The Palace Hotel, built in 1875, envisioned by William Chapman Ralston and William Sharon, was reputedly the largest, most luxurious and costly hotel in the world. The Palace Hotel was designed as the American counterpart to the grand hotels of Europe. On October 2, 1875, the Palace Hotel officially opened to capture the hearts of the American public. 

 

Originally built by architect John P. Gaynor, the majestic building hailed 7,000 windows, 14-foot high ceilings and an unprecedented opulence. Today's Garden Court was conceived of as the hotel's carriage entrance – a gateway to the splendors and remarkable innovations within. The hydraulic elevators – an engineering marvel for the time – were dubbed "rising rooms." In each of the lavish guest rooms, an electronic call button allowed guests to "ring" for anything they desired and air conditioning was a standard feature. 

 

The Palace Hotel quickly gained prominence among the traveling elite. Famed tenor Enrico Caruso was a guest at the hotel on April 18, 1906 when a devastating earthquake hit. While the hotel survived the quake structurally, it was decimated in the ensuing fire that swept most of downtown. It took three years of rebuilding under the supervision of New York firm, Trowbridge & Livingston, before the Palace Hotel would re-open in 1909. It was for this second opening that the artist Maxfield Parrish was commissioned to paint the 16-foot mural “The Pied Piper of Hamlin” that is being displayed to this day in the Pied Piper Bar.

 

Resuming its place among elite society, the new Palace Hotel attracted dignitaries, business moguls and celebrities alike. Presidents Harrison, McKinley, Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, Taft, Harding, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Clinton all spent time here. John D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan and Oscar Wilde were guests, and actress Sarah Bernhard caused a stir when she arrived with her pet baby tiger. Leaving its mark on the 20th Century, the hotel hosted President Woodrow Wilson in support of the Versailles Treaty and in 1945, catered the banquet honoring the opening session of the United Nations.  

 

After 80 years of exceptional hospitality, the hotel was closed for a complete renovation. The Palace Hotel re-opened to its restored grandeur in 1991.