Wigwam Village Motel #6: Rest Stops Don’t Get More Retro Than This
Step back in time in Holbrook, Arizona, and capture the nostalgia of vintage road trips
From novelty motel to Route 66 landmark
Driving through Holbrook, Arizona, one would see an unusual sight: 15 concrete and steel tepees, each thirty-two feet tall. The structures are part of a motel chain that has become legendary over the decades, despite their tumultuous history.
Wigwam Village Motel Number 6Arizona Preservation Foundation
Cultural curiosity or misdirection?
In 1937, architect Frank Redford created a village of concrete tepees. Disliking the word "tepee," he decided to call the structures "wigwams."
It is important to note that neither tepees nor wigwams were used by any of the native tribes in the location of his initial village, or at any of the remaining locations of the motels today.
Wigwam Motel NeonArizona Preservation Foundation
One year later, motel owner Chester E. Lewis purchased the rights to Redford’s design, and set up seven motels in the same theme. Built in 1950, Arizona’s Motel #6 is one of only three that still stands today.
Inside a WigwamArizona Preservation Foundation
Modern comforts in a retro setting
The Wigwam Village Motel #6 is open today for visitors seeking a unique Route 66 experience. Guests can stay in iconic teepee-shaped rooms with handcrafted furniture, modern air conditioning, and satellite TV.
Tap to explore
How I-40 nearly left the wigwams behind
Like many towns along Route 66, when I-40 was built, Holbrook became a ghost town. The property was re-purchased in 1988 by Lewis’s wife and grandchild. They reopened the motel and started a museum that housed, among other things, Lewis’ collection of American Indian artifacts.
Preserving concrete dreams
The site has become legendary. All three of the remaining motels are considered important and distinctive historic landmarks, and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Holbrook’s motel received its National Park Service designation in 2002.
The site has also served as inspiration for the silver screen. Wigwam Village #6 helped inspire the Cozy Cone Motel in Pixar's "Cars" — and still feels like a movie set.
Wigwam Village Motel #6 by Rhys MartinArizona Preservation Foundation
More than a motel – it’s a memory
Despite their incorrect use of stereotypes of Native American groups for commercialization, the sites are considered to be iconic today. Many find them incredibly nostalgic, and the design of the motels makes them architectural highlights.
Tap to explore
Take a trip
Holbrook’s Village #6 has twice received grants from the National Park Service's Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program.
Learn more and plan your visit here.
Written by Reese Finnigan. Images sourced by Brook Crowell and Reese Finnigan.
You are all set!
Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.