Mary Jane Coulter Lookout
A 1914 stone studio built into the rim, with terraces looking straight down into the canyon
About
Lookout Studio sits on the South Rim just west of El Tovar Hotel, a stone building that architect Mary Colter designed in 1914 to look like it grew straight out of the canyon edge. Built from rough-cut native limestone with an irregular, jagged roofline, it was commissioned by the Santa Fe Railway as a photography studio meant to compete with the Kolb brothers' rival studio down the rim. Step inside and the multi-level layout works its way out toward the void, with big windows and viewing terraces that put you right at the canyon's lip.
What's there today
- A gift shop selling books and souvenirs, open daily 9 am to 5 pm
- Outdoor terraces with telescopes for scanning the canyon and watching mule strings work their way down the Bright Angel Trail below
- Reachable on foot along the paved Rim Trail near Grand Canyon Village, no hike required
It's one of six Colter-designed buildings at the park and part of the Mary Jane Colter Buildings National Historic Landmark, a good stop for architecture as much as the view.
Best Time to Visit
The gift shop is open daily 9 am to 5 pm; the outdoor terraces are worth a stop any time of day for watching mule strings work their way down the Bright Angel Trail below.
Good to Know
- Outdoor terraces come with telescopes for scanning the canyon and watching mule strings work their way down the Bright Angel Trail below.
- It's one of six Colter-designed buildings at the park and part of the Mary Jane Colter Buildings National Historic Landmark, a good stop for architecture as much as the view.
- Pair it with a stop at neighboring El Tovar Hotel for the fuller South Rim historic-building walk.
Getting to Lookout Studio
Reachable on foot along the paved Rim Trail near Grand Canyon Village, no hike required.
What to Expect at Lookout Studio
Lookout Studio sits on the South Rim just west of El Tovar Hotel, a stone building that architect Mary Colter designed in 1914 to look like it grew straight out of the canyon edge. Built from rough-cut native limestone with an irregular, jagged roofline, it was commissioned by the Santa Fe Railway as a photography studio meant to compete with the Kolb brothers' rival studio down the rim. The multi-level layout works its way out toward the void, with big windows and viewing terraces that put you right at the canyon's lip.
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