The story
Adolphus Busch, the founder of Anheuser-Busch, bought Dallas's old City Hall on June 22, 1910. He demolished it and built a hotel on the site for $1.8 million. Thomas P. Barnett of St. Louis designed it in the Beaux Arts style. It was first announced as the New Oriental Hotel, but the name was changed to Adolphus before it opened on October 5, 1912.
At 22 stories and 312 feet, it was the tallest building in Texas until the Magnolia Petroleum Building passed it about ten years later. Expansions in 1916, 1926 and 1950 brought it to 1,200 rooms. Otto Schubert managed it from 1922 to 1946, and in the 1930s it hosted big band musicians including Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller. An $80 million renovation in 1980 cut the room count to 428. It joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, and Queen Elizabeth II stayed there in 1991.
What's There Now
It is still a hotel, part of Marriott's Autograph Collection, and a Dallas Landmark.
Everything that was here
- 1912–present · still open
Adolphus HotelHotel
Adolphus Busch bought Dallas's old City Hall, knocked it down, and built a 22-story hotel on the lot.
See the map in 1913 → - Date unknown
Old Dallas City HallGovernment Building
Busch bought the old City Hall on June 22, 1910 and demolished it to build the hotel.
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Connected places
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Nearby history
Colony Club
Carousel Club
Magnolia Building (Magnolia Petroleum Building)
Whitacre Tower (One AT&T Plaza)
Wilson Building
Palace Theatre
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