The first tent hotel opened at Old Faithful in 1883. Construction on a wooden structure began the next year and opened for 50 guests in June 1885. The construction was so bad that the next year the new acting Superintendent, Captain Moses Harris calls for its replacement. By 1893, the building is no longer used as a hotel, just a lunch station.

In 1894 the first "Shack hotel" burns down. It is replaced in 1895 by the "Second Shack Hotel". The Second shack hotel never had guest rooms. It was intended to act as only lunch station. At the time, visitors stayed at the Fountain Hotel near the Fountain Paint Pots. On the morning they were to visit Old Faithful, tourists boarded the stage coach early, rode to the Upper Geyser Basin, toured the basin, ate Lunch at the lunch house and then returned to the Fountain Hotel for the evening. The next morning, they retraced their route to the Upper Geyser Basin on their way to West Thumb. Thus, traveling the same 8 mile three times.

In 1900, a tent hotel was again added to the Old Faithful Lunch Station. For an extra fee, tourists could stay overnight at Old Faithful instead of backtracking for the night. though the accomodations were no where near as nice.

In 1903 Larry Mathews was manager of the Lunch station and Tent Hotel. He would stay around the next year to become the first manager of the Old Faithful Inn. More about this interesting character in the future.