The Yosemite Firefall was a summertime event that began in 1872 and continued for almost a century, in which burning hot embers were spilled from the top of Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park to the valley 3,000 feet (900 m) below. From a distance it appeared as a glowing waterfall. The owners of the Glacier Point Hotel conducted the firefall. History has it that David Curry, founder of Camp Curry , would stand at the base of the fall, and yell "Let the fire fall," each night as a signal to start pushing the embers. The firefalls were performed at 9 p.m. seven nights a week as the final act of a performance at Camp Curry .
74-411: Ahwahnee may refer to: Places [ edit ] Ahwahnee Hotel , Yosemite, California, United States Ahwahnee, California , United States; an unincorporated community Yosemite National Park , California, United States; the region formerly known as "Ahwahnee" Other uses [ edit ] Ahwahnee (Aztec culture) , a type of entertainer in
148-403: A cost of $ 115 million in today's dollars." This property included trademarks that were registered by both Delaware North and its predecessors, including place names such as Ahwahnee, Badger Pass , Curry Village, Yosemite Lodge , the slogan "Go climb a rock", and even "Yosemite National Park" itself. The contract with Delaware North also required that if it were to be succeeded as concessionaire,
222-609: A fiery waterfall without the use of actual fire in Horsetail Fall (Yosemite) . Today's Firefall occurs at Horsetail Fall on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, where the setting sun illuminates the waterfall, casting a warm, fiery glow that resembles a cascade of fire. This spectacle predominantly occurs from mid to late February, with the peak intensity usually observed around February 21 each year. The golden hues begin to appear approximately 35 minutes before sunset, with
296-594: A fire on the point and push it off on special occasions. Curry prided himself on his booming voice. He would call up to Glacier Point to signal when the Firefall should begin: On May 31, 1913, Curry and Assistant Secretary of the Interior Adolph C. Miller had a confrontation over the Curry Camping Company's lease. Miller told him, "I'm going to take the Firefall away. There will be no Firefall." Curry felt that
370-513: A lack of funds. In 1925, the Park Service, unhappy with the declining concessions situation within the parks, decided to grant a monopoly to single entities to run the hotel and food services in each park. In response, the Curry Company and The Yosemite National Park Company (successor to D. J. Desmond Park Company) were merged to create one larger concessions company, with Donald Tresidder from
444-416: A little money. They gathered wood for a larger fire, carrying it up the mountain on their burros . James McCauley tied a gunny sack to a long pole and dipped in "coal oil". He would light the sack and wave it as a signal that the Firefall was about to begin. Then he would kick over the campfire coals and spectators would watch from below as the coals fell. The park placed a warning sign which read: In 1897,
518-424: A massive six story structure, but Tresidder and the board requested a hotel with only 100 guest rooms that would feel more like a luxurious country home than a hotel. The design was changed several times and at one point the hotel was to be no larger than three stories high, but eventually a more expansive layout was selected to accommodate the 100 guest rooms along with several public spaces. The interior design of
592-413: A natural spectacle observed annually. Unlike the original man-made Firefall event, the modern-day phenomenon is a captivating interplay of nature's elements that occurs every February, replicating the appearance of a fiery waterfall without the use of actual fire in Horsetail Fall (Yosemite) . Today's Firefall occurs at Horsetail Fall on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, where the setting sun illuminates
666-452: A reservation system during the peak viewing period in February. For instance, in 2022, reservations were required for the entire month, while in 2023, they were necessary for weekends only. The park offers ample parking lots, with signs along North River Road near Yosemite Lodge guiding visitors to the designated parking areas. From the main parking lots, a walk of approximately 1.5 miles leads to
740-605: A rival company, the Desmond Park Service Company, had influenced the Park Service against him. From then on, he began the nightly entertainment program by saying "Welcome to Camp Curry, where the Stentor calls and fire used to fall." In 1916, Desmond built the Glacier Point Hotel , a large chalet-style hotel with a commanding view of Yosemite Valley , Vernal Fall , and Nevada Fall . On March 8, 1917, Secretary of
814-435: A significant attraction, drawing visitors from all over, especially during the brief period in February when the Firefall can be viewed. However, the management, promotion, and preservation of this tradition have evolved to adapt to contemporary challenges and opportunities. The role of social media in popularizing the Firefall event is notable. Images and experiences shared on social platforms have significantly contributed to
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#1732851250307888-512: A simple campsite run by two Indiana schoolteachers ended up as the sole concessionaire for the park, and Yosemite Park and Curry Company went on to build much of the park's service structures. Donald Tresidder, as president of the Yosemite Park and Curry Company, oversaw the building of the Ahwahnee Hotel and several other major structures within the park. The name originally selected for
962-399: A spectacular Firefall. President Kennedy was on the telephone at 9:00, so the Firefall was delayed until he finished, and the Firefall occurred around 9:30 p.m. Sometime, probably by 1920, red fir bark was found to be the best fuel to produce an even flow of coals, so fires were made of red fir bark instead of wood. Employees would gather huge piles of the bark, which they stored near
1036-478: A surge in visitor numbers, causing environmental concerns like damage and increased erosion in the area. In response, the National Park Service has implemented new rules and established a reservation system to manage the crowds and mitigate environmental impact. The reservation system is aimed at alleviating parking congestion and ensuring a better visitor experience, with specific dates designated for viewing
1110-661: A tent camp in the valley and, despite the two-week round-trip journey via horse and wagon from Merced, California , the camp registered 292 guests in its first year. The Curry Company went on to dominate the politics of the park for decades, and David wrote the Secretary of the Interior, Franklin Lane , in an effort to extend the park's tourist season so as to expand his business. In the Currys' opinion, national parks were for recreational use, and
1184-440: A village for the native Miwoks and later as a stables complex known as Kenneyville. The site was chosen for its exposure to the sun, which allows for natural heating, and for its views of several Yosemite icons, including Glacier Point , Half Dome , and Yosemite Falls. The original concept art for the hotel depicted a building that was far grander than what would eventually be constructed. Underwood's original design called for
1258-521: Is a grand hotel in Yosemite National Park , California , on the floor of Yosemite Valley . It was built by the Yosemite Park and Curry Company and opened for business in 1927. The hotel is constructed of steel, stone, concrete, wood, and glass, and is a premier example of National Park Service rustic architecture. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987. The Ahwahnee
1332-408: Is known as Horsetail Fall and is located on the far right side of El Capitan. For those planning to catch a glimpse of this wonder, the park has set specific dates in February when Temporary Vehicle Reservations are required to access the park, ensuring the experience remains serene and unspoiled. In recent years, the influx of visitors keen on witnessing the Firefall has led to the implementation of
1406-640: The Sierra Club in 1912, and the Sierra Club sold it to the National Park Service in 1973. In 1899 David Curry established Camp Curry in Yosemite Valley. Soon he heard visitors reminiscing about the Firefall when McCauley ran the hotel at Glacier Point. Sometime in the early 1900s, Curry reestablished the Firefall during the summer season, when guests were at Camp Curry. He sent his employees to build
1480-463: The Yosemite Lodge . Desmond also began a hotel at Glacier Point the following year, while buying out a number of businesses to improve D. J. Desmond Park Company's position in upcoming park leasing contracts. A congressional act permitted this efficient supervision of the park for the enjoyment of the public. However, prominent tourists were refusing to stay at the park due to the poor conditions of
1554-414: The real property to the National Park Service. In 2014, Delaware North lost a bid to renew its contract with the U.S. government to Yosemite Hospitality, LLC, a division of Aramark . When it had originally taken over the concessionaries in 1993, Delaware North was contractually required to purchase, at fair market value, "the assets of the previous concessionaire, including its intellectual property, at
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#17328512503071628-508: The 1946 dinner introduced chorale concerts and more significant musical performances. Up until 1956 there was only a single performance, and then the number of performances gradually increased to a total of eight. Ansel Adams retired from the event in 1973, passing it on to Eugene Fulton, who had been part of the male chorus since 1934 and musical director since 1946. Fulton died unexpectedly on Christmas Eve in 1978 and his wife, Anna-Marie, and his daughter, Andrea, took over that year and produced
1702-542: The Ahwahnee Hotel were adapted for Stanley Kubrick 's horror film The Shining (1980). Designers at Elstree Studios incorporated the hotel's lobby, elevators, and Great Lounge into sets for the Overlook Hotel. Both the film The Caine Mutiny (1954) and Color of a Brisk and Leaping Day (1996) include footage of the Ahwahnee Hotel. The Ahwahnee Hotel features in the February 18, 1940, and February 25, 1940, episodes of The Jell-O Program Starring Jack Benny . In
1776-499: The Ahwahnee Hotel, as well as other historic hotels and lodges in the park, would be renamed. The Ahwahnee was renamed the Majestic Yosemite Hotel effective March 1, 2016. The names were restored in 2019 upon settlement of the dispute. The Ahwahnee is a 150,000-square-foot (14,000 m ) Y-shaped building and has 97 hotel rooms, parlors, and suites, each accented with original Native American designs. 24 cottages bring
1850-452: The Ahwahnee. The Grand Dining Room is 130 feet long and 51 feet wide, with a 34-foot ceiling supported by rock columns, creating a cathedral-like atmosphere. For fire safety reasons, the wood beams in the dining room are actually hollow and contain steel beams. The alcove window at the end of the room perfectly framed Yosemite Falls when the hotel was completed. Although the dress code for
1924-498: The Aztec world Ahwahnechee , the Ahwahnee people of the Yosemite Valley, a Native American people of California, United States See also [ edit ] [REDACTED] Search for "Ahwahnee" on Misplaced Pages. All pages with titles beginning with Ahwahnee All pages with titles containing Ahwahnee Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with
1998-549: The Curry Company as the new head. As part of this reorganization, the newly formed Yosemite Park and Curry Company proposed a new luxury hotel. Given the Curry Company's enormous success in the park, it was hoped that their involvement would help realize Mather's hotel. While the National Park Service technically had complete control over the park's operations, the Yosemite Park and Curry Company began to have further influence. The monopoly obtained leasing privileges and accumulated both financial and political benefits. What began as
2072-416: The Firefall. This system helps to organize the influx of visitors, ensuring they have a pleasant experience while adhering to the park's conservation policies. Through these measures, the National Park Service aims to balance the preservation of this cherished tradition with the essential goal of environmental conservation, ensuring that the modern-day Firefalls continue to awe and inspire while safeguarding
2146-502: The Grand Dining Room and presented as a feast given by a Renaissance -era lord . This tradition began in 1927, the Ahwahnee's first year of operation, and was inspired by the fictional Squire Bracebridge's Yule celebration in a story from The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. by Washington Irving. Music and theatrical performances based on Irving's story accompany the introduction of each course. Donald Tresidder conceived
2220-471: The Interior Franklin K. Lane granted the Curry Camping Company a five-year lease and said that the Firefall could be reinstated as a nightly summertime event. David Curry died on April 30, but his widow and son opened Camp Curry as usual that summer and presided at the reintroduction of the Firefall. Foster Curry shouted "Let 'er go, Gallagher" and continued as the caller for many years. The job of making
2294-453: The Park Service ordered the Firefall be discontinued on the grounds such a man-made event was inconsistent with the Service mission to encourage appreciation of natural wonders. According to Hartzog, the firefall was as appropriate as "horns on a rabbit". Also, the traffic was increasingly problematic, as each night a stream of cars left the campgrounds and meadow areas where people had gone to get
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2368-760: The Washburn brothers, who owned the Wawona Hotel , had the Guardian of the State Grant evict James McCauley and took over his hotel at Glacier Point. They stopped the Firefalls. The following year, McCauley bought John Lembert's homestead in Tuolumne Meadows and ran cattle there. He and his sons built a small cabin on the property at Tuolumne Meadows; today the "McCauley Cabin" houses park personnel. The McCauley family sold it to
2442-536: The Yosemite Park and Curry Company under the direction of the Curry family. YPCC continued to be the concessionaire of Yosemite National Park until 1993 (Although the YPCC has been owned by various corporations in recent decades, the name remained unchanged). During World War II the Firefall was cancelled. Some people in both the National Park Service and the Yosemite Park and Curry Company hoped that it would not be continued after
2516-418: The awe-inspiring Firefall continues to be a sustainable attraction for future generations, epitomizing the harmonious coexistence of human appreciation and natural preservation. The tradition of celebrating the spectacle of Firefalls at Yosemite National Park has transcended into the modern era with a natural phenomenon replacing the original man-made event. The modern-day Firefalls at Horsetail Fall have become
2590-471: The best views. The last Firefall was on Thursday, January 25, 1968. Since it was winter, no crowd was present. The allure of the Yosemite Firefall has transcended through time, evolving into a natural spectacle observed annually. Unlike the original man-made Firefall event, the modern-day phenomenon is a captivating interplay of nature's elements that occurs every February, replicating the appearance of
2664-464: The calls later was one that loud-voiced employees competed for. By 1960, the middle exchange ("Is the fire ready?"; "The fire is ready.") was eliminated. As the fire fell, the " Indian Love Call " was sung at Camp Curry while visitors saw what seemed to be a waterfall of fire. At the campground sites where Ranger-Naturalists (as they were called then) gave nightly summer talks, " America the Beautiful "
2738-421: The contract with Yosemite Hospitality excluded intellectual property from the asset purchasing clause, and demanded a payment for the property to be determined in court. Delaware North initially asserted the fair market value of its properties to be $ 51 million, but the National Park Service estimated the value of the intangible assets at $ 3.5 million. Delaware North claimed to have offered to temporarily license
2812-501: The couple marketed the park with attractions like the Firefall . David Curry died in 1917 and left the management of Camp Curry to his widow Jennie, who was then known as "Mother Curry". She received help from her children, particularly her daughter Mary, and Mary's husband Donald Tresidder . The camp still exists today as Curry Village . In 1915, Stephen T. Mather convinced D. J. Desmond to convert an old army barracks into
2886-402: The director of the National Park Service , ordered it to stop because the overwhelming number of visitors that it attracted trampled the meadows, and because it was not a natural event. The NPS wanted to preserve the valley, returning it to its natural state. The Glacier Point Hotel was destroyed by fire 18 months later and was not rebuilt. The spectacle of the Yosemite Firefall has evolved into
2960-401: The east side of the hotel to correct this (the logs were replaced in the 1990s). This would be the first of many changes to the hotel. In 1928, a roof garden and dance hall were converted into a private apartment after the dance hall failed to draw an audience. In 1931, the load-bearing trusses in the dining room were reinforced after it was discovered that they were barely adequate to support
3034-408: The event were difficult to obtain. In prior years, the scarce tickets were awarded to applicants by lottery . In 1992, there were a reported 60,000 applications for the coveted 1,650 seats. In 1995, the organizers of the traditional dinner accepted ticket cancellations because the park could have been shut down due to the national budget impasse. The Great Lounge is one of the main public spaces in
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3108-545: The facilities (socialite Lady Astor reportedly described the Sentinel Hotel as "primitive" ), and in 1916 the newly formed National Park Service began a concerted effort to attract visitors to the parks and create better accommodations and services. Under the direction of Mather, whose greatest desire was to build a luxury hotel in Yosemite, an attempt was made to build accommodations near Yosemite Falls but it failed due to
3182-407: The first two years. When Holme died in 1929, Tresidder asked Adams to take over the direction of the show. Adams reworked the script considerably in 1931, creating the role of Major Domo, head of the household, for himself while his wife, Virginia Best Adams, played the housekeeper. The dinner was not held during World War II , when the Ahwahnee was functioning as a naval hospital. When it resumed,
3256-439: The growing popularity of the event, drawing more visitors each year, and fostering a digital community of nature enthusiasts and Yosemite admirers. The digital engagement not only promotes the event but also serves as a platform for educating the public about the park's natural features and the importance of environmental conservation. The increasing popularity of the Firefall, particularly through social media exposure, has led to
3330-462: The hotel also underwent several changes. Artist and interior designer Henry Lovins originally suggested a "Mayan revival" theme with Hispano-Moresque influences. However, the husband and wife team of Arthur Upham Pope and Phyllis Ackerman was selected over Lovins. Drawing on their experience as art historians, Ackerman and Pope created a style that mixed Art Deco , Native American , Middle Eastern , and Arts and Crafts styles. The interior work
3404-409: The hotel could compete with fine dining establishments, and the facility was specifically constructed to handle special events and functions. Regular entertainment is provided at dinner by a pianist. Local Yosemite artist Dudley Kendall played piano in the dining room at the Ahwahnee for years and had his work displayed at the hotel. The Bracebridge Dinner is a seven-course formal gathering held in
3478-435: The hotel during the summer months. In 1883, James McCauley sent for his niece, Elizabeth McCauley, to come from Ireland and help with the hotel. McCauley's son Fred had an apple orchard just outside the park. His twin brother John told Ranger-Naturalist Bob Fry in 1961 that the Firefalls began spontaneously one day. James McCauley often made a large campfire for his guests on the point of the granite cliff that jutted out over
3552-481: The hotel for the winter. To avoid this and to keep guests and income flowing, Tresidder centered the hotel around skiing and other winter activities. In order to keep the hotel filled throughout the holiday period, Tresidder also proposed Christmas entertainment. A banquet event was planned based on a story by Washington Irving about an eighteenth-century English Christmas at the home of the Squire of Bracebridge. The cast
3626-500: The hotel. The large space spans the full width of the wing and nearly its full length (minus the solarium). There are two large fireplaces on either end of the room made from cut sandstone. On either side of the lounge is a series of floor-to-ceiling plate-glass picture windows ornamented at their tops with stained glass. The individual border designs in the beams of the Great Lounge are by artist Jeanette Dryer Spencer. Interiors of
3700-546: The hotel; each day a stack of the bark would be placed on the Valley side of the Point, to be lit that night and to burn for a couple hours to produce a bed of coals. Through the years, visitors to Glacier Point enjoyed watching the hotel employees gradually push the glowing embers off the cliff with long-handled metal pushers. In 1925 all the rival business companies in the Park united to form
3774-410: The idea for the event with his wife Mary Curry, their friends, and park staff. Tresidder hired Garnet Holme for the event's first year to write the script and produce the event, and Tresidder and his wife played the squire and his lady until Tresidder's death in 1948. Photographer Ansel Adams, who was working for the Yosemite Park and Curry Company and was well known in Yosemite for his eccentricities,
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#17328512503073848-449: The interior and the enclosure of the original porte-cochère. After the war, when few people brought servants with them, the owners converted the chauffeur and maid rooms into guest rooms. The 1950s, '60s, and '70s brought several upgrades to the hotel, including fire escapes , a fire alarm system, and a sprinkler system, along with an outdoor swimming pool and automatic elevators, and in the late 1970s, smoke detectors. From 2003 to 2004
3922-440: The most common viewing areas. A parking pass is available for $ 35 as well as a $ 2 reservation fee to view the Firefall. The modern-day Firefall, while enthralling, also underscores the delicate balance between public enjoyment and conservation. The National Park Service, in its bid to maintain the natural integrity of Yosemite, regulates access during this period to mitigate potential environmental impacts. This measure ensures that
3996-405: The new hotel was "Yosemite All-Year-Round Hotel", but Tresidder changed it just prior to opening to reflect the site's native name. After the Ahwahnee was built, Tresidder had to overcome a number of financial obstacles. The cost of the hotel was nearly double the original estimate, and as fall approached, the number of guests began to dwindle. Park officials became concerned and suggested closing
4070-596: The park is usually very casual, the Ahwahnee Dining Room used to require a jacket for men, but it later relaxed that tradition. Now collared shirts for men are allowed and women may wear either a dress or slacks and a blouse. The Grand Dining Room was originally designed to accommodate 1,000 guests, but it was eventually scaled down to seat 350. However, the enormous kitchen still reflects the original design concept and includes separate stations for baking and pastries. High quality kitchen appliances were installed so
4144-509: The roof was overhauled, and virtually the entire slate-tile roof and copper gutter system were replaced. Martech Associates, Inc. of Millheim , Pennsylvania, designed the updated roof and served as the general contractor for the project. The project cost approximately US$ 4 million and is notable for its 97 percent material recycling rate. An article in the Los Angeles Times on March 13, 2009, stated that seismic retrofits might be needed for
4218-871: The script, the entire cast visit and stay in a fictionalized, comedic version of the hotel during a ski vacation to Badger Pass. The hotel and dining room have hosted many notable figures including artists, royalty, heads of state, film and television stars, writers, business executives, and other celebrities. Examples of notable guests include heads of state Queen Elizabeth II , Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower , John F. Kennedy , Ronald Reagan , Barack Obama , and Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi ; business moguls Walt Disney and Steve Jobs ; entertainers Desi Arnaz , Lucille Ball , Charlie Chaplin , Judy Garland , Leonard Nimoy , Will Rogers and William Shatner ; and writer Gertrude Stein . Firefall (event) The Firefall ended in January 1968, when George B. Hartzog , then
4292-521: The show. In 1979, Andrea Fulton assumed the role of director, which she holds to this day while also playing the role of housekeeper. In 2011, the Bracebridge dinner celebrated its 85th anniversary. Travel + Leisure magazine named Yosemite's Ahwahnee Hotel as one of the best hotels in the United States for the holidays for two consecutive years (2011 and 2012). For much of its history, tickets to
4366-635: The snow load on the roof and potential earthquake stresses. When Prohibition was rescinded in 1933, a private dining room was converted into the El Dorado Diggins bar, evocative of the California Gold Rush period. 1943 saw the United States Navy take over the hotel for use as a convalescent hospital for war veterans . Some of the changes made to the hotel by the Navy included a repainting of
4440-512: The successor must acquire all of the assets of the previous operator at fair market value. The contract with Yosemite Hospitality stated that the company be required to purchase furniture, equipment, vehicles, and "other property", but did not explicitly include intellectual property . In 2015, Delaware North sued the NPS in the United States Court of Claims for breach of contract, claiming that
4514-470: The timber came from land owned by the Curry family. The apparent wood siding and structural timber on the hotel's exterior are actually formed from stained concrete poured into molds to simulate a wood pattern. Concrete was chosen as the material for the outside "wood" elements to make the hotel fire resistant. Construction lasted eleven months and cost US$ 1,225,000 upon completion in July 1927. After construction
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#17328512503074588-463: The title Ahwahnee . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ahwahnee&oldid=1163399036 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Ahwahnee Hotel The Ahwahnee
4662-468: The total number of rooms to 121. The hotel was designed by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood , who also designed Zion Lodge , Bryce Canyon Lodge , and Grand Canyon North Rim Lodge . It was made to feel rustic and match its surroundings, and the hotel is considered a masterpiece of " parkitecture ". The hotel is situated below the Royal Arches rock formation in a meadow area that previously served as
4736-412: The trademarks while the dispute was unresolved and further claimed that the government did not respond to its offer. The dispute gained national attention after it was publicized in an issue of Outside magazine, which led to the Sierra Club issuing a petition requesting that Delaware North drop the lawsuit. In January 2016, it was announced that due to the trademark dispute with Delaware North,
4810-400: The valley. All would sit around the fire and talk. At the end of the evening, McCauley would kick the glowing coals over the edge of the cliff. People in the valley were fascinated by the falling embers and mentioned it to McCauley's sons. Some visitors gave them money, saying things like "Here's two bits. Tell your father to have another firefall tonight." The sons decided this was a way to earn
4884-569: The vibrant orange and red colors becoming prominent 10–15 minutes before sunset. This natural marvel is highly dependent on the sun's specific angle of descent coupled with the availability of water in Horsetail Fall, which is subject to recent precipitation and snowmelt. Viewers can marvel at this phenomenon from various vantage points within the park, including the Four Mile Hike, Taft Point, El Cap Meadow, and Tunnel View. The waterfall itself
4958-522: The war. The NPS considered it an unnatural event in a natural area, and the task of presenting the Firefall each night was burdensome to YPCC. Employees drove trucks farther to find the red fir bark, because they were allowed to collect it only from trees that were dead and down. Before the Firefall ended, they were going as far as the Tioga Road. After World War II, the public demanded the Firefall's return. In January 1968, director George B. Hartzog of
5032-552: The waterfall, casting a warm, fiery glow that resembles a cascade of fire. In 1871, before Yosemite became a National Park , an Irish immigrant named James McCauley hired John Conway to build the Four Mile Trail from Yosemite Valley , where McCauley lived, to Glacier Point . When the trail was completed, McCauley built a small hotel called the Glacier Point Mountain House. McCauley and his wife Barbara operated
5106-445: Was asked to be a part of Tresidder's new winter celebrations in the elaborate, theatrical Christmas dinner with friends from the nearby Bohemian Club . Cast as the "Jester", Adams had asked the director for suggestions but was told to just act like a jester. Adams fortified himself with a few drinks and went on to climb the granite pillars to the rafters. Adams played the Lord of Misrule for
5180-572: Was carried out by a number of artisans under their supervision. Much of the decoration originally used was Persian, and Ackerman and Pope would go on to become art consultants in Iran. The hotel was constructed from 5,000 tons (4,500 t) of rough-cut granite, 1,000 tons (910 t) of steel, and 30,000 ft (9,100 m) of timber. The steel came from the Union Iron Works in San Francisco and
5254-450: Was complete, the company began an advertising campaign to showcase the new amenities. However, just before opening day, the director noticed that the porte-cochère planned for the west side of the building, where the Indian room now sits, would allow exhaust fumes from automobiles to invade the premises. A hastily designed Douglas Fir pole porte-cochère entry and parking area were erected on
5328-405: Was filled with locals from the park, including photographer Ansel Adams . In 1993 the National Park Service required a new concessioner to purchase the Yosemite Park and Curry Company from MCA Inc. and rename the business as a new company. The new concession contract was awarded to Delaware North and required that it assume all the assets and liabilities of the previous operator and deed
5402-401: Was played, and the audience sang along. The time of the Firefall was established as 9:00 p.m. The Ranger-Naturalists had to be careful to end their programs in the campgrounds and at Camp Curry right at 9:00, or the "fire would fall on the program." In 1962, President John F. Kennedy visited Yosemite National Park, and on that night an especially large fire was built on the Point to make
5476-467: Was temporarily renamed the Majestic Yosemite Hotel in 2016 due to a legal dispute between the U.S. government , which owns the property, and the outgoing concessionaire, Delaware North , which claimed rights to the trademarked name. The name was restored in 2019 upon settlement of the dispute. David and Jennie Curry were schoolteachers who arrived in Yosemite Valley in 1899. The couple ran
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