Morning fog fills the valley below the von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort in Stowe, Vt. (Photo: Chadwick Estey)
The von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort has received the Historic Hotels of America® Legendary Family Historic Hoteliers of the Year Award, announced October 15 at the 2026 Historic Hotels Annual Awards of Excellence Ceremony and Gala. The honor was conferred on the von Trapp family by Historic Hotels of America, an official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The lodge is one of more than 300 hotels and resorts in the United States recognized by Historic Hotels of America for preserving and maintaining its historic integrity, architecture, and ambiance.
“This recognition is especially meaningful to our family because it honors not only our history, but the generations of dedication that have kept our family’s legacy alive,” said Kristina von Trapp Frame, granddaughter of Maria and Georg von Trapp.
The Trapp Family Singers, who performed in more than 30 countries before and after making their home in Vermont. (Photo: von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort archive)
From Austria to Stowe
The family left Austria in 1938, months after its annexation by Nazi Germany, and spent the years that followed on the road as the Trapp Family Singers. The choir would eventually perform in more than 30 countries, and the family’s story became The Sound of Music.
In 1942 they settled in Stowe. They named their home Cor Unum, Latin for “one heart,” on a hillside looking across to the Worcester Range, and from 1945 to 1955 they ran the Trapp Family Music Camp nearby.
“What began with my grandparents’ dream of creating a home in the Vermont mountains has grown into a place where we have welcomed guests from around the world for more than 75 years,” Frame said.
Building the family’s new lodge in Stowe, 1943. (Photo: von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort archive)
Opening the Doors in 1950
In 1950 the family opened their expanded home to guests as the Trapp Family Lodge. Maria ran it first. Her youngest son, Johannes, took over from her and turned a ski lodge into a year-round destination.
Three generations on, it is still family operated. The property covers 2,600 acres and pairs Austrian-inspired hospitality with outdoor recreation, a craft brewery that began making lager in 2010, farm-to-table dining, and wide-open mountain views.
Maria von Trapp out on skis. (Photo: von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort archive)
Where American Cross-Country Skiing Got Its Start
Skiers know the place for something else. In 1968 Johannes opened a cross-country ski center at the lodge, the first in America.
The trails have stayed close to the sport ever since. Johannes helped revive the Stowe Derby in 1972, and in 2014 the lodge hosted U.S. Junior Nationals, with Johannes himself handing out the medals.
The main lodge, rebuilt in the Austrian style the family brought with them to Stowe. (Photo: Chadwick Estey)
Honored in Williamsburg
Through its Annual Awards of Excellence, Historic Hotels of America recognizes the historic hotels, hoteliers, and leadership practices that do the most to further the recognition, preservation, and celebration of these hotels and their histories. Eleven historic hotels and seven individuals were honored in 2026.
The winners were announced before an audience of owners, general managers, senior decision makers, and guests from many of the finest historic hotels in the world, at the Williamsburg Lodge, Autograph Collection (1939) in Williamsburg, Virginia. The ceremony closed the 2026 Historic Hotels Annual Conference.
“We are delighted to honor the von Trapp Family with this prestigious award. It was chosen from an exclusive group of nominees and considered for several categories. It stands among the finest hotels and hoteliers in the world,” said Lawrence Horwitz, Executive Vice President of Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. “We applaud the dedication and passion of the individuals working at these iconic and legendary historic hotels, the people who keep the stories alive from the past and make staying or celebrating special occasions at these historic hotels memorable experiences.”
The von Trapp family lined up in a Stowe field, with Johannes on horseback. (Photo: von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort archive)
Carrying It Forward
“We are incredibly proud to carry on their traditions of warm hospitality, family, music, and a love of the outdoors,” Frame said. “Receiving the Legendary Family Historic Hoteliers of the Year Award is a wonderful tribute to our family, our dedicated employees, and the countless guests who have become part of our story.”
About von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort
Founded in 1950 by the von Trapp family, whose story inspired The Sound of Music, the von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort is a third-generation, family-operated, four-season destination in Stowe, Vermont. Situated on 2,600 acres, the property offers Austrian-inspired hospitality, outdoor recreation, a craft brewery, farm-to-table experiences, and breathtaking mountain views while preserving the family’s rich history and traditions. Learn more at vontrappresort.com.
About Historic Hotels of America®
Historic Hotels of America is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing and celebrating the finest historic hotels across the United States. The National Trust for Historic Preservation was chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1949 and is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. To be nominated and selected for membership, a hotel must be at least 50 years old; designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark or listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; and recognized as having historical significance. More than 300 historic hotels from 41 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico have been inducted. Learn more at HistoricHotels.org.
A guest takes in the view from the pond at the von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort. (Photo: Chadwick Estey)
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