What is Hole in the Rock Home: Its more than a rest stop, but an tourist attraction
- Justin Shannon, Ph.D.
- Feb 14
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Hole N’ the Rock is more than a quirky photo stop or tourist attraction—it’s a hand-carved out of the rock home and originally rest stop, restauraunt and attraction. This homestead and roadside restaurant was built with a very specific vision: as a home to live in, to serve travelers, and create something lasting in the rock. The perfect stop on your way to staying with us at Deer Creek Retreat, in Old Lasal, UT.
Hole N' the Rock Home
This world-famous attraction sits 12 miles south of Moab on Highway 191, right along the scenic byway you’ll take heading toward Lasal. At the time of its construction it served as an oasis for travelers heading south toward the Lasal turn off and Monticello, Ut on highway 191. It’s a 5,000-square-foot home hand-carved into a massive sandstone cliff taking over 12 years to build (1945–1957) by Albert Christensen and his wife Gladys. What started as a small cave for their sons became a 14-room wonder complete with a 65-foot chimney straight through solid rock, a rock-hewn bathtub, and wild details like Albert’s paintings and taxidermy, which he kept both paitings and stuffed animals in the house.
Personal Experience
I stopped, for the first time ever, late summer of 2025. Being a local I was impressed with the home and kept wondering why I had never taken the time before. I first walked the entire outside attraction, the live animals were fun to watch. It was humorous to find a large stone caged up in a minture jail shaped like a house, with a sign reading, "Jail house rock." I laughed outloud. However, my interest was peaked when I first got to the parking area and read a sign, with an arrow, it read "Big Foot." Down the path I walked, eager to meet the beast, I was expecting a giant statue or a life sized stuffed animal. What I found, well, it certainly was a big foot.
This paculair experience wasn't over with the outside attraction. The path lead around a loop and back up to the entrance of the home, the hole in the rock. The exterior had a door and a gift shop was just inside. Yes, they did give me a veterans discount. We were not allowed to take pictures or video inside, but we started the tour with a look at the original road side restaurant, the oil frier and kitchen sink were chiseled from the rock.
What caught my attention, other than the many paitings on each wall, was the taxodermy. I guess the owner, was a cook, engineer and taxodermist. It was a bit gross to see, but he found a couple of dead horses on the side of the road, frozen by the cold weather and took them up, stuffed and mounted them, and placed. them both at the foot of his bed. Strange, and the big deal made on the tour, his wife was fine with the display.
Why it’s worth the stop
For Deer Creek guests, it’s an easy stop, right off the Highway 191 on your way to Old Lasal:
Quick tour: 12-minute guided walk-through ($6–7/adult) shows the original home, Gladys’s doll collection, and Albert’s Sermon on the Mount mural.
Petting zoo: Camels, llamas, and other animals right outside—great for kids breaking up a drive.
Gift shops: Three on-site stores with souvenirs, ice cream, and local crafts if you need a snack or trinket.
Hole N’ the Rock: the builder’s story
The “Hole” began as a modest cave used by cowboys in the early 1900s, but the attraction as we know it took shape in 1945 when Albert Christensen (with his brother Leo) began expanding this rock home south of Moab. Albert and his family spent about 12 years excavating roughly 50,000 cubic feet of sandstone, ultimately creating a 5,000‑square‑foot, 14-room home carved into the cliff.
Albert’s work wasn’t just functional—it was personal and artistic: he painted religious artwork (including “Sermon on the Mount” painted a merial based on the biblical story), and he even created a sculpture of Franklin D. Roosevelt on the exterior. The house itself became an “engineering marvel,” with standout features such as a rock-built bathtub and a tall chimney that still marks the skyline above the site today.
His vision: a home, a livelihood, and a landmark
During the 1950s uranium boom around Moab, Albert and Leo founded the Hole N’ the Rock Diner, and the location became part community hub and part lifeline for travelers and job‑seekers passing through. Accounts from later owners describe Albert feeding visitors who had little money, then inviting them to help chisel the rock, turning the building project into a communal effort in hard times.
A small detail that captures Albert’s “builder’s mind” is that he even had a makeshift deep fryer built into the rock for cooking in the diner era, reflecting how the space was carved to support daily life and business, not just novelty.
What they used the home for
After the excavation work created a full residence, Albert lived in the Hole with his wife, Gladys, until his death in 1957. Following Albert’s passing, Gladys continued developing the site and also used it to make a living—opening a gift shop, selling her handmade rock jewelry, and eventually allowing visitors into her home for tours.
Stories from people connected to the site describe tours happening while Gladys was still living there—sometimes resting in the back or inviting visitors to sit and have tea—because this was both her home and her livelihood.
How it fits into your Deer Creek trip
Most guests spot the giant white “HOLE N’ THE ROCK” letters from the highway and pull over spontaneously. It breaks up the drive perfectly:
Coming from I-70 or Moab: Stop on your way up to Old Lasal to take a guided tour of the home (adds ~about 30 minutes round-trip).
Heading home: Last fun memory before the highway stretch.
Think of it as Utah’s ultimate “weird and wonderful” pit stop—Albert and Gladys turned raw sandstone into a life-sized folk-art project, and it still draws ~500 visitors daily.
Practical tip: Open daily 9am–5pm (shorter winter hours); plenty of parking and restrooms on-site.
Deer Creek has so much to offer, and Hole in the Rock is just the cherry on top. Come out and visit us in Old La Sal and check out the unique Hole in the Rock home on your way.
Cheers!
Justin
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