Perfectly located across from Yale Old Campus and the historic Green, The Taft is New Haven's best address. Enjoy theatre, fine dining, and boutique shopping in your own neighborhood. Considered a New Haven landmark, The Taft Hotel opened its doors on New Year's Day, 1912. It was known as a home for notables in theatre, society, art and politics. For eight years after his presidency, William Howard Taft lived in the hotel that bears his family name while he taught law at Yale University. With the Shubert Theater as a next door neighbor, the Hotel saw many personalities walk through its elegant entrance during trial runs of Broadway shows: Gloria Swanson, Mary Martin, Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, Katharine Hepburn, and Alec Guinness to name a few. From their rooms at The Taft Hotel, Rodgers and Hammerstein created the classic Broadway tune "Oklahoma". Did you know that several famous movies featured scenes of The Taft? Splendor in the Grass, Death of a Scoundrel and All About Eve featured glimpses of The Taft.