Boots Court Motel

Arthur Boots built the Boots Court at a moment when American road travel was being completely reinvented. Route 66 had been designated just 13 years earlier in 1926, and by 1939 the federal highway system was carrying unprecedented numbers of travelers across the country. The motor court — a step up from the tourist camps of the 1920s but more modern than the older downtown hotels — was the lodging form that defined the era. The Boots Court, with its 13 attached units arranged in an L-shape around a central drive, was Carthage's contribution to that new motel typology.

The Streamline Moderne styling was deliberately futuristic. White stucco walls with horizontal banding, rounded corners, glass block accents, and a porte-cochere at the office entrance all evoked the streamlined locomotives and ocean liners of the 1930s. The motel sat at the corner of Route 66 (then routed through downtown Carthage on Central Avenue) and US 71 — meaning travelers coming from Kansas City to the Gulf Coast as well as those crossing the country east-to-west would pass directly through this intersection. It was, briefly, one of the busier crossroads in the Midwest.

The Clark Gable connection has been part of Boots Court lore for decades. The story goes that Gable, on his way between Hollywood and Carole Lombard's Indiana hometown for visits, stayed in the Boots at least once and possibly multiple times in the early 1940s. Documentation is admittedly limited, but the period registration records that have survived do include several Hollywood-adjacent names, and the legend is enthusiastically embraced. Room 6, where Gable allegedly slept, is now one of the most requested rooms in the motel.

When the Harvey sisters bought the Boots Court in 2011, they committed to a single guiding principle: restore it to 1949, the year it was at its peak, and keep it operating as a working motel rather than turn it into a museum. That meant tearing off the steep pitched roofs that had been added in the 1970s to combat leaks, rebuilding the original flat parapets, replicating the neon sign from period photographs, and sourcing furniture from estate sales and antique dealers across the Midwest. The work took years and was funded partly through grants and partly out of pocket.

Each of the 13 rooms is unique but follows the same period-correct template. Chenille bedspreads on iron-framed beds, mid-century wooden furniture, ceramic tile bathrooms with original-style fixtures, vintage Bakelite-cased radios, period artwork, and small touches like glass ashtrays and ceramic lamps create a complete sensory time-warp. The deliberate absence of televisions is the single most-discussed feature — guests either love it (most do) or are mildly surprised, but the radio-only policy is non-negotiable and central to the experience.

Practically, the motel works fine. WiFi is available in the office (a concession to modern needs), the air conditioning and heat are modern updates, and the bathrooms have current plumbing. But the visual and tactile experience of staying in the Boots is genuinely transporting in a way that themed lodging rarely achieves. You can sit on the bedspread, turn on the radio to a country station, and look out the small original window at the neon sign glowing in the parking lot, and it feels exactly like 1949.

Rooms at the Boots Court typically run $95-145 per night depending on season and room. The motel takes reservations primarily by phone — calling ahead is strongly recommended, especially during peak Route 66 travel season from May through October and during the 2026 Centennial year, when demand will be high. The Harvey sisters or their staff will often answer personally and walk you through which rooms are available. Room 6 (the Gable room) and Room 13 (the original honeymoon suite) book up well in advance.

Check-in is between 3pm and 9pm at the small office under the porte-cochere. There is no continental breakfast, no pool, no business center — just the rooms, the neon, and the courtyard. Most guests walk a few blocks to downtown Carthage for breakfast at Iggy's Diner or one of the cafes around the courthouse square. The motel is pet-friendly with advance notice and accommodates RVs in the parking lot.

Pair a night at the Boots with the other Carthage Route 66 essentials: dinner at the 66 Drive-In Theatre during summer season, breakfast at Iggy's, a walk around the courthouse square, and a daytrip to Red Oak II. The Precious Moments Chapel is also a quick drive south. For 2026 Centennial travelers, the Boots will likely host special events and themed weekends — check the website or call directly for the schedule.