Quick Facts – Chelsea Motel
- 📍 Location: NE corner of Walnut Ave (Historic Route 66) & E 1st St, Chelsea, Oklahoma.
- 🏗 Built approx.: Between 1936 and 1939.
- 🛏 Original size/configuration: Simple rectangular building ~75 ft long × ~16 ft wide, with 6 motel units.
- 🔦 Neon sign added: 1947.
- ⏳ Closed as motel: Around 1976.
- 📜 Historic listing: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places (Chelsea Motel) in 2004.
- 🧱 Building today: Privately owned, used for storage, viewable only from the public right-of-way.
- 🎬 Cultural note: Emblematic of the “mom-and-pop” motels built to serve Route 66 travellers in the mid-20th century.
- 🌍 Fun fact: While you likely won’t stay there now, the vintage neon sign and structure are still a strong photo-stop for a Route 66 itinerary.
- 🕗 Tip for travellers: Stop briefly for a photo, respect the property (private), and pair the visit with the nearby underpass murals and other Chelsea Route 66 landmarks.
- ✋ Stop time: 5–10 min — quick photo stop
- ❤️ Worth it? Yes, for Route 66 lovers — it’s a beautiful ghost of the Mother Road.
