66 Motel
- Route 66 site
- In Needles, California
- On Route 66
The 66 Motel is a tiny six-room motel from the late 1940s on Route 66 in Needles, California, at Desnok Street just off Broadway. It took the highway's own number as its name, and its green 66 and red MOTEL neon sign was relit by volunteers in 2012. It has not housed overnight travelers since the 1990s; the rooms are rented as apartments, and in 2026 the property was listed for sale.
What is 66 Motel?
A one-story, independently owned motor court with six rooms, a small office and a neon sign out front. In its heyday it advertised air conditioning, TV and kitchenettes. It stands in front of Carty's Camp, a group of older tourist cabins and a filling station whose sign is among the first sights of California in the 1940 film The Grapes of Wrath. The cabins have stood abandoned for years.
History of 66 Motel
The motel opened in 1946 or 1947, as postwar traffic poured over Route 66 into California at Needles, the first California town on the road. It was one of many businesses that borrowed the highway's number. Interstate 40 bypassed central Needles around 1970, and by the 1990s the rooms were rented by the month as single-room apartments. In 2012 Route 66 fans raised money to repair the sign, and the City of Needles hooked it up to city power for a relighting on June 23, 2012. A 2026 sale listing gave its build date as 1925, but most sources place it in the late 1940s.
Visiting 66 Motel: tips
People live here, so look and photograph from the street and do not walk onto the property. The sign and the abandoned Carty's Camp cabins behind it make a quick photo stop on Broadway. Pair it with El Garces, the restored Santa Fe depot and Harvey House hotel about 0.7 miles away. Fuel and food are within a mile.
Practical info
- Address
- 91 Desnok St, Needles, CA 92363
- On site & nearby
Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix
Where to eat near 66 Motel
All diners on Route 66 →
On the map
Full map66 Motel with the 6 closest stops and a place to eat (fork and knife). Tap a marker for details.
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Stops near 66 Motel
All of California
0.7 mi from 66 Motel
9.7 mi from 66 Motel
9.8 mi from 66 Motel
14.6 mi from 66 Motel
17.3 mi from 66 Motel
18.0 mi from 66 Motel
Questions about 66 Motel
Can you stay at the 66 Motel in Needles?
No. The 66 Motel stopped taking overnight guests by the 1990s and its six rooms have been rented as apartments since then. Respect the residents' privacy and view the motel and its neon sign from the street. Other lodging is nearby in Needles.
Is the 66 Motel in The Grapes of Wrath?
Not the motel itself, which was built after the 1940 film. The film shows a sign for Carty's Camp, the cabin camp behind the motel, as the Joad family enters California at Needles. Both can be seen from the street on the old Route 66 through town.
Own or run 66 Motel? Send us a photo or a correction.