Gallatin Gateway Inn

Introduction

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The Gallatin Gateway Inn is a historic hotel built in 1927 by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, which is usually referred to as the Milwaukee Road. As of summer 2020, it appears to be closed. Nevertheless, it remains an important historic landmark in the areas of architecture, railroading, and the promotion of tourism to Yellowstone National Park. In terms of design, the inn is a excellent example of Spanish Revival architecture. It features a red-tile roof, stucco exterior, a large canopy over the main entrance with decorative copper patterns, and arched windows (including a large one over the main entrance). The Milwaukee Road built the inn to support its passenger service to the park. From here, the company ferried passengers to the park on buses. The inn, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, served as the company's "gateway" to the park.

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The Gallatin Gateway Inn was built in 1927 by the Milwaukee Road for tourists traveling to Yellowstone National Park.

Backstory and Context

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When the Milwaukee Road built the inn, the Northern Pacific Railroad and Union Pacific Road had already been offering passenger service to the park. Despite this competition, it decided to tap into the Yellowstone passenger market. At the time, the company's line ended in Three Forks, which is located to the northwest. The terrain made it too difficult for the company to build a line from Three Forks to the park. This is why the company erected the inn, which is about 75 miles from the park.

The inn has an impressive lobby and a large ballroom and dining room, which were used by guests after they arrived from Three Forks. In this way, the inn was less of a hotel than a rest stop, although it did have around 30 guest rooms. The inn also boasted modern amenities for the time including a telephone in every room and a kitchen filled with the latest electrical gadgets.

Its heyday only lasted around 20 years, however. Trains stopped running from Three Forks stopped in the late 1930. Passengers began to be taken directly to the park on buses (bypassing the inn altogether) or drove there on their own. The Milwaukee Road sold the inn in the early 1950s. It continued to operate as hotel in the coming decades. Interestingly, in the 1970s, mud-wrestling tournaments were held in the ballroom. The inn also hosted rock concerts. It finally closed in 2013. In 2015, the Yellowstone Club, a private residential ski resort, leased the inn to house its employees for five years. It is not readily apparent whether this arrangement continues today.

Sources

Bowman, Sally-Jo. "Turn-Of-The-Century Hotels Reinvigorated." The Spokesman-Review. June 1, 1997. https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1997/jun/01/turn-of-the-century-hotels-reinvigorated.

DeHaas, John N. "Gallatin Gateway Inn." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. January 24, 1980. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/5d18884c-b344-41f1-8873-bd73d648188e.

Kendall, Lewis. "Gallatin Gateway Inn leased to Yellowstone Club." Bozeman Daily Chronicle. December 2, 2015. https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/economy/gallatin-gateway-inn-leased-to-yellowstone-club/article_1e9b553c-e665-5ccd-a7ed-82a8040949d3.html.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Jill Scarson, via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Gallatin_Gateway_Inn

Additional Information

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