Picture opening day in 1956 at 1914 Commerce Street, when guests called this the first modern American hotel. This mid-twentieth century design opened in 1956 as The Statler Hilton, completed after the Statler Hotels chain's sale to Hilton Hotels at a cost of $16 million. When it opened it was praised as the first modern American hotel, and opening day brought luminaries from both coasts for a four-day celebration.
The building was designed by William B. Tabler, who introduced new construction techniques here: the first full application of a cantilevered reinforced flat-slab system reduced the number of columns needed, giving the hotel its airy, modern feel. Later renamed the Dallas Grand Hotel, it closed in 2001, then was restored and reopened in 2017; today it is a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Stand here and feel the continuity of Dallas — from the bold architectural experiments of 1956 through closure and renewal — all recorded in this building.
Your route continues toward Main Street Garden Park and the Farmers Market District, past a hotel reborn in 2017.