Wigwam Motel - Route 66 - Holbrook, Arizona, USA.
N 34° 54.159 W 110° 10.119
12S E 575952 N 3862562
In the Arid Arizona desert, the Historic Wigwam Motel #6 still provides Route 66 travellers the opportunity to 'Sleep in a Wigwam' Alas no longer sells Gas. The WigWam Motel is a registered historic monument, Located in Holbrook, Arizona.
Waymark Code: WMKZ09
Location: Arizona, United States
Date Posted: 06/18/2014
Views: 13
In the days before self service Gas stations, the 1940's Wigwam Village Motel, used to sell Gas, and put you up for the night. located on Route 66, 811 West Hopi Drive, Holbrook, The WigWam Motel No longer sells Gas, also the pumps have been removed.
From The National Parks Website:
"Mr. Lewis successfully operated the motel until Interstate 40 bypassed downtown Holbrook in the late-1970s. Mr. Lewis sold the business, and it remained open, but only to sell gas. Two years after Mr. Lewis’ death, his wife and grown children re-purchased the property and reopened the motel in 1988. They removed the gas pumps and converted part of the main office into a museum, which is open to the public. The museum holds Mr. Lewis’ own collection of Indian artifacts, Civil War memorabilia, Route 66 collectibles, and a petrified wood collection. Wigwam Village Motel #6 was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. In 2003 and 2007, the motel received Cost-Share Grants from the NPS Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. Of the seven original Wigwam Village Motels, two other Wigwam Village Motels survive: #2 in Cave City, Kentucky and #7 in Rialto/San Bernardino, California." Text Source: (
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"Wigwam Motel Holbrook, AZ. Roadside kitsch at its finest. The sign out front asks, "Have you slept in a wigwam lately?" Well, have you? If not, make this a stop when you motor west. Small but comfortable rooms are located in concrete buildings shaped like tepees. Politically incorrect but priceless -- a throwback to the time when entrepreneurs went out of their way to find something unusual with which to lure travelers. Inexpensive, clean, cozy. Vintage cars parked around the premises are perfect for photo ops. Holbrook is just west of the Painted Desert, another must-see attraction on 66." Text Source: (
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"There were seven of these Wigwam Villages built from the 1930's to the 1950's from Florida to California. The one, here in Holbrook, receives a lot of media attention due to it being located on Route 66 and located near several Native American Reservations, Navajo, Hopi, White Mountain Apache Reservations.
There are several vintage automobiles that are around the perimeter of the property.
The Wigwam Motel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 2, 2002. " Text Source: (
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Info Below from the National Parks Service:
"While passing through Cave City, Kentucky in 1938, Chester E. Lewis was impressed by the distinctive design of the original Wigwam Village constructed in 1937 by architect Frank Redford. An astute observer may notice that the Wigwam Village is not composed of wigwams but of teepees. Mr. Redford, who patented the wigwam village design in 1936, disliked the word ‘teepee’ and used ‘wigwam’ instead.
Fifteen concrete and steel freestanding teepees are arranged in a semi-circle around the main office. The motel office and its surrounding small buildings represent the quarters of the chief and his family. Each teepee is 21 feet wide at the base and 28 feet high. The teepees are painted white with a red zigzag above the doorway. Rooms feature the original hand-made hickory furniture, and each is equipped with a sink, toilet, and shower. Vintage automobiles are permanently parked throughout the property, including a Studebaker that belonged to Mr. Lewis." Text Source: (
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