Where was the world’s first chairlift for skiers installed in 1936?

The world’s first chairlift for skiers was installed at Sun Valley, Idaho, in 1936.

Sun Valley opened in December 1936 as a new resort developed by the Union Pacific Railroad. Engineer James Curran adapted a loading system used for banana cargo ships into a lift with seats that carried skiers uphill. The innovation replaced the slower rope tow and ski tow systems then used at mountain resorts.

The original installation was a single-seat chairlift, and its success helped transform skiing from a specialist pastime into a commercially accessible resort sport. Sun Valley quickly became associated with lift-served downhill skiing and attracted visitors from across the United States.

The nearby Proctor Mountain area is often mentioned in accounts of the first chairlift. Later chairlifts became larger, faster, and safer, but Sun Valley’s 1936 installation established the basic idea still used worldwide.