This Iconic Route 66 Landmark Lets You Sleep in Concrete Teepees and Inspired Pixar’s ‘Cars’

Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona

Since 1950, Route 66’s Wigwam Motel in Holbrook has offered concrete tepee stays, after Chester Lewis bought the building rights from original designer Frank Redford.

The vintage neon sign still flickers to life nightly, surrounded by classic ’50s cars in the lot. It’s one of just three surviving Wigwam Villages in the U.S., alongside Cave City and San Bernardino.

Each Teepee Was Built by Hand

Workers took four months to build all 15 units, with special forms for the cone shape. Each teepee featured 18 tons of steel framing, covered in wood and stucco, with custom-made furnishings designed to fit the curved walls.

Coin-Operated Radios Made the Motel Possible

Lewis secured the rights to build the Wigwam Motel through an unusual deal where he installed coin-operated radios in every room, sending all the proceeds to Frank Redford.

From 1950 to 1958, guests paid 10 cents for 30 minutes of radio time. Some of those vintage radios are still on display in the museum—no coins needed now.

The Rooms Look Deceptively Tiny

The inside of these teepees is surprisingly roomy, with walls rising 21 feet to the center, offering a unique and spacious sleeping experience.

Each teepee features original handmade hickory furniture from the Columbus Hickory Furniture Company in Indiana.

There’s cable TV and air conditioning, but no phones. Your bathroom even includes vintage tile work and a full shower from 1950.

The Sign From the 1950s

The glowing neon sign you see at night includes parts dating back to 1950. The “Sleep in a Wigwam” slogan has illuminated Route 66 for 75 years with minimal changes. Though power transformers were upgraded in 2007, the vintage look has been preserved till today. You can spot the sign glowing from half a mile down the highway.

Those Vintage Cars Actually Work

You’ll see 15 vintage cars from the 1930s-1950s parked around the property, including Chester Lewis’s own Studebaker. The family began collecting these cars when they reopened in 1988 and keeps them in working order. Mechanics also regularly check and service the engines.

Disney-Pixar Were Inspired By the Hotel

Ever watched Pixar’s Cars? Sally’s Cozy Cone Motel was directly inspired by this place. The teepees became traffic cones, but the horseshoe layout stayed. Even the Wigwam #1 appears in the movie almost exactly as it is in real life, including the spot where the old cars are parked (life-like almost).

Original Route 66 Fixtures Still Work

The bathroom fixtures, door handles, and window frames are original (from opening day), including the neon sign that’s been the same for the past 75 years.

The hickory bed frames and vanities are just refurbished, not replaced and the check-in counter uses the same front desk since the Eisenhower years.

Chester Lewis’s Own Collection

This museum sits in what used to be part of the main office. Browse genuine artifacts collected by Chester Lewis, including his vast petrified wood collection from before restrictions at Petrified Forest National Park.

Chester Lewis also spent his life collecting Civil War items (1861–1865), but the centerpiece is his Native American artifacts which he got directly from local artists.

Celebrity-Loved Teepees Since 1950

Gayle King stayed in Wigwam #1 during a cross-country road trip, and the place got featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Route 66 expert and author Michael Wallis visits regularly during research trips. Even the Cars cast members stayed here while working on the film.

The motel keeps a special logbook of notable guests going back to when it opened.

You Can Shop from Native Artisans

Shop from local Native American artists, a tradition since the 1950s, when Chester Lewis invited Navajo and Hopi artisans to sell on-site.

In the summer, jewelry makers demonstrate traditional silverwork techniques. Look for them near the office between 9 am and 4 pm.

You can buy turquoise jewelry, woven baskets, and pottery that’s been crafted with time-honored methods when visiting this place.

You’ll Be Staying at an Official National Historic Site

Stay in this historic site, listed on May 2, 2002, that was chosen for being an important “travel-related facility” on historic Route 66 in Arizona.

The motel further received special grants from the National Park Service Route 66 Preservation Program in 2003 and 2007 for repairs.

Visiting the Wigwam Motel

Address: Wigwam Motel, 811 W. Hopi Drive, Holbrook, AZ 86025

The hotel is easily accessible via I-40 or Route 66 (90 minutes east of Flagstaff). Check in is at 3 PM to 9 PM daily.

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