Unique Motels Across America

New Mexico: The Plaza Hotel

New Mexico: The Plaza Hotel
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Las VegasFounded: 1882Check prices and availabilityAbout an hour’s drive east of Santa Fe, this 1882 hotel was built when the town of Las Vegas was bigger than Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Today, the Plaza is known for its Victorian facade and 14-foot ceilings, and it’s hosted names from Doc Holiday to Tommy Lee Jones.

New York: The Beekman

Lounge area at The Beekman New York City
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New York CityFounded: 1881Check prices and availability

There’s no shortage of historic hotels to choose from in New York, but The Beekman wins points being the location of Shakespeare’s New York debut of “Hamlet,” plus a rest stop for Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mark Twain, Henry David Thoreau, and Edger Allen Poe.

Related: 55 Free or Cheap Things to Do in New York City

North Carolina: The Omni Grove Park Inn

Omni Grove Park Inn, Asheville, North Carolina
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AshevilleFounded: 1913Check prices and availability In the hip city of Asheville, the Omni Grove Park Inn was designed in the Arts and Crafts style of architecture and has hosted many notable guests, including 10 presidents, from William Howard Taft to Barack Obama. Its features include a spa, pools, trails, dining, and more.

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North Dakota: Carroll House Hotel

Carroll House Hotel
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FullertonFounded: 1889Check prices and availability In its more-than-130-year history, the Carroll House has always served as a hotel — but has also seen uses such as beauty parlors, restaurants, cream stations, and lumber business come and go. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994 and serves as one of Fullerton’s greatest pieces of living history.

Ohio: The Lafayette

The Lafayette Hotel
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MariettaFounded: 1918Check prices and availability Southeast of Columbus near the West Virginia border, this riverboat-era accommodation is the second incarnation of a hotel on this site. The Bellevue Hotel burned to the ground in 1916; the Lafayette took its place in 1918.

Oklahoma: The Skirvin Hilton

The Skirvin Hilton
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Oklahoma CityFounded: 1911Check prices and availability Named for its founder, the 14-floor Skirvin once sat abandoned for nearly 20 years but was reopened in 2007 after a painstaking $50 million restoration and renovation.

Related: 40 Hole-in-the-Wall Bars That Have Survived the Decades

Oregon: Ashland Springs Hotel

Ashland Springs Hotel
Ashland Springs Hotel by Joe Mabel ((CC BY-SA))
AshlandFounded: 1925Check prices and availability Opened in 1925 as the nine-story Lithia Springs Hotel near the Rogue River Valley, the Ashland Springs is known for its light-filled two-story lobby, terrazzo flooring, and combination of Gothic, Beaux-Arts, and Arts and Crafts styles of architecture.

Pennsylvania: Skytop Lodge

Skytop Lodge
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SkytopFounded: 1928Check prices and availability The Skytop opened in the Poconos in the summer of 1928 as a resort hotel. The massive property includes a 75-acre lake, miles of hiking trails, a golf course, adventure center, and multiple restaurants.

Rhode Island: Hotel Viking

Hotel Viking
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NewportFounded: 1926Check prices and availability The Colonial-style Hotel Viking still sports its original brass letterbox in the lobby, but many other parts have been modernized — it underwent renovations in 2007 and 2018.

South Carolina: Zero George Street

Zero George Street
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CharlestonFounded: c. 1804 (original building)Check prices and availability Named for its physical address, the five 19th century buildings that make up Zero George Street have undergone a “meticulous preservation and restoration” by its current owners. In addition to guest rooms, it has the Zero Restaurant and Bar and furnished outdoor piazzas and courtyards from which to enjoy daily wine-and-cheese pairings.

Related: 19 Free or Cheap Things to Do in Charleston

South Dakota: Bullock Hotel

Bullock Hotel
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Deadwood Founded: 1895Check prices and availability This self-proclaimed “jewel of downtown Deadwood” was built in 1895 and named after the county’s first sheriff, Seth Bullock. The Bullock’s 28 rooms were restored in 1990 and, like many historic hotels, there are rumors this one is haunted — by Sheriff Seth himself.

Related: The Oldest Bar in Every State

Tennessee: Union Station Hotel

Nashville, TN, USA-April 5, 2016: The Union Station Hotel on Broadway in Nashville, Tennessee
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NashvilleFounded: 1894Check prices and availability One in a line of historic train stations transformed into a jaw-dropping hotel (see also: Denver and St. Louis), the turret- and tower-heavy Gothic facade of Nashville’s Union Station is worth the visit alone, but inside visitors will find plenty more to gawk at, including a 65-foot barrel-vaulted lobby ceiling, stained glass windows, three limestone fireplaces, and more.

Related: 36 Bucket-List Destinations for Music Lovers

Texas: Hotel Paisano

Hotel Paisano
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MarfaFounded: 1930Check prices and availability Film history fans will delight in this West Texas town’s Paisano, which was the headquarters for the classic 1956 movie “Giant,” starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean. Built in 1930 and renovated after the turn of the century, the hotel now includes 41 rooms, a ballroom, an outdoor courtyard, and a restaurant and lounge, as well as a “Giant” memorabilia room.

Related: 50 Iconic Movie Locations You Have to Visit

Utah: The Peery Hotel

The Peery Hotel
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Salt Lake CityFounded: 1910Check prices and availability The Peery Hotel, now part of Hilton’s Tapestry Collection, is a historic landmark “with architecture rooted in the early prairie and classical revival styles of the time.” Last year it was named by World Property Journal as one of the “Top 5 Great ‘Old’ Hotels of America.”

Related: 30 of the Oldest General Stores in America

Vermont: The Grafton Inn

The Grafton Inn
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GraftonFounded: 1801Check prices and availability The Grafton Inn has seen a lot of history. It served as the area’s courthouse in its early years and hosted literary figures such as Rudyard Kipling and Ralph Waldo Emerson, but by 1964 was in a state of disrepair and failing. Enter the state’s Windham Foundation, which “strives to preserve Vermont’s rural way of life.” The foundation breathed new life into the Grafton so visitors can enjoy it today.

Virginia: The Cavalier

The Cavalier
The Cavalier Hotel by Serge Melki ((CC BY))
Virginia Beach Founded: 1927Check prices and availability The seven-story Cavalier has seen many notable names on its guest book, including F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Bob Hope, Judy Garland, Elizabeth Taylor, Bette Davis, Doris Day, Muhammad Ali, and presidents Harry Truman and Jimmy Carter. Now part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, it underwent an $81 million renovation to reopen in 2018.

Related: The 20 Best Beaches on the East Coast

Washington: Salish Lodge & Spa

Salish Lodge & Spa
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Snoqualmie Founded: 1916Check prices and availability Opened in 1916 with eight guest rooms, the Salish served as the setting for David Lynch’s mystery TV series, “Twin Peaks.” It now has 86 rooms for travelers and those wanting to experience the Pacific Northwest and is owned by Snoqualmie Indian Tribe.

West Virginia: The Blennerhassett Hotel

Blennerhassett Hotel
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ParkersburgFounded: 1889Check prices and availability

The Blennerhassett is a combination of Victorian, Queen Anne, and Romanesque Revival architectural styles and has seen three renovations over the course of its history: in the mid-1940s, early 1980s, and, most recently, a $10 million restoration from 2002-2006. The hotel is now registered as a Parkersburg historical landmark and with Historic Hotels of America.

Related: 25 Historic Movie Theaters Across America Worth Visiting

Wisconsin: Maxwell Mansion

Maxwell Mansion
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Lake GenevaFounded: 1856Check prices and availability The Maxwell began life as a mansion for a local surgeon and his family in 1856 and many notables after that. It was reportedly also the site of Nancy and President Ronald Reagan’s early courtship. After a period of disrepair, it wasn’t until this century that the mansion became a hotel with 30 rooms, 3 acres of gardens, lounges, outdoor fireplaces, a heated pool, and a croquet and bocce ball area.

Wyoming: The Old Faithful Inn

Old Faithful Inn main facade from vicinity of Firehole River, Yellowstone National Park, USA
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Yellowstone National ParkFounded: 1904Check prices and availability Built in 1903-1904, the Old Faithful Inn is considered the largest log structure in the world. Its jaw-dropping, multistory lobby features a huge stone fireplace and rough-hewn log columns. While most of its guest rooms aren’t as historic in appearance as the hotel’s origin date would suggest, there are “old house” rooms that offer a rustic simplicity with a few modern amenities.

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Kris is a veteran writer, editor, and graphic designer. She’s worked for newspapers including the Rocky Mountain News, and as managing editor for Dallas-based Advocate Magazines and Modern In Denver magazine. Over the course of her career