Homolovi State Park Visitor Center

Homolovi State Park—the largest state park in Arizona—is remotely located on the Hopi Indian Reservation near Winslow, Arizona and encompasses more than 8,500 acres. It is the state’s only archaeological park and serves as a center of research for the late migration period of the Hopi from the 1200s to the late 1300s. While archaeologists study the sites and confer with the Hopi to unravel the history of Homolovi, Arizona State Parks provides the opportunity for visitors to explore the ruins.

The Visitor Center is the first impression of the park and of the ancient, sacred Hopi culture and provides a focus for orientation, interpretation, conservation education, and archaeological research.

Phase I construction included an 1,800-square-foot Visitor Center/Interpretive Display Building, site utilities, a residence and maintenance area, park signage, a campground restroom/shower building, and interpretive ramadas. While this was originally a two-phased project, Phase I is a complete operational Visitor/Education Center able to function without Phase II. Phase II—although not funded—was intended to enhance Phase without changes to function.

To stay within budget and keep costs down, we investigated alternative methods of purchasing construction materials and labor. A local farmer donated the native stone, and the federal penitentiary in Winslow, Arizona offered inmates who were previously stone masons to lay up the stone walls and flagstone paving (they were paid!). The project is distinct in its proposed use of indigenous native building materials which blend with the environment and require very low to zero maintenance.