Wawona Hotel
Wawona Hotel and Thomas Hill Studio | |
Wawona Hotel in 2005 | |
| Location | On CA 41 in Yosemite National Park, Wawona, California |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°32′11″N 119°39′13″W / 37.53639°N 119.65361°W |
| Area | 16.5 acres (6.7 ha) |
| Built | 1876 |
| Architect | Washburn Brothers |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000223 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 1, 1975 |
| Designated NHL | May 28, 1987 |
The Wawona Hotel, located in southern Yosemite National Park, California, is a historic late Victorian mountain resort and one of the largest intact hotels of its kind within a national park.: 5 Originally established in the 1850s as Clark's Station, a pioneer stop, it soon evolved into a bustling stagecoach stop and later transformed into a grand New England–style resort, complete with manicured grounds and refined amenities. Its design catered to East Coast and European visitors, aligning with the era’s trend of exclusive grand hotels.
Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Wawona Hotel is notable for its cohesive architectural integrity, much of which predates World War I.: 57 Located just 4 miles (6.4 km) from Yosemite’s southern entrance, it sits between the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias and Yosemite Valley.
Owned by the National Park Service and operated through a concessionaire contract, the Wawona Hotel has endured over a century of operation, with only a brief closure during World War II before reopening in 1947.: 5 On December 2, 2024, the hotel closed indefinitely for repairs while the National Park Service conducts a "comprehensive condition assessment."