Learn how original spaces have been preserved or transformed across Rockwood Motor Court, the oldest continuously operating motor court on Route 66. Rockwood Motor Court is an early 1929 roadside inn on Route 66 that was built in a traditional U-shape around a central courtyard area. All six bungalows, as well as the filling station, café, and remaining single car garage are original to the court. Most of the cottages were originally designed with a garage on one side and a sleeping room with a kitchenette on the other. As automobiles became bigger, garages became obsolete and were converted into small sleeping rooms.

Discover the charming gabled bungalows at Rockwood Motor Court that are part of a long tradition of building in the Ozarks. Originally covered in wood clapboard, the cottages were updated around 1948 with sandstone and Ozark fieldstone in the popular Giraffe-style masonry of the era. “Giraffe Houses” is an affectionate colloquial term for the patchwork style created from utilizing the varied slabs cut from readily available stone. The masonry style was taught to workers in the region through Depression-era workshops run by the University of Missouri Extension Service and funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The sawed sandstone gives the appearance of wood grain in the rock, and it is believed the name Rockwood was coined from the distinctive pattern of the stone. Embracing an eclectic style, the cabins have a red brick trim and are framed in native oak lumber.

Enjoy a unique stay in the motor court’s former gas station in a room called “Fill ‘Er Up.” The original Shell gas station has been renovated into a charming and spacious studio guestroom with a kitchenette. Beyond an excellent example of adaptive reuse, the guestroom is a chance to showcase original gas station memorabilia – called petroliana – for automobile fans.