Hopi House | A tribute to the Pueblo culture and crafts

The Hopi House was established in 1905 as an attraction and marketplace that displayed Native American art and culture. Here, Hopi artisans lived and worked, interacting with guests about their traditional life and handicrafts, which they crafted on site. When Mary Colter designed the Hopi House, she wanted to highlight and preserve the Hopi's unique architectural style so that the structure blended into its surroundings and gave its visitors an authentic experience of being inside a Hopi dwelling. There were even evening performances by the indigenous people every evening that attracted scores of tourists. 

Today, a century later, guests can still buy locally made arts and crafts, such as kachinas, Indigenous jewelry, hand-woven Navajo rugs, traditional pottery, and other items. The second floor also has a gallery and a shrine containing Hopi religious artifacts.

Address:  Hopi House, Rim Trail, Grand Canyon Village, AZ 86023, United States | Find on Maps

Mary Colter was commissioned by the Fred Harvey Company, which wanted to cash in on the emerging interest in Southwestern indigenous arts and crafts on the East Coast. The structure was made in the style of Hopi Pueblo dwellings at Old Oraibi.

Colter hired local Hopi workers to make the house so that the authenticity of the architecture was ensured. The three-story dwelling was made using local sandstone and adobe masonry so that it could blend into its natural surroundings. The roof was thatched using saplings and timber with a mud covering, resting on peeled log beams.

The interiors feature small windows and low ceilings designed to keep the harsh desert sunlight out. Hopi murals decorate the walls, while fireplaces with chimneys made of broken pottery stand in the corners. There is a Hopi sand painting and even a kiva, which is a Hopi ceremonial altar. To accommodate modern tourism, however, Colter added a front entrance in place of the traditional roof, which was accessed by a ladder.

The Hopi are an indigenous tribe settled primarily in northeastern Arizona. They consider their land sacred and consider themselves the caretakers of the land they received from their ancestors.

The Hopi have inhabited the region for centuries. In fact, the Old Oraibi, one of the four original Hopi villages, was founded in A.D. 1100. After they encountered the Spaniards in the 16th century, they came to be known as the Pueblo people, although currently, there are a number of tribes who are also considered Puebloans.

The Hopi people are skilled craftsmen. Some of their most celebrated handmade wares are katsina dolls, earthenware ceramics, and sterling silver jewelry, among others.