Step back in time and sleep among history in a cozy Route 66 motel that should be on every traveler’s bucket list: the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri.
Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri is the oldest continuously operating motel on historic Route 66. It first opened its doors in 1936, offering food, fuel, and lodging for weary travelers on The Mother Road.
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Originally the property was most known for being a roadside cafe and gas station, having only three stone lodgings set 200 feet back from the road. Staying here would have set you back around $2 to $3.50 per night, giving you access to private tubs and showers, gas heat, fans, and an enclosed garage.
Today there are 19 impeccably restored and preserved rooms to book at this vintage motel.
The original Tudor Revival style buildings were designed by stonemason and builder Leo Friesenhan and built out of local Ozark sandstone. They featured steeply pitched roofs with front-facing cross gables, round or arching doorways, and decorative stone trim surrounding the windows and doors. Details that still set this property apart from any other lodging on the Mother Road.
The Ozark stone buildings welcome you in with original doors, windows, and floors. But you won’t be amiss of any modern luxuries. Inside your cabin you’ll find new pillowtop beds, baths, and flatscreen TVs. You can even access free WiFi, an amenity that they certainly didn’t offer in 1936.
While the filling station dried up long ago, you can still pose for photos with the pumps and some old vehicles outside. And while the diner no longer serves up daily specials, you can find a special souvenir at the retail store within.
And you can’t miss the famous Wagon Wheel Neon Sign. Even travelers not spending the night are known to pull over to watch it glow and snap some photos for their Instagram. The eastward-facing sign was designed and built by John Mathis in 1947. Set inside a giant arrow the name “WAGON WHEEL MOTEL” glows in bright orange and green, flickering light between the words. A lit-up wagon wheel, a nod to the motel’s name, lights up beside it.
Before retiring back to your motel room for the night, check out the sign and then relax by the firepit in one of the outdoor seating areas. The cozy motel is inviting all around.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2003, the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri is a quintessential Route 66 motel that is as popular as it ever was. Book a room, pull on in, and spend the night in one of the best motels on The Mother Road.
Photos of the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri
