The School for Advanced Studies is proudly located at the former Lane Hotel in downtown Rogers, Arkansas. This beautifully restored building provides a unique learning environment for our students. It serves as a constant reminder of our commitment to both tradition and progress, with history and innovation converging at every turn.
Long before the School for Advanced Studies moved into 121 W Poplar St, the building was a historical landmark for Rogers and the greater Northwest Arkansas community. Here are some of our favorite facts about the former Lane Hotel.
1. The Lane Hotel was built just before the Great Depression
The Lane Hotel was built in 1928, just one year before the start of the Great Depression. At the time, this five-story, Spanish Colonial-style building was one of the largest commercial buildings in Northwest Arkansas. However, with the sharp downturn of the economy, guests could not afford to stay at the hotel, and the owners quickly went bankrupt.
2. A successful bakery was connected to the hotel
In 1935, the Lane Hotel was bought by Earl Harris, the owner of the successful Harris Bakery in Rogers, AR. He renamed the hotel the Harris Hotel and built a new bakery that was connected to the back of the hotel. The steam from the hotel heating system was used to heat the bakery, which shipped bread to grocery stores all over Northwest Arkansas.
3. The hotel was called the “Palace of the Ozarks”
Tourist brochures referred to the Harris Hotel (formerly the Lane Hotel) as the “Palace of the Ozarks.” In the 1940s, the hotel became a center of social activity in Northwest Arkansas. It was one of the largest and nicest hotels in this part of the country, frequently hosting events and live music performances.
4. Amelia Earhart stayed at the hotel
The Harris Hotel was a very popular destination for people traveling across Northwest Arkansas. Famed aviator Amelia Earhart is said to have stayed at the hotel. Other famous guests included boxer Jack Dempsey and actors Errol Flynn and Henry Fonda.
5. Kay Sanford, former president of Friends of the Rogers Historical Museum, grew up in the hotel
A woman named Kay Sanford spent her childhood growing up in the Harris Hotel, as her father was the hotel manager for more than a decade. Kay wrote at length about her experiences, recalling how the hotel’s Orchard Room restaurant became a gathering place for business people in Rogers. To learn more about Kay Sanford and her time at the hotel, watch this short episode of Rogers Living History.
6. The hotel hosted a Golden Wedding Jubilee in 1949
In 1948, the hotel was sold to Warren Felker and renamed as Hotel Arkansas. In June of 1949, the Rogers Chamber of Commerce held an event at the hotel called the Ozarks Golden Wedding Jubilee, honoring couples who had been married for 50 years or longer. More than 100 couples from across the country gathered on the steps of the hotel to celebrate and to reaffirm their wedding vows.
In the 1960s, business at the hotel began to decline as many new hotels opened up alongside U.S. Route 71 in Northwest Arkansas. The hotel officially closed on July 15, 1963. It was eventually fully refurbished in 2017.
The restored hotel is an inspiring learning environment for our students, connecting us with local history in a unique and meaningful way. Additionally, the hotel’s location in the heart of downtown Rogers provides us with many opportunities to engage with the local community.
To learn more about the history of the Lane Hotel, visit the Rogers Historical Museum website.
If you’d like to see for yourself how we’ve transformed this landmark into a center for academic excellence, we invite you to visit us for a school tour. The School for Advanced Studies is a tuition-free public charter school for grades 5–12, with a focus on deep inquiry and civil discourse. Our seminar-style classes encourage students to become confident communicators, prepared to lead with purpose and vision.
We are open to all Arkansas students, with no entrance exams. Find out how to enroll your student at the School for Advanced Studies.