Parry Lodge

Historic 1930s motel where Hollywood stars stayed during Kanab's Western film era

Parry Lodge is Kanab's most historically significant building — a National Register of Historic Places property that served as the home base for the Hollywood Westerns filmed in the surrounding canyon country from the 1930s through the 1970s. The property still functions as a motel and restaurant, and the walls of the restaurant are lined with photographs of the stars who stayed here during Kanab's "Little Hollywood" years.

The lodge was built by Chauncey Parry in a Spanish Colonial Revival style and expanded several times as the Hollywood connection grew. Staying here gives you access to a genuine piece of American film history; the rooms are comfortable if not luxurious. Even if you don't stay, the restaurant and bar are open to visitors, and the photo gallery on the walls is worth an hour of your time.

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A story
Parry Lodge was built in the late 1920s to serve as a stopover for tourists driving between Zion and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. When Hollywood discovered the red rock country around Kanab in the 1930s and 1940s, the lodge became the de facto base camp for cast and crews. Chauncey Parry, the owner, was famously skilled at persuading studios to film on location in Kane County, and his guest register filled with names including Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., John Wayne, and Ronald Reagan.

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