Historic stone cottage motor court offering restored Route 66 accommodations, vintage neon signage, and one of the longest continuously operating roadside lodging experiences in America.
Open daily for lodging accommodations
How to Get There
From Rolla (29 mi): Take I-44 west to Cuba, exit onto Historic Route 66/East Washington Street, and continue east through town to the motel located along the original Route 66 alignment.
Overview
The Wagon Wheel Motel is one of the most iconic and best-preserved lodging properties on Historic Route 66. Established in 1936 as part of a roadside complex that included cabins, a café, and a service station, the property was designed to serve travelers exploring the newly designated Mother Road. Constructed from locally quarried Ozark sandstone and featuring Tudor Revival architectural elements, the motel immediately distinguished itself from typical tourist courts of the era. Over the decades, motorists from across the country stopped beneath its glowing neon sign, making it a beloved institution in Missouri's Route 66 landscape.
Today, the motel remains celebrated as the oldest continuously operating motel on Route 66. Carefully restored cottages preserve the property's historic character while providing modern comforts for contemporary travelers. Vintage automobiles, restored gas pumps, and the famous neon sign help recreate the atmosphere of mid-century highway travel, allowing guests to experience a living piece of American road-trip history. Its enduring authenticity and commitment to preservation have made it one of the most sought-after overnight stops for Route 66 enthusiasts traveling between St. Louis and Springfield.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia articles, National Park Service resources, and official motel resources for the Wagon Wheel Motel, which are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0.
