The Oldest Hotel in Every State
Chris Pruitt / Wikimedia Commons Alabama > Hotel: Redmont Hotel > Location: Birmingham > First opened in: 1925 Courtesy of Alaskan Hotel and Bar via Facebook Alaska > Hotel: Alaskan Hotel > Location: Juneau > First opened in: 1913 "Grand…
Want to time-travel on your next vacation? Staying at the oldest hotel in whichever state you’re visiting will do the trick, offering at least a glimpse of an earlier era. From colonial inns to grand railway hotels from the Gilded Age, the U.S. is home to many historic lodgings filled with character and with tales to tell. (For lodging history of a more recent sort, check these classic images of motels with a vintage vibe.)
24/7 Tempo has attempted to discover the oldest hotel in every state, using a variety of state and local tourism and historical websites, as well as those maintained by various hotels themselves.
It’s difficult to come up with a list that’s both definitive and authoritative. Many of the establishments that are now hotels began as private residences, taverns, even bordellos, and the exact year they were first built, or first welcomed overnight guests, is often vague or disputed.
In addition, these historic hotels have inevitably undergone numerous transformations throughout the years. Typically, their architecture and decor have been updated, they have changed ownership multiple times, some may have closed down completely for various periods, and a few have even been completely rebuilt. (These are the original locations of famous restaurants you can still go to.)
Click here to see the oldest hotel in every state
Nonetheless, the hotels mentioned here all have verifiable links back to their origins, however much they may have changed or evolved, and every one of them will offer a taste of the past.
Alabama
> Hotel: Redmont Hotel
> Location: Birmingham
> First opened in: 1925
Alaska
> Hotel: Alaskan Hotel
> Location: Juneau
> First opened in: 1913
Arizona
> Hotel: The Grand Canyon Hotel
> Location: Williams
> First opened in: 1891
Arkansas
> Hotel: Capital Hotel
> Location: Little Rock
> First opened in: 1873
California
> Hotel: The Groveland Hotel
> Location: Groveland
> First opened in: 1849
Colorado
> Hotel: Cliff House at Pikes Peak
> Location: Manitou
> First opened in: 1873
Connecticut
> Hotel: 1754 House
> Location: Woodbury
> First opened in: 1754
Delaware
> Hotel: The Inn at Montchanin Village & Spa
> Location: Wilmington
> First opened in: 1799
Florida
> Hotel: The Florida Inn
> Location: Fernandina Beach
> First opened in: 1857
Georgia
> Hotel: River Street Inn
> Location: Savannah
> First opened in: 1817
Hawaii
> Hotel: Moana Hotel
> Location: Honolulu
> First opened in: 1901
Idaho
> Hotel: Idaho Hotel
> Location: Silver City
> First opened in: 1863
Illinois
> Hotel: The Historic Rose Hotel
> Location: Elizabethtown
> First opened in: 1812
Indiana
> Hotel: French Lick Springs Hotel
> Location: French Lick
> First opened in: 1845
Iowa
> Hotel: Hotel Julien Dubuque
> Location: Dubuque
> First opened in: 1839
Kansas
> Hotel: Elgin Hotel
> Location: Marion
> First opened in: 1886
Kentucky
> Hotel: The Old Talbott Tavern
> Location: Bardstown
> First opened in: 1779
Louisiana
> Hotel: Hotel Maison de Ville
> Location: New Orleans
> First opened in: 1788
Maine
> Hotel: Down Easter Inn (currently closed and for sale)
> Location: Damariscotta
> First opened in: Circa 1850
Maryland
> Hotel: The Maryland Inn
> Location: Annapolis
> First opened in: 1772
Massachusetts
> Hotel: Wayside Inn
> Location: Sudbury
> First opened in: 1716
Michigan
> Hotel: The National House Inn
> Location: Marshall
> First opened in: 1835
Minnesota
> Hotel: Anderson House Hotel
> Location: Wabasha
> First opened in: 1856
Mississippi
> Hotel: Monmouth Historic Inn
> Location: Natchez
> First opened in: 1818
Missouri
> Hotel: The Elms Hotel and Spa
> Location: Excelsior Springs
> First opened in: 1888
Montana
> Hotel: Grand Union Hotel
> Location: Fort Benton
> First opened in: 1882
Nebraska
> Hotel: Historic Argo Hotel
> Location: Crofton
> First opened in: 1912
Nevada
> Hotel: Gold Hill Hotel
> Location: Virginia City
> First opened in: 1861
New Hampshire
> Hotel: Hanover Inn
> Location: Dartmouth
> First opened in: 1901
New Jersey
> Hotel: Congress Hall
> Location: Cape May
> First opened in: 1816
New Mexico
> Hotel: La Fonda on the Plaza
> Location: Santa Fe
> First opened in: 1922
New York
> Hotel: Beekman Arms & Delamater Inn
> Location: Rhinebeck
> First opened in: 1766
North Carolina
> Hotel: Brookstown Inn
> Location: Winston-Salem
> First opened in: 1837
North Dakota
> Hotel: Rough Riders Hotel
> Location: Medora
> First opened in: 1884
Ohio
> Hotel: Golden Lamb
> Location: Lebanon
> First opened in: 1803
Oklahoma
> Hotel: The Skirvin Hilton
> Location: Oklahoma City
> First opened in: 1911
Oregon
> Hotel: Wolf Creek Inn
> Location: Wolf Creek
> First opened in: 1883
Pennsylvania
> Hotel: Gettysburg Hotel
> Location: Gettysburg
> First opened in: 1797
Rhode Island
> Hotel: Graduate Providence
> Location: Providence
> First opened in: 1922
South Carolina
> Hotel: Rutledge House Inn
> Location: Charleston
> First opened in: 1763
South Dakota
> Hotel: Bullock Hotel
> Location: Deadwood
> First opened in: 1895
Tennessee
> Hotel: Hale Springs Inn
> Location: Rogersville
> First opened in: 1824
Texas
> Hotel: Haunted Magnolia Hotel
> Location: Seguin
> First opened in: 1844
Utah
> Hotel: Moore’s Old Pine Inn
> Location: Marysvale
> First opened in: 1882
Vermont
> Hotel: Woodstock Inn
> Location: Woodstock
> First opened in: 1793
Virginia
> Hotel: Williamsburg Lodge
> Location: Williamsburg
> First opened in: 1750
Washington
> Hotel: Tokeland Hotel
> Location: Tokeland
> First opened in: 1885
West Virginia
> Hotel: The Greenbrier
> Location: White Sulphur Springs
> First opened in: 1778
Wisconsin
> Hotel: Maxwell Mansion
> Location: Lake Geneva
> First opened in: 1855
Wyoming
> Hotel: Occidental Hotel
> Location: Buffalo
> First opened in: 1880
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Hristina Byrnes is the editor of 247Tempo.com, where she handles the site's assignments and editing. She holds a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University, which she earned in 2012, and she specializes in translating complex health data research into engaging, accessible stories for a general audience.
When she's not poring over the latest data sets or brainstorming story ideas, you can find Hristina watching tennis, playing tennis with her son, or trying to get her daughter into tennis.
