How to Secure accommodations at the “Inside Inn” – The Only Hotel within the Ground of the World’s Fair St. Louis U.S.A. 1904

“It is human nature to want to get on the ‘Inside.””

This ephemeral pamphlet was published in St. Louis in 1904 to promote the Inside Inn, the only large accommodations within the grounds of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. Several pages of text list dozens of reasons why guests and visitors alike should stop at the hotel during the fair. Further persuasive text and a blank reservation card are accompanied by two small single-page maps; one is an official plan of the fair grounds (copyrighted in 1903 by Higgins & Co.) and the second is a streetcar map of St. Louis that highlights the primary routes to Forest Park.

Rates of the Inside Inn (which include admission to the fair) range from $1.50 – $5.00/day for the European plan (meals not included) and $3 – $7/day (about $255 in 2025) for the American plan (three meals/day at the hotel). A view of the temporary structure, which contained 2,257 rooms, is printed on the back cover. While in operation, it was among the largest hotels in the world and had a dining room with a capacity of 2,000+.

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