Which historic hotel had connections to the Manhattan Project? La Fonda Hotel (1922) Santa Fe, New Mexico

In the heart of Santa Fe, New Mexico, stands La Fonda Hotel, a member of Historic Hotels of America since 1991. Its allure lies not only in its beautiful historic Pueblo-style architectural elements, but also in the way it seamlessly blends Southwestern charm with modern amenities. Lavish guestrooms and unique suites overlook the historic city, creating an enticing atmosphere for hotel guests. But behind its luxurious façade, La Fonda Hotel holds secrets that stretch back to a pivotal moment in world history.

During World War II, the Manhattan Project was a top-secret scientific endeavor aimed at developing the atomic bomb. Los Alamos, located in the nearby mountains, was abuzz with activity. Scientists, engineers, and their administrative colleagues worked steadfastly on this project. And where did they occasionally escape to for respite and the occasional conversation? La Fonda hotel!

La Fonda Hotel was not merely a hotel; it was a hub of intrigue. By day, guests sipped margaritas in the sun-drenched courtyard, unaware, yet curious, of the work happening a few short miles away. But by night, that same courtyard held clandestine meetings of scientists, spies, and diplomats.

La Fonda Hotel served as a meeting place for many of the Manhattan Project’s key figures: J. Robert Oppenheimer, the brilliant physicist who led the project, frequented the hotel and so did Dorothy McKibbin, the Atomic Secretary, whose office was known as “the threshold to the unknown.”

In a clever move, Oppenheimer orchestrated a diversion from the Manhattan Project and all its public questions. He asked physicists Robert Serber and John Manley to take their wives to La Fonda and deliberately spread a rumor. What was the rumor? Project Y (the code name for the Los Alamos Laboratory) was secretly working on electric rockets. Of course, this was a strategic misdirection. The real secret, the creation of the atomic bomb, remained closely guarded through this intricate dance of espionage and science at La Fonda Hotel.

Guests can visit Santa Fe and step into La Fonda Hotel, where they can feel the weight of history and imagine the clandestine conversations that once took place.

This has been a Historic Hotels History Mystery.

For more fun facts, trivia, and historic highlights, check out our History Mystery pages for Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide.