History of the Turquoise Room

In 1935, Mary Colter was asked to design the private dining car for the Super Chief that was to run from Chicago to Los Angeles in 1936. It was named the Turquoise Room. The inaugural run started on Track 5 in Chicago’s Dearborn Station on May 12. Actress “Ellie” Eleanor Powell was named its first passenger; so began the restaurant’s flirtation with the Hollywood stars of the day and studio chiefs.

The modern Turquoise Room recreates the elegant railroad dining experience. Everything was designed for this special setting — leather and wood chairs modeled on a La Posada original, brocade booths of emerald green, Verne Lucero’s magnificent chandeliers, even Tina Mion’s stained-glass mural of La Posada patron saints Ysidro, Pascual, and Barbara.