The Wigwam Motel sits on a kind of raggedy stretch of old Route 66. And I mean raggedy in the best possible way - as there are lots of original vintage businesses, motels, gas stations and other structures in various states of crumbling disrepair along this stretch of the highway, which is exactly what you drive route 66 hoping to see!.
We spent a night in a tee pee at the wigwam motel and were very happy to find a cozy bed with a wagon wheel shaped bedhead, and a tiny ensuite all tucked inside our circular tee pee.
The wigwam motel consists of 19 wigwams spread across the well cared for grounds, and a wigwam shaped lobby and gift shop. There is also a swimming pool and several classic cars dotted throughout the grounds.
The wigwam motel was built in 1949 by Frank Redford. Redford built several wigwam motels along route 66, and this San Bernadino wigwam village was the last he completed. It was an instant hit, and to this day, any road trip along the mother road should include a night at the wigwam motel.
In 2012 The Wigwam Motel was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
If you’re on a route 66 trip, this is pretty much a must do. But if sleeping in a concrete tee pee is not your thing, you can easily see the wigwams from the street.
sidebar your honour: here is a great picture of the wigwams under construction, and the motel in its mid-century heyday.
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Southern California #106 - last visited August 2022
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