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San Dimas Hotel, California

Historic hotel
In San Dimas, California
0.9 mi from Route 66
National Register of Historic Places

The San Dimas Hotel is a large Victorian-era building in San Dimas, CA, about 1.7 miles off the old road. Built in 1887 for a land boom that never arrived, not one paying guest ever stayed, and it instead became a family home for generations. Its Queen Anne and Shingle style lines earned it a National Register of Historic Places listing, and the city now owns it.

What is San Dimas Hotel?

This is a big showpiece: about 15,000 square feet, with fourteen fireplaces and 33 rooms. Its design mixes Queen Anne and Shingle style features, both popular in American building in the late 1800s.

The building has picked up several names over the years. Besides San Dimas Hotel, other names for it include the San Dimas Mansion, Walker House and the Carruthers Home, each name reflecting a different chapter of its life.

History of San Dimas Hotel

The San Jose Ranch Company put up the hotel in 1887, betting on a land boom. The boom never came, and no paying guest ever checked in. In 1889 the company sold the property to a couple, Sue and James W. Walker, and their family lived there for seven generations.

In 1979 the house became a restaurant. It stood empty from 1997 until the City of San Dimas bought it and carried out a renovation. Its National Register of Historic Places listing came earlier, in 1972.

Visiting San Dimas Hotel: tips

Parking is available at the site. Because the city owns and uses the building, check with the City of San Dimas about any public access or events; otherwise, enjoy the exterior from the sidewalk. Fifteen minutes is enough for photos of the exterior.

California State Route 66, the Foothill Boulevard stretch of the old road, is about 2.4 miles away. Raging Waters is about 2 miles off, and South Hills, a green space, is about 2.5 miles away.

Practical info

Address: 501 W Bonita Ave, San Dimas, CA 91773
Phone: +1 909-592-0500
Website: bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotel-rooms.05707.html
Hours: We have no opening hours for this stop yet — check the official site.
On site & nearby

Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix

Where to eat near San Dimas Hotel

All diners →

Diner & restaurant
Magic Lamp Inn
Rancho Cucamonga, CA · 10.3 mi from San Dimas Hotel
A 1950s Route 66 steakhouse whose Aladdin's-lamp neon sign burns a real gas flame after dark.
Diner & restaurant
Sycamore Inn
Rancho Cucamonga, CA · 10.5 mi from San Dimas Hotel
A steakhouse in a 1920 inn on Foothill Boulevard, on a site that fed travelers long before Route 66 existed.