The Casa del Desierto (House of the Desert), also known as the Barstow Harvey House in Barstow, California, is a shining stop along Route 66 where railroad history meets road trip nostalgia. Built in 1911 by the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway, this Harvey House hotel and depot replaced an earlier wooden structure that went up in smoke in 1908. More than just a train stop, it became a symbol of the golden age of travel and the growing connection between trains, highways, and cross-country adventure.
The building’s design is hard to miss: a mix of Spanish Renaissance, Classical Revival, and a little Moorish flair. With its arcades, red brick, and domed towers, it looked impressive against the desert backdrop while giving travelers a shady spot to wait for their trains. Architect Francis W. Wilson is credited with the design, though Mary Colter, whose Santa Fe style often blended history, culture, and the Southwest’s bold personality, probably gave influence.
The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book
Enjoy fun games and challenges to pass the time on your next road trip and have a keepsake to look back on for years to come with this entertaining must-have for your next vacation.
In its heyday from the 1920s through the 1940s, the Barstow Harvey House was bustling. Passenger trains pulled in every half hour, and travelers could grab a meal in one of two dining rooms. One was fancy enough to require dinner jackets, while the other was a bit more relaxed with a lunch counter. The kitchen even churned its own ice cream, dished up with the help of the famous Harvey Girls, who became known for their professional service and hospitality.
As train travel declined, the Harvey House closed in 1973, and the grand building slowly fell into disrepair. After a damaging earthquake in 1992, the city stepped in, investing $8 million into its restoration. Today, the Casa del Desierto is back in business as an Amtrak station and home to two museums: the Route 66 Mother Road Museum and the Western America Railroad Museum.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and a California Historical Landmark since 1976, the Casa del Desierto is still standing tall as one of the best surviving Harvey House depot-hotels in the country.
Photos of the Barstow Harvey House (Casa Del Desierto) in Barstow, California
