The Westward Ho + Wild Wild West?

[HX_Guy]

What a grand hotel the Westward Ho could be again. I don't think there is another building in Phoenix with such grand presence, such attention to detail.












What is the story here? Anyone got the scoop? I ran into these buildings at South Mountain Park...never seen them, never heard of them...but very fascinating. Are they mock up buildings...or do they have real history?

[Kroney]

Amazing. It's San Carlos' 80th B-Day and we're out admiring it's core competitor from back in the day (at least you captured a San Carlos pic in your other thread).

Damn. You weren't kidding about the ceilings at the Westward Ho. I don't think I saw that ballroom while I was there. It was either that or I totally forgot to look up.

Thank you.

[HooverDam]

Very cool photos. I was just at S Mountain park the other day and was wondering the same thing about those buildings, I hope someone knows more about them.

I wish the Westward Ho would be returned to its rightful place as a nice hotel. Maybe that makes me a mean bastard for wanting the old folks somewhere else, but ah well. Heck, it would probably mean another tower-ish building in the Central Core somewhere, so it wouldn't be a bad deal at all.

Am I crazy, or does anyone else think the Ho's old white color was better? I look at buildings like the Old Post office and a lot of the other older Spanish style buildings around that are predominately off white, with the red tile roofs and I think it looks a lot better than the bleak grey.

I also don't know how I feel about the giant antenna on top. On the one hand ,its not original, its way too big for the building, and its crooked. On the other, its been there my entire life and for most peoples entire memories, and its just as much a part of the building as anything else I suppose.

[Don B.]

Impressive. Amazing that two forumers were able to penetrate the bastion of the 'Ho on the same day. Mere coincidence? I think not. "It means that I, like God, do not play with dice and I don't believe in coincidences."



--don

[PHX31]

The westward ho is amazing. I say take off the antenna, build an old folks home somewhere else, and turn it into a hotel/residences type of thing.

ps. RE: the exterior's color. When they painted it the new color, they said it was returning it to its original color.

[JAHOPL]

The Phoenix Film Office has some photos of Scorpion Gulch, and the Phoenix Historic Preservation Society indicates it was built in 1936, so putting two and two together, it's a lot younger than it looks, built for a movie.

Edit: The Phoenix Film Office isn't necessarily associated with movies, but as a site for good film locations for photographers, so now I'm not sure Scorpion Gulch was used for a movie.

[tempedude]

Its crazy cool how two Phoenix forumers made it into the Ho on the same day.

The Westward Ho is a real beauty on the inside. Nice. I like.

As for the buildings at South Mountain park, I sort of remember hearing something about them being part of a movie set. (I am guessing they still are owned by the Phoenix Film Office?)

[SnyderBock]

is that where Ho's came from?

[loftlovr]

HX- Thanks so much for those- always wondered what The Ho looked like on inside.
Great photos...
We have about 8 yrs of waiting before the Ho can come back bigger and badder than ever before.

And the South Mountain buildings need some justice! -Even if they were built for a movie set. I am a sucker for old dilapitated buildings...

P.S. I like new color better. When I see old photos of Downtown Phx the white kinda freaks me out.

[Buckeye Native 001]

I had no idea the inside of the 'Ho was so opulent (I first moved here in 1996 and it was an old folk's home back then too) but then again, I shouldn't have been surprised. Very cool photos!

[el conquistador]

That is such a cool old building!

[PhxPavilion]

That radio mast needs to go, it really brings down the quality of the building imo.