The White Mountains of New Hampshire have long attracted  tourists  wanting to escape growing urbanization and enjoy  spectacular scenery, clean air, and a slower paced lifestyle.

 The expansion of the rail service in the 1850s opened up the once remote wilderness to tourism, making travel easier and more comfortable. New grand resort hotels were built to satisfy fashionable upper class tourists seeking exclusivity, ambiance, indoor and outdoor entertainments, and the chance to be seen and admired.   

During the golden age of the Grand Resort Hotels in the White Mountain region, between 1880-1910, there were approximately 30 hotels that could be considered “Grand”, meaning those hotels that provided room for 200+ guests, with elegantly styled dining rooms, parlors, and lobby spaces, incorporating recreation activities and events that targeted an elite class of tourists. These gracious establishments cultivated exclusive worlds apart where the honored guests could truly re-create themselves. 

Chronology of the Grand Hotels

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Grand Survivors

Of these many hotels that flourished during the period, only four have survived and are still in operation today.  

The Omni Mount Washington Resort, Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa, Eagle Mountain House and Golf Club, and The Wentworth Hotel, Jackson NH have continued to evolve and respond to New Hampshire tourist needs and trends, redefining what a “Grand Hotel” can mean in today’s culture. 

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• Walk through the Grand Hotels Exhibition
• White Mountain Grand Hotels
• Golden Age of the Grand Hotels
• Behind the Scenes
• Not So Grand: Discrimination at the Hotels
• The Story of the Decline and Survival of the Grand Hotels
• The Business Behind Today’s Grand Hotels
• Return to Exhibit Info