Sinnott Memorial Observation Station, Observatory at Rim Village, United States.
Sinnott Memorial Observation Station is a structure built into a cliff rising about 910 feet (275 m) above Crater Lake, offering views across the deep blue water. The building contains a roughly 40-by-40-foot room with exhibits about Mount Mazama's geological formation.
Congress authorized construction in 1930 as a memorial to Representative Nicholas J Sinnott, who championed Crater Lake National Park. The station was built on Victor Rock, where it has served as a key viewpoint in the park ever since.
The building displays the National Park Service rustic style, using native stone and concrete with log beams that became a model for later park structures. The design merges quietly with the cliff face where it was built.
Visitors reach the station by descending a staircase from Rim Village, with views of the lake visible from several positions inside the room. Getting there requires leaving the rim road and a short downhill walk to the building, making good footwear advisable.
The building sits about 50 feet below the caldera rim and conceals a small workroom measuring roughly 12 by 14 feet behind a stone wall. This hidden area was used for daily operations and maintenance and goes unnoticed by many visitors.
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