Wigwam Motel San Bernardino: A Route 66 Icon

Along historic Route 66 in California, the Wigwam Motel looks nothing like an ordinary roadside hotel. Nineteen tall, cone-shaped rooms stand in two rows, giving the property the appearance of a tiny village of concrete teepees. Historically known as Wigwam Village #7, this unusual motel has become one of the most recognisable surviving landmarks along the Mother Road.

The Wigwam Motel in San Bernardino is one of the surviving Wigwam Villages along historic Route 66.

The California Wigwam Motel dates to the postwar years. The Library of Congress records the motel as having been built in San Bernardino in 1949, while the National Park Service notes that construction began in 1947 and the village opened for business in 1950. Today, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and remains one of only three surviving Wigwam Villages in the United States.

The Wigwam Motel is a fascinating stop for travellers interested in Route 66 history, unusual architecture, and historic roadside motels.

What Is the Wigwam Motel?

The Wigwam Motel San Bernardino is a historic roadside motel whose guest rooms were designed to resemble Native American tipis. It was the seventh and final Wigwam Village built from Frank Redford's distinctive motel concept.

The motel stands at 2728 Foothill Boulevard in San Bernardino, California, although its location has sometimes caused confusion because of its Rialto postal association. The National Park Service identifies the property as Wigwam Village #7 in the Rialto/San Bernardino area.

The motel's unusual design aimed to catch the attention of motorists travelling along Route 66. At a time when roadside businesses competed for the attention of passing drivers, a row of giant cone-shaped rooms was certainly difficult to overlook. National Park Service — Wigwam Village #7

The History of Wigwam Village #7

The story begins with Frank Redford, who developed the Wigwam Village concept in Kentucky during the 1930s. According to the National Park Service, Redford opened a teepee-style service station in Horse Cave, Kentucky, in 1933. The unusual design attracted attention, and he eventually expanded the idea into a motel concept. By 1937, he had opened Wigwam Village #2 in Cave City and patented his distinctive design.

Redford later moved west after World War II and began developing the California property. Construction of Wigwam Village #7 began in 1947, and the National Park Service records its opening in 1950. The Library of Congress, meanwhile, describes the California Wigwam Motel as built in 1949, while the motel's own history gives 1949 as the date it was established. The distinction is worth mentioning because the motel's construction and opening occurred over several years rather than on a single clearly documented date.

Nineteen Teepee-Shaped Rooms

The original village consisted of an office building and 11 cabins arranged around a grassy central area. Eight additional units were later added, bringing the total to 19 guest rooms. Each unit rises approximately 32 feet high and is about 20 feet wide at its base. Despite their appearance, these aren't traditional tents. The structures use a concrete foundation with wood framing and a stucco exterior. That combination of motel convenience and novelty architecture is what makes the property so memorable.

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Wigwam Motel San Bernardino

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Why Are the Rooms Called Wigwams?

There is an intriguing story behind the name. The rooms are shaped to resemble teepees or tipis, not traditional wigwams. The National Park Service explains that Redford disliked the word “teepee” and chose the name Wigwam Village instead. The two architectural terms refer to different traditional Indigenous structures, so the name reflects the roadside marketing of the period rather than precise architectural terminology.

This makes the Wigwam Motel more than just a collection of quirky buildings. It also reflects the roadside commercial culture of 1930s and 1940s America and the way Native American imagery was used in popular roadside architecture.

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The Wigwam Motel and Route 66

Route 66 is a major part of the motel's identity. The famous highway connected Chicago and Santa Monica and became associated with long-distance automobile travel, roadside businesses and the changing American landscape. The National Park Service includes Wigwam Village #7 among California's important Route 66 historic places.

The motel's architecture perfectly suited the road. A motorist could spot the tall cone-shaped rooms from a distance, making the property an effective roadside landmark long before modern highway advertising became common. The Library of Congress also identifies the California property specifically as a Route 66 motel. Library of Congress — Wigwam Motel, San Bernardino

How Many Wigwam Motels Are Still Standing?

There were seven Wigwam Villages built across the United States.

Only three survive today:

• Wigwam Village #2 in Cave City, Kentucky
• Wigwam Village #6 in Holbrook, Arizona
• Wigwam Village #7 in California

The National Park Service notes that two of the three surviving villages are located along Route 66: the Holbrook and San Bernardino properties. This makes the California motel part of a remarkably well-preserved group of distinctive roadside architecture.

Wigwam Hotel

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A Route 66 Landmark Saved for the Future

The Wigwam Motel had a difficult period before its preservation. Over the years, changing travel patterns and declining maintenance left the property in poor condition. The National Park Service reports that the Patel family purchased the property in 2002 and worked to restore it. In 2012, Wigwam Village #7 was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

That designation is important because the motel represents more than an unusual place to stay. It preserves a distinctive chapter of American roadside history. The National Park Service now describes Wigwam Village #7 as a historic motel along Route 66.

Why Is the Wigwam Motel Famous?

The appeal is easy to understand once you see photographs of the property. Instead of a conventional two-storey motel building, visitors encounter a collection of individual cone-shaped rooms arranged like a small roadside village.

But the architecture is only part of the story. The motel connects several pieces of American history at once: the rise of automobile tourism, the growth of Route 66, roadside commercial architecture, Frank Redford's unusual motel concept, and the preservation of historic travel landmarks. In 2026, the story has an additional connection to the Route 66 Centennial. Route 66 was commissioned on November 11, 1926, making 2026 its 100th anniversary. The City of San Bernardino is marking the centennial and specifically highlights the Wigwam Motel among the city's Route 66 landmarks. City of San Bernardino — Route 66 Centennial

Wigwam Motel, California

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What Makes the Wigwam Motel So Unusual?

The motel's biggest attraction is its architecture, but there are several details worth noticing. The 19 cone-shaped rooms stand around a landscaped central area, while the original office building also followed the Wigwam theme. The property included a swimming pool and communal outdoor spaces, reflecting the family-orientated, roadside motel culture of its era.

Unlike a modern chain hotel, the Wigwam Motel was designed to make the building itself part of the travel experience. That idea may sound familiar today, when themed hotels and unusual accommodation are popular, but the Wigwam Village concept was already doing something similar many decades ago.

Wigwam Motel San Bernardino, CA - Interior

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Wigwam Motel San Bernardino?

The Wigwam Motel is at 2728 Foothill Boulevard, San Bernardino, California 92410, in the Rialto/San Bernardino area.

When was the Wigwam Motel built?

Construction of Wigwam Village #7 began in 1947. Sources date the California motel to 1949, while the National Park Service records the village as opening for business in 1950.

Why are the Wigwam Motel rooms shaped like teepees?

Frank Redford developed the distinctive cone-shaped design to attract motorists. He called them "wigwams", although the structures resemble teepees or tipis rather than traditional wigwams.

How many Wigwam Villages are still standing?

Three Wigwam Villages survive: one in Cave City, Kentucky; one in Holbrook, Arizona; and Wigwam Village #7 in California.

Is the Wigwam Motel on Route 66?

Yes. Wigwam Village #7 is a historic Route 66 landmark in San Bernardino, California. The National Park Service includes it among California's Route 66 historic places.

Is the Wigwam Motel a historic landmark?

Yes. Wigwam Village #7 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.

Teepee Motel, Route 66

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Tipi motel route 66

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Wigwam Motel in Rialto

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Wigwam Motel Cars

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Map of Wigwam Motel, Route 66

The distinctive teepee-shaped rooms of Wigwam Village #7 line historic Route 66 in San Bernardino, California.

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Conclusion

The Wigwam Motel in San Bernardino is one of those Route 66 landmarks that is instantly recognisable even before you know its history. Its 19 teepee-shaped rooms make it visually unusual, but the story behind them is what gives the property lasting interest.

From Frank Redford's original Wigwam Village idea in the 1930s to the construction of the California village after World War II, the motel reflects an era when roadside businesses used imagination to turn a simple overnight stop into part of the journey.

Today, Wigwam Village #7 stands as one of only three surviving Wigwam Villages and an important piece of Route 66 history. With Route 66 reaching its centennial in 2026, the old San Bernardino motel has yet another reason to attract attention from travellers interested in America's historic highway.

References & Sources

1. National Park Service — California: Wigwam Village #7
   National Park Service — Wigwam Village #7
2. Library of Congress — Wigwam Motel, San Bernardino
   Library of Congress — Wigwam Motel
3. Wigwam Motel — Official History
   Wigwam Motel — Official History
4. City of San Bernardino — Route 66 Centennial
   City of San Bernardino — Route 66 Centennial