While sitting on the front porch at the motor lodge's check-in, a young couple pulls in. With a quick look at the car and the night's roster of guests, owner Keith Stone immediately knows who is checking in and welcomes them to Wigwam Village, No. 2.
The guests are headed to Mammoth Cave from Illinois and Montreal, Canada. They made their reservations out of curiosity - to do something unique. Stone welcomes them and introduces them to his two cats, Andy Rooney and Vetra.
After giving a general overview of the grounds and guidelines, Stone asks if the couple wishes to learn more about the Wigwam Village's history. They do, and Stone discusses some of the history. Frank Redford opened the first Wigwam Village in 1935. That first village - with six teepee rooms - opened a few miles up the highway in Horse Cave. He'd open the larger village in Cave City two years later.
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| The iconic teepee design of Frank Redford's Wigwam Villages. |
Redford would patent the teepee design and eventually develop a small franchise chain of seven villages with locations in Kentucky, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Arizona, and California. Of the seven, three remain today. Cave City, Holbrook, Arizona, and San Bernadino, California.
Stone and co-owner Megan Smith purchased the motor lodge in the fall of 2020 and immediately began to restore the teepees and grounds to its 1937 splendor. Slowly but surely, restorations of the teepees have included restoring the original furniture, adding modern amenities like wi-fi and flat-screen televisions, and, if they can find them, the original dime-operated radios.
The 'Sleep in a Wigwam' neon sign was restored in the spring of 2021 - and currently, 11 of the 15 rooms have been restored. The final restoration project is the large teepee that sits along US 31W. It was a former gas station and restaurant - and Stone and Smith plan to convert it to a coffee shop and guest convenience store.
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| The large grassy common area of Wigwam Village No. 2. |
The 15 teepee rooms are arranged in a semi-circle overlooking a wide grassy area full of playground equipment, cornhole boards, fire pits, and more. Outside each dwelling is a set of locally Amish-crafted chairs, a table, and a patio umbrella, inviting guests to sit, relax, read a book, or simply enjoy watching their children play.
Around 8:00 pm every evening, Stone starts a bonfire in the common area around the teepees. It is time for the guests - if they wish - to gather and enjoy the evening.
"There's a magic to the campfire," Stone says. "Things slow down, people talk."
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| It is not difficult to relax and unwind. |
But the magic for Stone and Smith goes beyond just the campfire; it is their guests and the local community. Guests from all over the country and world have spent a night or more at the Wigwam Village, No. 2, in the nearly four years they have operated the motor lodge. Some guests are return visitors - whether from decades ago or more recently - retracing and remembering past road trips. Many come with vintage photos or postcards of themselves or their ancestors sharing and telling those stories with Stone, Smith, and other guests.
"I never realized how much [the village] has meant to everyone," Stone notes.
Another group checking in asks for dining recommendations. Stone happily notes a few local restaurants and then reminds the group of one other item - tomorrow's checkout.
"Leave the key in the room - close the door and wave goodbye!"
But the memories will always remain.
If you go:
Reservations can be made online at the Wigwam Village No. 2's website. Rooms during the summer months can go quickly. The village is closed from January into March.
How To Get There:
All photos taken by post author - June 23, 2024.
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