Grand Canyon Village, Arizona

Grand Canyon Village is the most developed portion of the national park, right on the edge of the canyon. This is where most of the tourists come. There are some grand old lodges, including those built by Fred Harvey (a western tourism promoter who built depots and lodges across the railroad west, and which included the fabled "Harvey Girls" as servers), and many examples of interesting romantic Victorian rustic architecture designed by Mary Colter. The Kolb Brothers photo studio is still perched on the edge of the rim, though it is now a gift shop and gallery owned by the park service. Nearly 5 million people visit the park each year - double the total of a decade ago. In Grand Canyon Village, many thousands of cars more than can be accommodated vie for a limited number of parking spaces. Attempts to mitigate the heavy traffic and long lines are ongoing. Outside the park, a few miles south, is a commercial center for the park, with the Grand Canyon IMAX Theatre and the Over the Edge multimedia show at the Community Building.

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