Spending the Night at Wigwam Village on Route 66 in San Bernardino

One of the most iconic spots on Route 66 is the Wigwam Villages (there are two along the Mother Road) yet somehow we never had spent the night at one before this video. We recently stayed at Wigwam Village #7 (Wigwam Motel) in San Bernardino (or Rialto), California.

The Wigwam Village concept was created by a man named Frank Redford and the first Wigwam Village was opened in 1933 in Horse Cave, Kentucky. He later moved to a larger site in Cave Creek, KY and opened Wigwam Village #2 (which is still around today).

In total there were 7 Wigwam Villages built across the country between 1933 and 1950. The one in San Bernardino is Wigwam Village #7 and is one of two that are located on Route 66, and one of three that still remain.

Redford sold his Kentucky property in 1944 and moved to California. In 1947 he began construction of this Wigwam Village in San Bernardino, and it opened in 1950.

When it opened, the Village consisted of a large wigwam office building and 11 cabins arranged in a semicircle. With a growth boom in San Bernardino and increased travel along Route 66, a second row was added, making Wigwam Village #7 the only one to have two rows of teepees.

Over the years the Wigwam Villages have become some of the most iconic and recognizable buildings on Route 66 (and even inspired the Cozy Cone Motel in the Pixar film Cars). While four of the Wigwam Villages no longer stand, we are lucky that three remain (the other two are in Holbrook, AZ and Cave City, KY) and are still a great place to spend the night.

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