The Mother Road turns 100 this year, and Route 66's history is intertwined with the storied past of automotive tourism in America's Southwest, which of course includes the rise of the motor hotel.
Route 66 and motels were born in the same era, with America's Main Street dating back to Nov. 11, 1926. The first motel is credited as Milestone Mo-Tel Inn, which opened in December 1925 in San Luis Obispo, California, just a couple hundred miles away from where Route 66 would end.
The nearly 2,500-mile road crosses eight states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Route 66 was originally founded by the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads, which was organizing the first federal highway system by redefining a network of existing roads. Even though Route 66 wasn't completely paved until 1938, it became the lifeline for Dust Bowl refugees headed west. The highway also played a critical role in World War II as California sent materials east.
By the 1940s, the Mother Road was ready to play its role in the growth of American tourism. But its booming era was cut short as the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 was enacted and sought to better streamline the country's highway system. Rather than snake and wind through towns of various sizes, the new highways took more direct routes, and Route 66 was decommissioned in 1985 — with organizations immediately emerging to reposition the route as a nostalgic destination for road trippers and international visitors.
Route 66's rise, fall and revitalization has happened alongside hundreds of motel openings and closings, but several still spot the path that weaves its way from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California. Most of them lean into the vintage vibes with neon signs, simple guestrooms and the occasional antique car.
Check out the slideshow of several still-functioning motels along Route 66 and read more about each one below.
Boots Court in Carthage, Missouri
Rooms: 13
Opened in 1939, Boots Court's original nightly rental fee was $2.50. In its prime of the 1940s, the property welcomed celebrity guests including Clark Gable, Gene Autry, Smiley Burnett, Guy Lombardo and Mickey Mantle, according to the motel's website. The Boots empire expanded with an all-day breakfast spot called Boots Drive-In, which opened a second location in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1962. After changing ownership hands several times over the decades, the motel was restored by preservationists Deborah Harvey and Priscilla Bledsaw in 2021. Today, the nonprofit Boots Court Foundation owns and operates Boots Court, and the property has been part of the National Register of Historic Places since 2022.
Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven Motel in Springfield, Missouri
Rooms: 93
With service dating back to 1938, the Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven Motel balances its history and proximity to Route 66 with the consistency of the Best Western brand. The motel's name derived from the split-rail fence that bordered it. According to Visit Springfield Missouri, Elvis Presley is said to have passed through in 1956. After relatively consistent ownership for several decades, the property passed to hotelier Gordon Elliott in the early 1990s. Elliott — who still owns the hotel today — renovated the property and reinstated the namesake rails.
Skyliner Motel in Stroud, Oklahoma
Rooms: 10
Flagged by its massive neon sign, the Skyliner Motel looks exactly like the kind of motel one would expect to see driving down Route 66 in Stroud, Oklahoma. Founded in 1954, the property was renovated this year after it was acquired in May 2025 in a $290,000 deal, per CoStar data. Current owners Cody Paige and his wife, Terra, restored the hotel's iconic turquoise-and-red neon sign and offer guests comfortable beds, in-room fridges and contactless entry.
Big Texan Motel in Amarillo, Texas
Rooms: 55
In 1960, The Big Texan opened as a steak house and featured a 60-foot neon cowboy sign that loomed large over Route 66, according to its website. While the original restaurant moved to its current location on Interstate 40 in the '70s ahead of the motel's opening in 1983, the whole complex still boasts the charm of the Mother Road, which Interstate 40 runs directly parallel to. The Big Texan restaurant is known today for challenging its diners with a 72-ounce steak — if you finish it, it's free — and the motel still features colorful old west facades, western-themed rooms and a Texas-shaped swimming pool.
Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico
Rooms: 12
The Blue Swallow Motel's story, which began with the land purchase in March 1939, is full of owners dedicated to keeping up the motel's presence on Route 66, according to the website. One of the most notable owners of the 12-room property was Lillian Redman, who acquired the Blue Swallow with her husband in the 1950s. She changed the name from Blue Swallow Court to incorporate the more modern term, "motel," and installed a larger neon sign. Redman was known to let people stay in the motel even if they couldn't afford the full fee and would on occasion accept personal belongings as payment from travelers. She owned the hotel for 40 years, and the next series of owners each took turns modernizing and updating the rooms. The Blue Swallow was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.
Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona
Rooms: 15 teepee units and three apartments
One of the more iconic historic stays alongside the Mother Road is the Wigwam Motel, which started as a dream of Arizona motel owner Chester E. Lewis. On a trip to Cave City, Kentucky, in 1938, Lewis saw Frank A. Redford's original Wigwam Village and decided to make his own version alongside Route 66, debuting Wigwam Village #6 in 1950. It's still run by the Lewis family and is one of three original Wigwam Villages still operating today, according to its website. While the property has more modern accommodations for guests, the 15 concrete and steel teepee units still stand at 32 feet tall with a 14-foot base diameter and include the original furnishings.
Santa Monica Hotel in Santa Monica, California
Rooms: 32
Route 66 originally ended in Santa Monica on what is now known as Lincoln Boulevard, which is where the Santa Monica Hotel still sits. Built in 1947, the property bills itself as "the final stop — done right" on its website and offers guests a chance to "stand where the road meets the ocean." This year in honor of the centennial, the hotel is offering a special package that includes two signature Route 66 cocktails and souvenir glasses as well as a custom keepsake Route 66 map.