Garden City Hotel Debuts Legacy Museum

A permanent museum dedicated to the history of the four Garden City Hotels on that site is now part of the hotel's lobby.

Located just to the left of the gift shop in six glass showcases, the museum has been a fascination for guests since its completion over the summer.

During a meeting in February between the hotel's new general manager Grady Colin and immediate past village historian John Ellis Kordes, the idea for the museum arose.

"I arranged a meeting with John after learning about him from some of our hotel employees," Colin said. "John impressed me with his vast knowledge of Garden City's history and his intense enthusiasm for the subject."

From that meeting, several ideas arose, including two Garden City bus tours for hotel employees so that staff could appreciate and become more knowledgeable of their surroundings.

"My wife and I were on one of the tours," Colin said, "and we really enjoyed it and learned a lot about Garden City. John does an outstanding job with that tour."

Kordes also provided images for a 3D video the hotel produced for marketing purposes but it was the museum that has occupied the months of spring and summer.

"When Mr. Colin expressed a desire to embrace the hotel's amazing history, I saw a very special opportunity," Kordes said. "The Garden City Hotel's legacy goes back to 1874 and has played a huge role in Garden City's heritage. However, the story has never quite been told like this before. I had six glass showcases to work with and I designed the museum to fit into the spaces with a lot of visual impact. Months of research and careful planning has resulted in the museum that I feel does justice to the hotel's legacy."

The timing of the museum could not have been better as the hotel is now under new ownership and is experiencing a renaissance of the now 30-year-old building. It has been 40 years since the most famous third Garden City Hotel was torn down.

The museum includes many rare pieces, including an 1896 menu from the second Garden City Hotel, which burned down in 1899; a post card night image of the third hotel from 100 years ago; and a T-shirt from the 1970s featuring that infamous shack and bricks from the old hotel, Kordes said.

The 1973 demolition of the third Garden City Hotel was a very traumatic time in Garden City and an entire showcase is dedicated to that period. "Old time residents will never forget when that hotel was torn down and what it did to the village in the 1970s," Kordes said. "Those concerned about St. Paul's should pay special attention to that showcase."

Colin has Kordes' book and has seen his Garden City documentary film. "I knew we were in the right hands," he said. "I hope residents, including school children, stop by and view the museum and also all the positive changes we are making at the Garden City Hotel."