Ma Johnson's Historic Hotel

Ma Johnson's Historic Hotel exterior The Ma Johnson's in downtown McCarthy is our fully restored historic hotel. Our McCarthy Lodge guests are housed in the Ma Johnson’s building, known as “the Living Museum”. You are invited to stay in the center of one of the most preserved mining towns of Alaska's early pioneering days. You are our honored guest and we will always endeavor to make your stay with us the best experience of your visit to our great land of Alaska.

Ma Johnson’s and Lancaster’s Backpacker Hotel are the only rooms available in the town of McCarthy. All other hotels, B&B’s, cabins, hostels or campgrounds are located between 1.5 and 5 miles away from downtown McCarthy. If you choose just one unique hotel experience for your trip to Alaska, the Ma Johnson’s should be your choice. It is the highlight of accommodations for any visitor lucky enough to discover this area of Alaska.

Each room is unique and decorated with interesting artifacts from McCarthy & Kennicott. The authenticity of the property balances nicely with amenities such as custom bathrobes, handmade soaps, spa slippers, Modal linens, and much more.

Room at Ma Johnson's The room pictured here features fabric covered walls, and original hand made quilts. Most of the rooms have pedestal sinks. The second story rooms have views of the mountains and look down on the historic town of McCarthy. There are no TV’s or phones in the rooms, but we do have wireless satellite internet connections available at reasonable rates. Our hotel, as well as all our other historic buildings, are completely non-smoking.

Most of our staff lives in McCarthy all year - something that is hard to find in small town Alaska destinations. Our friendly local staff and the fact that our town is so small and relatively undiscovered helps us get to know you - and you get to meet real Alaskans who live in a beautiful setting in the very center of America’s largest National Park.

History of Ma Johnson's

The hotel building was built in 1923, and opened by Pete & Ma Johnson as a boarding house. (The Johnson’s first hotel - The McCarthy Hotel - burned down on Friday the 13th, 1921 from a cigarette smoker.) No one knew Ma’s real first name, and no photos of Ma Johnson have ever been found. We do have plenty of stories about Pete and Ma Johnson from the several newspapers that were produced in McCarthy from 1911 to 1938.

Pete & Ma Johnson had a spectacular hotel for its day. Steam heat, electricity, and fresh eggs were all luxuries in any city in 1923. Next door was a dressmaker’s shop. McCarthy was a boom town and Ma Johnson’s place was an integral part of the community.

While the town was mostly abandoned from the early 1940’s to the early 70’s, there was always at least 1 person living in McCarthy. We began the full restoration of our properties in 2001. Since then we have endeavored to create an authentic experience that is true to the town’s past. No, we don’t dress in costume, but we do live here even in the winter. The artifacts in Ma Johnson’s Hotel are from the towns of McCarthy & Kennicott - nothing is from an antique store. Today, our guests enjoy relaxing in comfort, much as guests in the 1920’s did.

Amenities Included With Your Room

The following are included as part of your stay at Ma Johnson's:

Pick up and drop off at the footbridge or at the McCarthy airport.
Custom bathrobes and spa slippers for use at the hotel (these may also be purchased at a reduced price when you leave)
Handmade soap

Ma Johnson's Hotel Rates - 2008

Room Type	# Persons	Rate
Triple room (1 double size bed & 1 twin bed)	3	$249.00
Triple room (1 double size bed) + 1 rollaway *	3	$179.00
Double room (1 double size bed or 2 twin beds)	2	$159.00
Single room (1 twin bed)	1	$129.00

*Rollaways are available in some rooms.

Other Amenities

For other amenities such as laundry service, internet, etc., check out our Other Amenities page.

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