Cuba, Missouri, is home to the Wagon Wheel Motel, one of the oldest surviving motels on Route 66.
The motel began operating in 1936 under the name Wagon Wheel Cabins. Its original accommodation consisted of individual stone cabins, a common form of roadside lodging before large standardized motel buildings became widespread. The property later added motel-style rooms while retaining its historic roadside character.
The Wagon Wheel sits along the original Route 66 alignment through Cuba, a Missouri community that became strongly associated with the highway. Its buildings use local stone and include distinctive neon signage, helping preserve the visual identity of pre-interstate travel.
The Wagon Wheel Motel is sometimes confused with other famous Missouri Route 66 properties, particularly the Munger Moss Motel in Lebanon and the Boots Motel in Carthage. Those are separate landmarks. The Wagon Wheel’s combination of 1930s origins and surviving cabins makes Cuba a notable stop for travelers studying early Route 66 lodging.