Found this old postcard recently…..
Wigwam Village No 2, Kentucky.
Frank Redford had a dream of a motor lodge comprised of sleep-in teepees like he’d seen on a trip to the Sioux reservation in South Dakota. His first was built in 1935 in Horse Cave, Kentucky. The base of each teepee was 14 feet in diameter, and they were 32 feet tall.
Realizing that he’d created a clever idea, and he certainly did, Redford was quick to patent the teepee structure.
I love the swastika decoration.
Before WW2, it was still considered a native American symbol for the sun, the 4 directions, and the 4 seasons. Don’t see them much anymore. At least, not painted on the side of a motels.
Within a few years, 5 more Wigwam Villages were built in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, California and Arizona.
Wigwam Village #2 is the only one of the 7 to boast main building large enough to contain a restaurant and a gift shop. The restaurant may have closed in the mid-60’s, but the gift shop is still there. The impressive building is over 52 feet tall and made of 38 tons of concrete and 13 tons of steel. There are smaller restroom teepees on either side.
Of the 7 original Wigwam Villages, only 3 remain operational today:
#2 in Cave City, Kentucky – (Where my postcard is from), #6 in Holbrook, Arizona. and #7 in Rialto, California.
The rooms still have the original hickory furniture from the 30’s. TV, and air conditioning….but sadly, no phones.
Rates are still extremely reasonable, depending on the time of year, or if you want 2 single beds or one double, expect to pay anywhere between $42 and $67 a night.
That seems like a pretty good price.
Let’s add it to the “Bucket List”.
THE CAVENDER DIARY 
Love this! Fascinating history 🙂
Good to know some of them still function too!
Oh wow, I remember wanting to stay in one of these on family vacations. We stopped and looked but my parents wanted a more conventional hotel room. I am so excited to see that one of these still exists quite close to us. Totally adding to the bucket lists. Thanks for sharing!
Aren’t they just the greatest? I actually squeeled when I found that postcard.They inspired the “Traffic Cone” motel in the movie “Cars”.
A couple years ago I brought my kids to stay at the Wigwam Village when we visited Mammoth Cave during spring break. I didn’t tell them where we were staying, and they assumed we would stop at one of the usual hotel chains. When I pulled up to the Village, my 14-year-old blurted out “You’ve got to be kidding me!” and looked a touch scared. My 5-year-old thought we were right there in the “Cars” set.
At least at the time it was a good place for a quiet stay. It’s located well away from the main tourist area (just like the Cozy Cone), and there aren’t many distractions. A great place to read!
We can also vouch for the buildings’ sturdiness. A good storm/tornado blew through the area the second night we were there, but both our wigwams came through without a scratch.
OK, Now I’m jealous…I just knew that one of our readers HAD to have stayed in one at least once. WOW (Jamie owes me a Coke)
It doesn’t seem fair that a white man would patent something the native Americans invented long ago.
I don’t think he was putting a patent on the teepee, just the construction of it into a motel room.
Oh my gosh, I have a picture of my Mom and Dad in front of the one at Rialto, California! OK, I am hooked on your blog now! I blogged for years, not so much these days. Come visit me at http://grannymountain.blogspot.com
What a beautifully, well-written post. Your hard work and research really shows through. Thank you for informing all of us in a kind, precise manner.