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De Anza Motor Lodge

Retro roadside
In Albuquerque, New Mexico
0.1 mi from Route 66

The De Anza Motor Lodge in Albuquerque, NM, was a Route 66 motel in the city's Upper Nob Hill area, and most of it no longer stands. Charles G. Wallace, a trader in Zuni art and pottery, built it in 1939 and filled it with Native American art. After years of sitting empty, it was largely torn down in 2017–18. Apartments now fill the site, keeping two original buildings, the Zuni murals and the neon sign.

What is De Anza Motor Lodge?

Today the site is a newer apartment complex with pieces of the old motel folded in. Two smaller original buildings survive, along with the De Anza's neon sign and a set of murals by the Zuni artist Tony Edaakie, first painted in a basement room of the motel. The lodge had been listed on the National Register and on New Mexico's state register.

History of De Anza Motor Lodge

Wallace opened the motel on Route 66 in 1939 and owned it until 1983, decorating it with Native American art from his trade. The city of Albuquerque bought the property in 2003, but one renovation plan after another fell through and the buildings stood vacant. In the end the city backed a redevelopment that relied mostly on new construction, and everything except two small buildings came down in 2017–18.

Visiting De Anza Motor Lodge: tips

The site is now housing, so look from the street. The neon sign is the thing to photograph. The Modern Auto Court is about 0.4 miles away, the Tewa Lodge about 0.8 miles, and the Lobo Theater about 0.9 miles.

Practical info

Address: 4301 Central Avenue Northeast, Albuquerque, NM 87108
On site & nearby

Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix

Where to eat near De Anza Motor Lodge

All diners →

Diner & restaurant
Frontier Restaurant
Albuquerque, NM · 1.3 mi from De Anza Motor Lodge
A big New Mexican restaurant near UNM on Central Avenue, hung with portraits of John Wayne.
Diner & restaurant
El Modelo
Albuquerque, NM · 3.3 mi from De Anza Motor Lodge
A Barelas restaurant in Albuquerque that began in 1929 as the El Modelo Tortilla Factory.
Diner & restaurant
Mac's La Sierra
Albuquerque, NM · 6.3 mi from De Anza Motor Lodge
A New Mexican restaurant on Albuquerque's West Central Avenue, the city's Route 66, dating from 1952.