Wigwam Village creator Frank Redford knew his collection of faux teepees would catch the eyes of early leisure travelers. Image by Tom Adkinson

CAVE CITY, Ky. – Tent camping in Kentucky’s cave country has a special meaning because of a relic from the early days of American leisure road travel. Mammoth Cave National Park may be the region’s natural wonder, but Wigwam Village No. 2 takes the prize as the region’s novel attraction.

The interior walls of Wigwam Village rooms do slope inward for your night when you are invited to “Sleep Outside of the Box.” Image by Tom Adkinson

Wigwam Village No. 2 is a set of 15 teepees along U.S. 31 W. that actually are motel guest rooms. The crown jewel is the 50-foot-tall Big Wigwam that was a restaurant in the early days of the business, which has operated continuously since 1937. The village has had its ups and downs over the decades, but it’s on an up right now.

The originator was Kentucky entrepreneur Frank Redford. The teepees – concrete structures, not poles covered with animal hides – were part of a franchise plan as Americans were beginning to develop the wanderlust of automobile travel. The Wigwam Village concept predated franchise giants such as Holiday Inn and Howard Johnson, which didn’t come on the scene until the 1950s, and their rectangular rooms.

Owner Keith Stone spends time with every guest to explain the history of Wigwam Village No. 2 and to set the record straight about the region’s true Native American heritage. Image by Tom Adkinson

Redford opened Wigwam Village No. 1 in nearby Horse Cave in 1933 with a teepee-shaped lunchroom and gas station and added six teepee motel rooms in 1935. He patented the design in 1936. Five more villages popped up in Alabama, Louisiana, California and Arizona. Wigwam Village No. 2, Wigwam Village No. 6 in Arizona and Wigwam Village No. 7 in California are the only operating survivors.

The architecture of Wigwam Village No. 2 grabs your attention, but memories come from sitting around a campfire with fellow travelers.  Image by Tom Adkinson

All are on the National Register of Historic Places, and they are so distinctive that their architecture crept into pop culture. If you’ve seen the Disney movie “Cars,” Wigwam Villages inspired the Cozy Cone Motel. 

Husband and wife Keith Stone and Megan Smith from Louisville bought Wigwam Village No. 2 in 2021, putting their interests in architecture and historic preservation to work. Their goal: “Restore it to its 1937 splendor.”

Ten of their teepees have one bed, and five have two beds. In front of them is a grassy common area with kids’ games and a campfire circle. The nightly campfire pulls guests out of their rooms for usually travel-oriented conversations as they compare notes about caves to visit and area restaurants to patronize. 

The afternoon check-in begins with a casual chat with Stone who explains the history of the unusual lodging and emphasizes that Wigwam Village No. 2 is not a destination to immerse yourself in Native American lore. Although business founder Redford was enamored with Native Americans, he was not shooting for authenticity.

Eli Jackson of Madison, Tenn., scores another goal in the playground and campfire area of Wigwam Village No. 2.  Image by Tom Adkinson