Petrified Forest Lodge, Austin, Texas
historical marker
The Petrified Forest Lodge, also known as Timber Lodge, was located in Austin, Travis County, Texas. J.S. and Alta Woodard built this 10-unit tourist court in the 1930s. Architect Hugo Kuehne designed the lodge, which was encased in petrified wood from Glen Rose, Texas. It served travelers on State Highway 2, now Guadalupe Street. Owners once found a "Bonnie and Clyde" autograph in a room. The lodge closed in the early 1990s, after approximately 60 years of operation, due to traffic changes from Interstate 35. The original structure was demolished around 1999. A historical marker, erected in 1999, commemorates the Petrified Forest Lodge in Austin, Travis County. Salvaged petrified wood from the lodge is preserved in the walls of a pharmacy built on the site and in signage at Shipe Park. This site illustrates Austin's early roadside tourism and distinctive architectural choices.