We’ve been watching the restoration of the Boots Court Motel in Joplin, Missouri for years, from the “Save the Boots Motel campaign”, until they reopened in 2012 and we got to visit and check it out in June 2011.
This latest, and possibly the last piece of the renovation not only highlights what a great job they’re doing for preservation of the motel, but for renovation all along Route 66!
“Bringing back the neon” was not invented in the movie “Cars” but it’s an important step to bringing back the former glory of Route 66. The architectural neon for the Boots was paid in part with a Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program cost-share grant and aid from the Neon Heritage Preservation Committee of the Route 66 Association of Missouri.
The Boots Court was built in 1939 by Arthur Boots at 107 S. Garrison Ave., then called the “Crossroads of America” because the motel was near U.S. 66 and U.S. 71. Actor Clark Gable stayed there several times; he rested his head at room No. 6.
The Boots became the Boots Motel during the 1950s. The current owners have chosen to restore it to its 1940s appearance — including “a radio in every room” and no television sets — they are using the original Boots Court name.
The current owners bought the property in 2011 and reopened it to overnight guests in 2012 after months of renovations. They began a painstaking process to restore the motel, including removing a latter-day gabled roof to show the Boots Court’s original flat roof.
The neon sign has been restored to its original colors and wording thanks to a generous donation from a fan of Route 66 and Boots Court. The front sign pole again sports a big, round sign advertising “A Radio in Every Room,” as it did in the 1940s.
There is a lot more history about the motel on the website, be sure to go check it out here.
Reservations are recommended but not required. For reservations, please call 417-310-2989 or email us at bootsmotel@hotmail.com.
Boots Court Motel….“At the Crossroads of America”
107 S. Garrison Avenue
Carthage, Missouri, 64836
RATES
A single room with a double bed is $66. a night, taxes included.
A room with two double beds is $71. a night, taxes included
For authenticity, TV is not offered but we do have a “Radio in every room!”.
Free WI-FI . An extra roll-away bed or futon, ice, extra towels etc. are available on request.
Resources:
Architectural neon for Boots Court relighted – Route 66 News
