The Glacier Park Lodge has been an impressive display of architecture, hospitality and art for well over a century.
While much has changed since we first opened our doors in 1913, we’re firm believers that some things never go out of style. Here are a few details that make Glacier National Park’s first guest lodge as unique today as it was when it opened.
Also known as the Big Tree Lodge, or Omahkoyis in the Siksiká language, Glacier Park Lodge is a wonder of Swiss-inspired alpine architecture. The entrance features an enormous cedar log archway, while the main lobby — inspired by the Forestry Building at Portland, Oregon’s 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition — boasts 24 towering Douglas fir columns. These old-growth trees (800 years old at the time of harvest!) were logged in nearby Oregon and Washington before being transported to the hotel’s front door by custom-built railroad cars. While a long-term restoration project has replaced some of the timbers, many of the originals remain standing strong. Today’s guests can still find chain marks on these impressive logs, telling the story of operations from yesteryear.
Construction of the lodge was completed under the direction of James J. Hill of the Great Northern Railway. Known as the "Empire Builder," Hill initiated the modern development of what is now East Glacier, Montana, and the train route which still runs westward bears his nickname. Train travel was the primary conveyance for visitors of that era, and the Glacier Park Lodge continues to pay homage to Hill and the railroad.
As construction began on the enormous timber-framed lodge, Hill envisioned a massive network of water features and garden installations to connect the lodge and the neighboring train depot. His dream of intricate waterways was attempted but quickly became a maintenance nightmare. It was replaced with a welcoming garden, which — thanks to a recent renovation — is now more elaborate and magnificent than ever.
And right around the corner from the front garden sits Montana’s very first golf course with natural grass greens. Originally built in 1928 and nicknamed Oom-coo-ska-pes-che (big green blanket) by Chief Earl Old Person, the nine-hole course and its adjacent pitch 'n' putt course will delight and educate everyone who plays.
Because of the lodge’s location — and its historic nature — two signatures have lasted through the ages: classic cars and bellhops.
Guests arriving on the Amtrak Empire Builder are treated to a complimentary shuttle ride via the Aerobus Checker station wagon. It’s a stylish way to arrive as you roll right up to the lobby doors in these vintage 1960s automobiles. The ties between hotel hospitality and railway relics are maintained in this fun and dramatic tradition.
Driving the shuttles and welcoming guests at the lodge are hotel bellhops dressed in classic railway attire. Right from these first interactions, Glacier Park Lodge guests are transported back in time as their luggage is portered by friendly faces in costumes from long ago. The historic lodge doesn’t have an elevator, so this service is both entertaining and much appreciated.
Interspersed around the lodge are artifacts and items of contemporary significance to Blackfeet Nation members. When Hill purchased land from the Blackfeet to build the lodge, he also hired a group of Indigenous performers to help promote tourism in Glacier National Park. These performers greeted guests, performed songs and dances and toured visitors through the tipi village on the hotel grounds.
Today, this rich history is recognized through ongoing partnerships. Each season, tribal members set up camp grounds on the lodge's lawn and erect a tipi to spotlight the nation’s story. Glacier Park Lodge takes an active role in honoring Blackfeet culture and promotes their annual celebrations, including North American Indian Days in Browning, Montana, and the Heart Butte Society Celebration.
Guests have countless opportunities to gaze at relics of the past inside Glacier Park Lodge. One such featured item is the taxidermy mountain goat in the main lobby. Stories abound surrounding the goat’s significance. The most popular tale claims that the expert four-legged climber found its way onto the lodge during an epic winter storm and fell through the roof. Regardless of its unconfirmed origin story, the mountain goat serves as a fitting homage to the Great Northern Railway’s cloven-footed mascot.
The nimble-footed mountain goat is in good company inside the lodge, where depictions of native flora and fauna of the Northwest Rockies are on display. Through the lobby, on the breezeway and patio, and inside the many rooms, guests can enjoy incredible artwork and preserved artifacts. Notably, the Great Northern Dining Room features hundreds of John Fery’s commissioned pieces, many of them part of the Great Northern’s “See America First” campaign.
Visit Glacier Park Lodge, where the history of Glacier National Park is alive and well. Stay in comfort and tour the area surrounded by timeless treasures from long ago.
