Old Stagecoach Stop

Just off Route 66 in downtown Waynesville, Missouri, the Old Stagecoach Stop is a piece of living history that’s seen it all. Originally built in the early 1850s by William Walton McDonald, this one-story log structure began as a double-pen (or dogtrot) style building. Not long after, the breezeway between the two pens was enclosed, creating a three-room space.

In 1870, Alexander Bryan purchased the building and added a second story and an earthen lean-to addition, transforming the modest tavern into a ten-room hotel. Over the years, it went by many names, including the Waynesville House, Johnson House, Black Hotel, Tourist Hotel, and eventually, the Old Stagecoach Stop.

Throughout its long and storied past, the building served many purposes: it was a stagecoach stop, tavern, post office, Civil War hospital, hotel, dentist’s office, apartments, and even a boarding house for workers building nearby Fort Leonard Wood.

By the 1980s, the building had fallen into disrepair and was at risk of being lost entirely. But the people of Waynesville knew they had something special on their hands. In 1980, the structure was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places and renamed the Old Stagecoach Stop. A group of concerned citizens came together to form a nonprofit dedicated to saving the site. Through tireless fundraising and community support, they successfully preserved and restored the building.

Today, the Old Stagecoach Stop operates as a ten-room museum, with each room meticulously restored to represent a different time period or use in the building’s history. Authentic and reproduced furnishings and artifacts bring each space to life, and knowledgeable volunteers in period costumes guide guests through hands-on tours that offer a fascinating glimpse into Missouri’s past.

The Old Stagecoach Stop is a must-visit stop that tells the story of a town through the walls of one remarkable building.

Photos of Old Stagecoach Stop in Waynesville, Missouri