Yellowstone's Old Faithful Inn

Above, the driveway approach to the Old Faithful Inn. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Before heading to Yellowstone National Park last month, one item on my mental list of things to see at the park (besides the natural wonders) was the Old Faithful Inn.

The Old Faithful Inn is an impressive structure to behold, both inside and out.

Above, the fireplace chimney in the Inn's main lobby. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It was built when the 20th Century was only a few years old and welcomed its first guests on June 1, 1904. According to a handout flyer on the Inn's history, it has "survived severe winters, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake and the fires of 1988."

Above, the main lobby. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It was bestowed a National Landmark Designation in 1987, which "recognizes the Inn's national influence on architecture and construction."

Above, the Crow's Nest above the main lobby. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Old Faithful Inn was designed by Robert Reamer, a 20-year-old architect from Ohio. Local materials were used in its construction, including lodgepole pine and rhyolite rock. Reamer also designed the Inn's East Wing addition (1913) and West Wing addition (1927). The Inn originally contained 140 guest rooms.

In the Dining Room, Paco Young's painting, "Old Faithful" hangs on the fireplace chimney (above photo).