Cave City, KY - Here is a Roadside Peek tribute to one of the roadside's very special treasures. And best of all, this one is still open for business. Yes, it is none other than the Wigwam Village No. 2 of Cave City, KY. Many thanks to Wiley Brewer for both the text and photographs. After reading the article, be sure to see the Wigwam Gallery.

Wigwam Village No. 2
Cave City, KY
Photo and info courtesy Wiley Brewer

For more information on the Wigwam Village #2 in Cave City, see the official website.

The Main Wigwam
Cave City, KY
Photo and info courtesy Wiley Brewer

The Wigwam Village No. 2 is a roadside must see attraction located in Cave City, Kentucky. The area is home to Mammoth Cave National Park. In the old days before the Interstate was built, Highway 65 running north and south thru Kentucky was the main road through town. A traveler would have been on US Highway 31W through Cave City, where Wigwam Village No. 2 is still there today, and on 31E about five miles east where Wigwam Village No. 1 was located. Unfortunately, Wigwam Village No. 1 is no longer there.

Both Wigwam Villages were built in the 1930's. One day, Eleanor Roosevelt passed by during one of her many journeys traveling through America and commented about the Wigwam in her daily newspaper column" My Day".

Wigwam Village No. 2
Cave City, KY
Photo and info courtesy Wiley Brewer

The Wigwam Villages had a large central "wigwam", where the office and a restaurant were located. On a side note, because of the way it was built inside , if you sat at on side of the restaurant counter and were talking to someone in a whisper, you could still be heard on the other side as well. The sound would carry very well. The kitchen was located in the full basement and food was brought up from there and served. A gift shop was also located in the basement. Since the Interstate has been built, the town was bypassed and the traffic slowed down on Hwy 31W. Therefore, years ago the restaurant closed down, and today the gift shop is now where the restaurant once was.

Wigwam Village No. 2
Cave City, KY
Photo and info courtesy Wiley Brewer

Outside are 15 smaller Wigwams, both of the 2 bedroom and single variety. All have been maintained very well and are fun to stay in. A large children's play area is located in the middle yard. There are two small wigwams located on each side of the main large one, which were at one time restrooms for the restaurant guest.

The Wigwam is a great place to just come and look at, and I have been stopping by there since I was a child. I think you should too! Thank you, and I hope you enjoy my photograph's.

Wiley Brewer

Wigwam Village No. 2
Cave City, KY
Photo courtesy Wiley Brewer

A row of concrete teepees makes Wigwam Village one of Cave City's easiest overnight stops to recognize. Arranged around a grassy courtyard beside the old Dixie Highway, the unusual rooms turn the motel itself into a roadside attraction. The large central teepee completes a scene that has been catching the attention of Mammoth Cave travelers since 1937.

Kentucky native Frank Redford developed the concept after seeing a teepee-shaped barbecue restaurant in California. He first tried the idea near Horse Cave before building this larger property, officially Wigwam Village No. 2. Fifteen sleeping units surrounded the common area, while the largest structure housed a lunch counter and gift shop. Gas pumps made the village a convenient place to refuel both the car and its passengers.

Wigwam Village No. 2
Cave City, KY
Photo courtesy Wiley Brewer

Despite the name, the buildings resemble teepees rather than wigwams. Their concrete construction provided permanent accommodations beneath the novelty exterior, with private bathrooms and distinctive red-and-white tile. Seven Wigwam Villages were eventually built across the country, but only three survive. Cave City's is the oldest remaining example, preserving a particularly imaginative approach to attracting motorists before interstate travel changed the roadside lodging business.

UPDATE: Wigwam Village No. 2 continues welcoming overnight guests, with restoration work helping preserve its unusual buildings and historic details. New owners began a substantial preservation effort after purchasing the property in November 2020, and the restored neon sign was relit in 2021. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this longtime roadside favorite still offers travelers something considerably different from an ordinary motel room. 11-26

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