El Rancho Hotel & Motel
El Rancho Hotel
A legendary Route 66 hotel that opened in 1937 and once hosted Hollywood Western stars. Its lobby is lined with signed photos.
El Rancho Hotel was built by the brother of film director D. W. Griffith. From the 1930s through the 1960s, many Western films were shot around Gallup, and stars such as John Wayne and Ronald Reagan stayed here. Guest rooms are still named after them. The two-storey timber lobby has a stone fireplace, antler chandeliers, Navajo rugs and walls covered with signed photographs. Non-guests can visit free of charge and dine in the restaurant. The hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and its neon sign out front is a popular photo spot on Route 66.
Opening hours
Lobby open all day
Nearby sights
- Gallup Cultural Center
- Historic Route 66 Downtown Gallup
- Gallup History Museum (Rex Hotel)
- Richardson's Trading Company
- High Desert Trail System
- Church Rock Trail
- Red Rock Park
- Navajo Nation Zoological and Botanical Park