Iowa is Home to Several 100+ Year-Old Historic Hotels [PHOTOS]
The next time you take a trip through Iowa, consider staying at one of these amazing old hotels!
Historic Park Inn
Located in Mason City, the Historic Park Inn is the only remaining hotel that was designed by legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright. According to the Visit Mason City website, the building originally opened in back 1910 as the City National Bank and Park Inn. After "extensive restoration/rehabilitation" in 2011, it's now a 27-room hotel that also offers tours. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
Hotel Pattee
Hotel Pattee is a historic hotel built in 1913 in Perry, Iowa. According to the website, "the historic property boasts 40 individually decorated and themed guest rooms, a state of the art bowling center, a full service dining room and lounge, and its own dedicated library." It has changed hands and gone through many remodels over the years, but it is now in the hands of Perry Industries, Inc. and Perry Economic Development, Inc.
Hotel Winneshiek
Hotel Winneshiek first opened its doors in Decorah back in 1905. After changing hands several times over the years, it was purchased by Decorah-native Helen Basler, who restored the hotel to its former glory in 2000. The website reads, "From the day it opened in 1905, Hotel Winneshiek set a standard for elegance that has yet to be exceeded. Then, as today, guests entered through tall mahogany doors set between limestone pillars, passing through a vestibule and arcade before entering the three-story octagonal rotunda canopied by a stained glass ceiling." It is now owned by Rebound Hospitality.
Hotel Julien
Hotel Julien in Dubuque originally opened as the Waples House in 1839. Since then, the building has always housed a hotel or an inn. The website states that the building "survived a fire, hosted famous guests such as Abraham Lincoln, 'Buffalo Bill,' Cody and Mark Twain, gained notoriety thanks to Al Capone and was ultimately purchased by the current ownership in 1962." Beginning in 2007, the hotel underwent a $33 million renovation, and it had a grand reopening celebration in 2009.
Black Hawk Hotel
The Black Hawk Hotel in Cedar Falls first opened in 1853 as The Winslow House. Throughout history, it has also been known as the Western, the Carter House, the Davis House, and the Burr’s Hotel. The building that stands today was built after a fire destroyed the previous one in the late 1870s. According to the website, "the Black Hawk Hotel is the second longest continuously operating hotel in the country," and is currently listed in the National Historic Register of Historic Places. It is now owned by Eagle View Partners.
Hotel Manning
Hotel Manning is a "steamboat gothic hotel" that was built in Keosauqua, Iowa in the late 1890s. Unfortunately, the location has not always been kind to the structure. According to the website, the Des Moines River has flooded the building four times, the worst of which took place in 1901. The hotel has expanded and been renovated over the years, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the 70s. It is now owned by The Hotel Manning Preservation Group.
Zuber's Homestead Hotel
Located in Homestead, Zuber's Homestead Hotel was built in 1862 and was originally known as just the Homestead Hotel. The building had to be rebuilt in 1890 because of a fire. In 1949, the building was purchased by Bill and Connie Zuber, who turned the space into a restaurant, but it changed hands again in 2004 and was transformed back into a hotel. It is now known as Zuber’s Homestead Hotel and features 15 rooms, each with an Iowa theme. The owners are Brian and Bonnie James.
Decker House Hotel
In 1875, the Decker House Hotel was built as the Decker House in Maquoketa, Iowa. The three-story, brick, Italianate building was owned by a man from New York named James Decker, and it actually remained in the Decker family until 1971 (reported by the Telegraph Herald). Famous guests include Ulysses S. Grant and John Deere. According to Wikipedia, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places back in 1978.