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Rail Haven Motel

Retro roadside
In Springfield, Missouri
1.1 mi from Route 66
National Register of Historic Places

The Rail Haven Motel is a historic motor court in Springfield, MO, first built in 1938 and greatly expanded in the 1950s. Its buildings form an L around the grounds and include guest wings of different sizes, a laundry, an office, and a swimming pool with a pool house. Listed on the National Register in 2010, it now runs as a Best Western, so Route 66 travellers can book a room here.

What is Rail Haven Motel?

The Rail Haven is a complex rather than a single building. Its guest rooms are spread across several separate motel buildings: two with nine units each, one with sixteen, a large thirty-unit building, a small three-unit building, and three others with multiple units.

Alongside them stand an office, two laundry buildings, and a swimming pool with its own pool house. Laid out in an L shape, the whole place still reads like a classic roadside motor court.

History of Rail Haven Motel

The first units went up in 1938. The motel grew in steps after that: a sixteen-unit building and the original laundry came in 1950, the office in 1953, and a big expansion around 1957 added the thirty-unit building and several smaller ones. The pool and pool house followed in 1958. Its many separate buildings make it easy to picture how the motel grew over two decades.

It was also known as the Rail Haven Motor Court. In 2010 it earned a place on the National Register.

Visiting Rail Haven Motel: tips

Since it now runs as a Best Western, the easiest way to experience it is to stay the night. Parking is on site. If you are just passing, a short look from the lot gives a good sense of the layout, but respect guests' privacy.

Coffee is a couple of blocks away. The Route 66 Steak 'n Shake is under a mile off, Route 66 Stadium about 1 mile, and Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium under 3 miles.

Practical info

Address: 203 S Glenstone Ave, Springfield, MO 65802
Phone: +1 417-866-1963
Website: bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotel-rooms.26033.html
Hours: We have no opening hours for this stop yet — check the official site.
On site & nearby