The idea for the hotel originated with Charles J. Wort, a homesteader who came to Jackson Hole in 1893. Homesteading in South Park country, Charles and his wife, Luella, gave birth to two sons, John in 1900 and Jess in 1903.
In 1915, Charles Wort bought four lots of land in what is now downtown Jackson. The land was used as a horse corral adjacent to a livery stable for seven years.
From 1932 to 1940, The Wort family operated what is now Signal Mountain Lodge. And then they began construction on their dream, a luxury hotel in downtown Jackson.
Original construction costs were approximately $90,000.00, and the hotel officially opened in 1941. In 1950, the famous Silver Dollar Bar was added. A German cabinetmaker designed and built the bar, using 2,032 uncirculated silver dollars from the Federal Reserve in Denver.
Although gambling has always been illegal in Wyoming, it was tolerated for years in resort areas as a tourist amusement. The hotel had gambling from its opening and never really ceased until the late 1950s.
Since its opening in 1941, The Wort has been, and continues to be, a favorite spot for locals as well as visitors to Jackson Hole. But, tragically on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 5, 1980, locals watched in horror as wisps of smoke and flames leaped from it’s roof. A bird’s nest too close to a transformer had touched off one of the worst fires in Jackson history.
The fire burned into the night, collapsing the roof and threatening an end to this very historic landmark. But, only days after the fire, a sign went up saying "We will be back." And so it was. In June 1981, the Wort reopened once again. The hotel celebrated it’s 60th birthday in September 2001.
The Wort has been chosen as one of the Great Hotels of the West by Persimmon Hill Magazine, One of the Top 50 Inns of America by The National Geographic Traveler Magazine and is a member of Historic Hotels of America and The National Register of Historic Places. Our culinary team has won numerous awards as well as had our corn chowder featured in Bon Appetit Magazine. The Legend of The Wort lives on.
