Paradise Historic District Exhibit Panel

This exhibit panel overlooks the Paradise area from the porch of the Paradise Inn.

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Location:

Paradise

Amenities

2 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Scenic View/Photo Spot

Title: Paradise Historic District

Main Text
Since the late 1890s Paradise has served as a base camp for people attracted to the spectacular wildflower meadows and high-mountain recreation. Built between 1916 and 1942, structures at Paradise were designed in an alpine rustic style. Massive timbers and glacial boulders blended the buildings with their natural surroundings. Steeply pitched roofs shed heavy snow loads. Many of the original buildings remain at Paradise, which was designated a historic district in 1990.

As you walk the area, investigate the buildings’ individual histories, from the Guide House to the Paradise Ranger Station. History here evokes a continuity of spirit. Car and clothing styles may have changed, but people continue to travel to Paradise to visit the meadows and experience the mountain.

Secondary Text
The Mount Rainier National Historic Landmark District includes the park road system, the Wonderland Trail, most of the major developed areas, and some backcountry ranger cabins. The district was designated to preserve this outstanding example of early park planning and National Park Service rustic architecture of the 1920s and 1930s.

Map Labels
1 - Cabins
2 - Ski Dorm
3 - Lodge
4 - Community Building
5 - Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center
6 - 1926 Tent Camps
7 - Rope Tow
8 - Tatoosh Club–Dormitories
9 - Photo Shop

Exhibit Panel Description
The main text fills the top third of the exhibit panel against a green background that crossfades into a map filling the lower two-thirds of the panel. To the right of the main text are two small black and white photos. One labeled “Paradise Inn, 1948” shows a large wood building with a steeply angled roof and rows of old-style vehicles parked in front. Text below the photo reads “Room without bath, one or two persons - $3.00. Room with bath, one or two persons - $4.00. From the Paradise winter brochure, 1939-1940.” The second photo shows a large white tent surrounded by smaller tents, with a ranger standing in front and the peak of a glaciated mountain rising above the tents. Text below the second photo reads “Before Paradise Inn, a tent city called “Camp of the Clouds” operated from 1898 to 1915 near Alta Vista. Tourists arrived here by stagecoach.” The secondary text and map labels overlap the map filling the lower portion of the exhibit panel on the left side, under the main text. The map shows a simplified layout of the current Paradise area, with roads and existing buildings labeled, and historic locations of structures marked by yellow squares or yellow highlighted circles. From the left side of the panel the Paradise Road curves up to the lower parking lot, with the Paradise Picnic Area loop road branching off it. Overlaying the picnic area are numerous small yellow squares labeled “1”. Overlapping the lower parking lot are three rectangles labeled “2” (towards the end of the parking loop), “3” (middle of loop), and “4” (just below the parking loop). Above and slightly overlapping the lower parking lot is a circle labeled “5”. The Paradise Road continues up from the lower parking lot towards the right side of the exhibit panel to the upper parking lot, where the Paradise Visitor Center, Guide House, Restrooms, and Paradise Inn are labeled. A “You are here” label points out a location of the south side of the Paradise Inn. Above and to the left of the Paradise Visitor Center a narrow oval is marked “6”. A small oval below the Paradise Inn and two large ovals below the upper parking lot are also labeled “6”. A dotted line heading up from the Guide House is labeled “7”. A small L-shaped rectangle next to the Paradise Visitor Center is labeled “8”. A small square below the Guide House is marked “9”. A small box in the lower right corner of the exhibit panel reads "User Fee Project. Your Fee Dollars at Work. Entrance fees were used to produce this exhibit".

Visit This Exhibit Panel
This exhibit panel is located on the porch on the south side of the Paradise Inn. The Paradise Inn is open during the summer only, typically from May to September, and the exhibit panel is only installed during the summer as well. While the Paradise area is open year-round, the area around the Paradise Inn is covered in deep snow during the winter.