VILLAGE INN GUEST DIRECTORY

To help you get the most out of your trip to Glacier and your stay at Village Inn, the following services are available:

REGISTRATION OFFICE HOURS:
The Registration Office is closed from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. In case of an emergency, ring the doorbell to the left of the lobby. QUIET HOURS are from 10:00 p.m.—6:00 a.m.

CHECK-IN/OUT TIMES:
Check-in time is after 4:00 p.m. Check-out time is 11:00 a.m. If you require a late check-out time, please contact the Front Desk. Depending on availability, we will make every effort to accommodate your needs.

CHECK-OUT DATE:
Should you wish to stay beyond your scheduled check-out date, please contact a Guest Service Associate at the Front Desk by 11:00 am on or before your original check-out date. Depending on availability, we will attempt to accommodate you here or at another location in Glacier National Park.

EXPRESS CHECK OUT:
On your day of departure, should you not wish to stop by the front desk, please leave your keys in the check out box located near the main entrance. A final receipt will be emailed to the address on file.

SMOKING:
Smoking and vaping is prohibited in all guest areas unless otherwise designated. There is a fee for noncompliance with this policy. Please help us to preserve these buildings by adhering to our smoking policy and only smoke in designated areas or no closer than 25 feet from any entry or window.

PETS:
Pets that do not serve as a medical necessity are not allowed in any of the rooms. There is a fee for noncompliance with this policy. Service animals are permitted in the hotels and inns.

COURTESY KITS:
Basic amenities will be available to guests who may have experienced lost luggage or other travel mishaps. Contact the Registration Office if needed.

DO NOT DISTURB:
A sign is provided to hang outside your door for privacy. Housekeeping will not check or clean your room if this sign is displayed. If you are in need of extra linens or amenities, please contact the Registration Office.

ICE:
The ice machine is located on the first level under the stairs in the middle section of the building. An ice bucket and liner are provided in your room. Please help yourself.

FAX MACHINE/COPY MACHINE:
Please ask a Guest Service Associate at the Registration Office for help in sending or receiving a fax. A copy machine is also available. There is a minimal fee for copies and receiving and sending faxes.

MAIL:
Mail is sent from and received at the inn daily, except Sundays. Outgoing mail may be left with the Registration Office staff. Incoming mail may be picked up at the Registration Office.

MEDICAL SERVICES & SHARPS DISPOSAL:
Emergency medical assistance is available 24 hours a day from National Park Service personnel. Please contact the Registration Office by dialing 0. For non-emergencies, there is a health care clinic in West Glacier. Sharps disposal containers are available at the Registration Office. To prevent injury and exposure to hotel personnel handling trash, please do not dispose medical needles or sharps in in-room trash containers.

COOKING/OPEN FLAMES:
Cooking is only permitted in the kitchen units. All other rooms – hot plates, portable cooking stoves, rice cookers, crock pots, etc. are not allowed. Open flames such as candles, wax melts, and incense are not allowed in any guest rooms.

BULK AMENITY DISPENSERS:
To conserve natural resources and where historically feasible, we offer a selection of products in an eco-friendly and secure dispenser. By using these dispensers, we are able to reduce landfill waste by up to 97% over conventional amenity packaging. Individually packaged amenities are available at the Front Desk upon request.

RELIGIOUS SERVICES:
Interdenominational services, sponsored by A Christian Ministry in the National Parks, are held weekly. Details are available at the Information Desk.

SAFE DEPOSIT BOXES:
Available at the Registration Office. The Inn is not responsible for lost or stolen items left in your room.

TELEPHONES:
A pay telephone is available outside of the Registration Office entrance. A calling card is required to use the telephone. Calling cards may be purchased at various stores throughout the area.

SHOPPING:
Visit the Lake McDonald Lodge Gift Shop and Campstore for a wide selection of gifts and souvenirs, groceries, camping, and hiking items as well as Montana huckleberry jams and candy. The Gift Shop is open daily from 7:30 a.m.—9:00 p.m. Apgar and West Glacier also have a variety of shopping opportunities.

VENDING:
A soft drink machine is located adjacent to the Registration Office.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INFORMATION:
406-888-7800

AVAILABLE IN APGAR VILLAGE AND WEST GLACIER

• Eddie’s Café and Ice Cream Shop
• West Glacier Restaurant
• Belton Chalet
• Glacier Highland
• Great Northern Railway Café

AVAILABLE AT LAKE McDONALD LODGE

RUSSELL’S FIRESIDE DINING ROOM:
Located on Lobby level. Enjoy a cozy, hunting lodge atmosphere underscored by a crackling fireplace with views of the pristine lake shore and seasonal flora. We showcase Montana made, sustainable, and organic foods from sun up to sun down. Dress is casual and reservations are not accepted.

• Breakfast: 6:30 a.m.—10:00 a.m.
• Lunch: 11:30 a.m.—2:30 p.m.
• Dinner: 5:00 p.m.—9:00 p.m.

LUCKE’S LOUNGE:
Be sure to stop in Lucke’s Lounge for Montana craft beers, wine, and liquor service as well as late night appetizers and other classic meals from our all day menu. Television viewing is available. Located on the Lobby level adjacent to Russell’s Fireside Dining Room.

• Food Service: 11:30 a.m.—10:30 p.m.
• Drinks: 11:30 a.m.—11:00 p.m.

JAMMER JOE’S GRILL AND PIZZERIA:
Head across the lawn from the main lodge to this Red Bus inspired pizza joint. The menu is filled with great pizza, salads, and tasty sandwich options. Get in on a quick all-you-can-eat lunch buffet or create your own pizza. Pizza is available for take-out.

• Open from 11:00 a.m.—9:00 p.m.

LAUNDRY FACILITIES:
Guest laundry facilities are available at Swiftcurrent Motor Inn, located one mile past the hotel. The washers and dryers accept quarters only. For your convenience, a coin machine is located by the washers and dryers. Laundry detergent and dryer sheets can be purchased in the Campstore at Swiftcurrent Motor Inn. The laundry facilities are located behind the guest cabins and public showers.

CAMPSTORE:
The store is located in the main building at Swiftcurrent Motor Inn and Cabins. In the store there is a wide variety of grocery items, camping and hiking supplies, apparel, gifts, and souvenirs. We sell a large variety of locally made huckleberry items along with other Made in Montana gifts. We also sell locally made beer and wine along with other choices from around the region. Don’t forget to grab a cup of soft serve ice cream while you stroll around the store grabbing souvenirs that will remind you of your trip to Glacier National Park.

• Open daily: 7:00 a.m. — 10:00 p.m.

Reservations at Other Glacier National Park Lodges Hotels & Inns:
Glacier National Park Lodges operates four other hotels and inns in Glacier National Park. If you are interested in staying at one of them and would like to check on availability, you can phone the property directly, using the phone numbers below. Any Guest Service Associate will also be happy to help with additional reservations made for the following 72 hours.

If you are interested in future reservations, please call our Central Reservations Office at: 855-SEEGLACIER. They will be happy to help you with reservations for next week or next year.

Many Glacier Hotel: 406-732-4411

• (Located 11 miles from Babb on the Northeastern side of Glacier National Park)

Rising Sun Motor Inn and Cabins: 406-732-5523

• (Located 6 miles from the St. Mary’s Visitor Center on the Going-to-the-Sun Road)

Swiftcurrent Motor Inn and Cabins: 406-732-5531

• (Located 12 miles from Babb on the Northeastern side of Glacier National Park-1 mile from Many Glacier Hotel)

Village Inn: 406-888-5632

• (Located 3 miles from the West Entrance of Glacier National Park in the village of Apgar)

Telephone Dialing Instructions
All calls within the hotel are free. There is a 50¢ service charge for all calls including 800 and operator assisted calls. All long distance calls will be charged at AT&T operator assisted rates, plus tax and service charge. Please note that there are no phones in the Snyder Hall guest rooms. A public phone for Snyder Hall guests is located in the downstairs seating area of the building.

PLEASE NOTE: In case of a call which is not connected, but allowed to ring for more than six rings, our telephone equipment will automatically place a charge on your
account as if the call had in fact been completed. To avoid such charges, we suggest you note the number of rings when placing calls. In all cases, after touching 9 please wait for the dial tone.

• Montana’s Area Code is 406
• The phone number at Lake McDonald Lodge is: 406-888-5431

To Call Another Room:

• Touch the Room Number

Local Calls*:

• Touch 9 + Number

Long Distance (Charge to your Room)**:

• Touch 9 + 1 + Area Code + Number

Toll Free Numbers*:

• Touch 9 + 1 + 800 + Number

Sightseeing Tours:
No visit to Glacier National Park would be complete without a Red Bus tour over the Going-to-the-Sun Road. It is a breathtakingly beautiful trip through the Rocky Mountains that takes you across the Continental Divide at Logan Pass. The tours are fully narrated. Arrangements can be made at the Information Desk. Advance reservations are strongly suggested but not always needed and tours are available in many price ranges and times.

Fishing:
No license is necessary to fish in any of Glacier National Park’s 1,606 miles of streams and 253 snow-fed lakes. Fishermen can find as many as 26 kinds of fish, including six species of trout. There is a variety of fishing gear available for sale in the Campstore. Pick up a copy of the National Park Service Fishing regulations at the Visitor Center or access regulations online at www.npg.gov/glac.

Hiking:
Over 700 miles of maintained trails wind through Glacier National Park and the adjoining Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada. Trips can be taken through quiet forests, up mountain passes or up to glaciers. Trail maps and other details are available at our Information Desk. Don’t forget to order your box lunch from the restaurant the night before so that it will be ready for your early departure.

Horseback Riding:
Swan Mountain Outfitters is located across the road from the Lodge. Guided Rides are conducted throughout the day, seven days a week. Details are available at the Information Desk or at the stable. Corral phone number: 406-888-5121

Boat Cruises:
Multiple departures daily. Brochures are available at the lobby Information Desk and at the boat dock. Tickets, rental canoes and boats for fishing are also available at the boat dock. Boat dock number: 406-732-4480

Boat Rentals:
Canoes, kayaks, and rowboats are available to rent at the boat dock. These hourly rentals are another great way to explore the beauty of Glacier National Park.

Ranger/Naturalist Talks:
In the Lucerne Room, located on the lower level of the hotel, a National Park Service Ranger/Naturalist program tells the Glacier National Park story with a different presentation each night. There is also a campfire talk at the Swiftcurrent Amphitheatre (1 mile from the Many Glacier Hotel). A schedule of topics for both talks as well as information on other naturalist activities can be obtained at the information desk.

In 1914, Glacier National Park became the first National Park to offer motorized transportation to visitors when the newly formed Glacier Park Transport Company began giving tours through the Park with its fleet of White Motor Company buses and touring cars.

The first few seasons of motorized tours in Glacier proved difficult, as the roads were little more than muddy trails. However, as bus tours became more popular, the Great Northern Railroad, who operated the concessions in the Park, and the Park Service invested in the development of the roads. As the roads improved, the Transport Company updated and added to its fleet, and by 1930, the company operated 66 vehicles in the Park.

In 1932, the Going-to-the Sun Road opened, joining the east and west side of the Park and allowing visitors access to some of Glacier’s most impressive scenery. Shortly after the opening of the Road, the touring fleet was upgraded again with a new model of White Motor Company touring bus, designed specifically to meet the needs of touring through a National Park. These 1930’s era buses are the same red buses used to tour Glacier National Park today and have become an iconic and beloved symbol of the Park.

During your stay in Glacier National Park, take part in the century-long tradition of experiencing an open-top bus tour. Leave the driving to us so you can enjoy the majestic scenery within the park while our safe and experienced tour drivers inform and entertain you along the way. For more information, or to make reservations, please visit the Information Desk in the lobby of the Lodge or click on the button below.

LEARN ABOUT RED BUS TOURS

Xanterra Travel Collection®, the parent company of Glacier National Park Lodges, is committed to reducing our impacts on the environment. To that end, Xanterra has instituted an environmental program called “Our Softer Footprint” that speaks to our sustainable business practices, and to being good stewards of the places we serve. In partnership with our employees and guests we seek to improve the way we do business in Glacier National Park, reduce the amount of trash generated and increase our ability to recycle and reuse whenever possible. As a result of these shared efforts, we will become better stewards of this precious land that is Glacier National Park.

Actions Taken by Xanterra Travel Collection® and Glacier National Park Lodges

• Added energy saving CFL & LED light bulbs
• Installed water refill stations in the lobby and at the Campstore to provide guests the opportunity to use refillable water bottles and reduce consumption of single-use plastic bottles
• Recycling/Waste containers are Made in Montana
• Offering furniture made from locally sourced Montana beetle killed wood in some guest rooms
• Guest room pillows are Golden Memory™ down alternative fiberfill pillows produced from 100% recycled PET bottles
• Guest room “key cards” are made of 100% biodegradable plastic
• Montana sourced coffees and teas are available in guest rooms along with biodegradable or reusable cups
• Bulk amenity dispensers are offered in most of our guest rooms. These dispensers reduce landfill waste by up to 97% over conventional packaging
• Our Campstore’s showcase local and indigenous items
• Electric vehicle charging station is available at the old Post Office

How You Can Help in Our Effort

• Use proper recycling receptacles located throughout the property to recycle aluminum, paper, plastic (#1 only), cardboard, glass, batteries, and bear spray
• Reuse bath towels to reduce the volume of water and energy used to clean them
• Enjoy a beautiful ride in a historic Red Bus or take one of the free National Park Service shuttles instead of driving your own vehicle

A Warming Climate
“Deadly Heat,” “Devastating Hurricanes,” “Rising Sea Level,” “Vanishing Glaciers”—headlines like these bombard many of us on a daily basis. Climate change is no longer just a phenomenon discussed among scientists. It is a pressing issue, one that permeates many aspects of our lives. Over the last 100 years, the earth’s average temperature rose by 1.5° F. By the end of this century, it is predicted to rise by an additional 2–7° F. This rapid temperature increase parallels an increasing level of carbon dioxide found in our atmosphere. Carbon dioxide, along with other gases, such as methane and nitrous oxide, is called a “greenhouse gas” because it traps heat in the atmosphere. While these gases are essential to all life on Earth, high concentrations lead to a warmer planet. Scientists link this build-up of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere, due largely to human activities, to the rapid rise in temperature. Although the earth has experienced cooler and warmer periods throughout its past, current warming is occurring at an unprecedented rate. A 2° F additional change in Earth’s temperature might not seem drastic, but even this increase could bring major changes to our water cycle and to many people, plants, and animals adapted to the current climate.

Melting Ice
Although Earth’s overall temperature is steadily rising, climate change affects areas around the globe in different ways. Mountain ecosystems in the western United States and, in particular, the Northern Rockies, are highly sensitive to climate change. Northwest Montana experiences the same general global warming pattern, but at a faster rate (1.8 times the global average). At elevations above 6,000 feet, temperatures are warming even faster—three times the global average. What does this mean for the park’s snow and ice? At the end of a cooler period in Earth’s history, known as the Little Ice Age (circa 1850), an estimated 150 glaciers existed within the present boundaries of the park. Today, due to a rapidly warming climate, only 25 glaciers remain—and the largest have lost roughly 75% of their size since 1850. If the current rate of melting continues, climate models predict the park’s glaciers will disappear by 2030, if not earlier. Ice patches and perennial snowfields are also melting. Along with glaciers, these sources contribute essential cold water to streams during late summer and early fall, when little seasonal snowfall remains. The loss of glacial and other ice could create many changes for species that depend on a continuous, cold water supply. Glaciers are visible from Going-to-the-Sun road, on the drive into the Many Glacier Valley, and by hiking on some of the parks many hiking trails (refer to Park website for specific trails or consult with a Park Ranger at one of Glacier National Parks Visitor Centers.

What Can We Do?
Xanterra Travel Collection® is committed to reducing our contribution to global warming. Current efforts include reductions in energy and water consumption through carpooling, modifications in operational vehicle use, energy efficient lighting and other electrical appliances, and support from guests with limiting use of room heaters, using water conservation measures, not idling vehicles, and participation in other housekeeping related conservation strategies. In addition, guests can support the carpooling effort by booking a Red Bus Tour or by using one of the parks Shuttle Buses to explore the park.

The Great Northern Railway reached Belton (now West Glacier) in the latter part of 1891. Among the early homesteaders in the area were Frank Geduhn, Milo B. Apgar and Charles Howes. Apgar and Howes, reportedly having come over Marias Pass before the railway with their belongings in two-wheeled carts, claimed homesteads at the foot of Lake McDonald. Apgar’s claim was across McDonald Creek from the spot that was later to bear his name, the present village of Apgar.

As the land was impossible to farm, Geduhn, Apgar and Howes soon began to build cabins as a means of offering overnight accommodations for visitors and local miners. Apgar made arrangements with Howes to build cabins on his side of the creek since there was no bridge at the time. Some of the original Apgar cabins are still standing and are now a part of the Apgar Village Lodge located behind Village Inn. It has been rumored that Cabin #21 of this group was Milo B. Apgar’s first home. The Apgar family continued to offer accommodations at this location for the coming decades.

By the mid-1950s it was apparent that massive investment in park infrastructure nationwide was required. The Mission 66 program was conceived as the means to accommodate increased visitor numbers and to provide high-quality visitor services. Mission 66 was a National Park Service ten- year program that was intended to dramatically expand Park Service visitor services by 1966.
Buildings and facilities constructed during Mission 66 have been recognized by the National Register of Historic Places as significant historic structures and as important representatives of a new building type.

The site on which the Village Inn stands passed to William Mackin who had at one time been married to Milo Apgar’s granddaughter, Jeanette. The Village Inn was designed by Richard Lloyd Taylor of the Kalispell architectural firm of Taylor, Thon, Schwartz, and Kirkpatrick and constructed in 1955-56. The Village Inn (formerly Apgar Village Inn Chalet) is a two-story, 24-unit, frame motel with a smaller two-story, 12-unit addition on the west end. Its long narrow form, broad, shallow gable roofs, and extensive use of glass are characteristic of the Mid-century Modern style, while still alluding to the park’s turn-of-the-century Swiss-style chalets. Stylized Mid-century Modern cut-out letters made of painted plywood spelling out “The Village Inn” are applied directly to the wall.

In 1959, Mackin sold the Inn to the National Park Service. In 1961, Don Hummel began operating all of the hotels, cabin camps, and buses in Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks as a National Park Service Concessioner. He, in turn, sold the business to the VIAD Corp. in 1981, which operated them as a subsidiary known as Glacier Park, Inc. and served as the primary concessioner thru 2013.

In January 2014, Xanterra Travel Collection® (then known as Xanterra Parks and Resorts) was awarded the primary concession contract for Glacier National Park. Glacier National Park Lodges, a division of Xanterra, operates several of the concession services including lodging, restaurants, retail outlets, and tours in Glacier National Park.

In the spring of 2015, all 36 guest rooms were refurbished in the spirit of the Mid-century Modern architectural design.

Furniture, color, art, and décor were hand selected specifically for the era in which the building was created. The art in each room was chosen from the Glacier National Park archives. Included are architectural renderings of St. Mary and Logan Pass Visitor centers, both are primary examples of architectural design during the Mission 66 program. A historic photo of Eddie’s café during the 1950s is also present.