The Los Angeles Council of Hostelling International-USA is hosting a special open house event to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of hostelling in the United States and the 100th Anniversary of the worldwide hostelling movement on Saturday, August 22nd from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. The FREE celebration will be held at the HI-Santa Monica Hostel (1436 Second St. in Santa Monica), and festivities will include food and refreshments, as well as live entertainment. This event will be as much a community celebration as it will be an anniversary one.
The 260-bed HI-Santa Monica Hostel opened its doors in 1990 as the largest purpose built hostel in the country. Since then, the hostel has recorded over 1.3 million overnights, and has welcomed guests from almost every country in the world. The hostel has proven to be an integral part of the local community, and its central location in the heart of Downtown Santa Monica has allowed its programs and activities to flourish.
The Hostelling Movement began in 1909 when Richard Schirrmann, a German school teacher, began taking his students on overnight field trips in the countryside to encourage a healthy lifestyle and an appreciation of the natural world. Hostelling was brought to the United States in 1934 by school teachers and scout leaders Isabel and Monroe Smith, after they experienced European hostels on a trip with their students. By the next year, hostels had sprung up all around New England in farmhouses, with the farmer and his wife acting as house-parents, supported by local townspeople.
HI-USA hostels, found in many cities as well as in rural communities and recreation areas across America, are enjoyed by people of all ages, families, and groups. The shared accommodations include user kitchen and lounge areas all designed to bring guests together. Frequented by international and domestic travelers alike, hostels offer a unique opportunity to interact with people of other cultures, which encourages international friendships and greater understanding.
Hostelling International-USA, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, operates more than 60 hostels across the USA. HI-USA is the US affiliate of the International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF), which encompasses some 4,000 hostels in more than 80 countries. HI-USA�s mission is �to help all, especially the young, gain a greater understanding of the world and its people through hostelling.�
