The Lincoln Highway isn’t just a road. It's a massive, 3,000-mile artery of American history stretching from Times Square to San Francisco. Back in 1913, when Carl Fisher and his crew dreamt this up, staying overnight meant pitching a tent or finding a local boarding house that might—if you were lucky—have indoor plumbing. Fast forward to today, and looking for hotels on Lincoln Highway is a totally different beast. You aren't just looking for a bed; you’re looking for a slice of the original American road trip experience that hasn't been completely sanitized by corporate chains.
I’ve spent a lot of time driving various stretches of US-30, and honestly, the lodging situation is hit or miss. One minute you're in a beautifully restored 1920s landmark, and the next, you're staring at a neon sign for a motel that looks like it hasn't seen a vacuum since the Nixon administration. It’s weird. It's inconsistent. But that’s kind of why people love it.
Why People Get Frustrated With Lincoln Highway Lodging
Most travelers make the mistake of thinking every town along the route will have a charming, historic inn. It won’t. Large swaths of the original route have been bypassed by I-80, leaving some of the older "Lincoln Way" sections feeling a bit like ghost towns. If you’re searching for hotels on Lincoln Highway in places like western Nebraska or Wyoming, you’re going to find a lot of functional, boring highway hotels. These are the spots where you stay because you're tired, not because you're inspired.
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The real magic happens when you find the "survivors." These are the properties that stayed open through the decline of the 1960s and 70s. For example, the Bedford Springs Resort in Pennsylvania or the Hotel Nevada in Ely. They offer something a Marriott off the interstate simply cannot: a sense of place. But you have to know where to look. Otherwise, you’ll end up at a generic franchise ten miles away from the actual historic route, wondering why the "Great American Road Trip" feels like a trip to the local mall.
The Pennsylvania Stretch: History and Luxury
If you’re starting in the East, Pennsylvania is arguably the crown jewel of the route. The topography is brutal but beautiful. You’re winding through the Alleghenies, and the hotels here reflect that ruggedness.
Take the Omni Bedford Springs Resort. It’s technically on a spur of the Lincoln, but it’s been the place to stay for over 200 years. We’re talking about a hotel that has hosted ten different U.S. presidents. It’s got that old-world gravity. Huge porches. Real wood fires. It’s expensive, yeah, but if you want to understand the high-society side of early auto touring, this is it.
On the flip side, you have the Lincoln Highway Experience museum nearby, which helps you track down the smaller, kitschier spots. Just down the road in Schellsburg, you’ll find the Bison Farm Bed and Breakfast. It’s not a hotel in the traditional sense, but it sits right on the route and gives you a literal taste of the rural landscape that early motorists faced.
A Note on "The Ship Hotel"
People always ask about the S.S. Grand View Point Hotel—the famous "Ship Hotel" that looked like a boat perched on a mountain. Don't go looking for it. It burned down in 2001. It’s a tragedy, really. Now, all that’s left is a pull-off and a view. This is a common theme with hotels on Lincoln Highway; the "must-see" spots are often gone, so you have to appreciate the ones that are still standing even more.
Crossing the Midwest: Neon and Nostalgia
Once you hit Ohio and Indiana, the vibe shifts. The hills flatten out. The towns get smaller. The hotels start to look more like the classic motor courts we see in movies.
In Clinton, Iowa, you have the Hotel D’Avenue. It’s a bit of a local legend. It’s simple. It’s clean. It feels like 1954 in the best way possible. Then you have the Lincoln Hotel in Lowden, Iowa. It was built in 1915, right as the highway was becoming a "thing." It’s basically a time capsule. If you stay there, don't expect a gym or a high-tech business center. Expect creaky floorboards and a lot of character.
Honestly, the Midwest is where you find the best value. You can find independent hotels on Lincoln Highway here for half the price of a generic Hilton in a major city. You just have to be willing to forego the breakfast buffet in exchange for a local diner experience.
The High Desert and the Loneliest Road
Nebraska is long. Really long. By the time you hit Kearney or North Platte, you’re just looking for a clean pillow. But don't sleep on the Kearney Motel culture. There are still a few neon signs flickering out there that represent the mid-century peak of the American motel.
Then you hit Nevada. This is where the Lincoln Highway merges with US-50, famously dubbed "The Loneliest Road in America" by Life Magazine in 1986.
The Hotel Nevada & Gambling Hall in Ely is mandatory. It opened in 1929 and was once the tallest building in the state. It’s gritty. It’s loud. It’s got a casino on the ground floor and rooms themed after celebrities like Ingrid Bergman or Mickey Rooney. It’s the antithesis of a modern boutique hotel. It’s raw, and it smells a little bit like history and old carpets, but it is the soul of the Lincoln Highway. If you’re looking for hotels on Lincoln Highway and you skip Ely, you’ve missed the point of the trip.
Fact-Checking the "Historic" Labels
One thing to watch out for is "heritage washing." You’ll see plenty of modern hotels claiming to be "on the Lincoln Highway" just because they’re within a three-mile radius of US-30.
Technically, they aren't lying. But they aren't giving you the experience you’re likely searching for. To find the authentic spots, you need to use the Lincoln Highway Association’s official maps. The route changed several times—1913, 1924, and 1928—so a hotel that was "on the highway" in 1915 might be miles away from the 1930 alignment.
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I always tell people: check the bricks. In parts of Illinois and Nebraska, the original red brick pavement is still visible. If the hotel is near the bricks, it’s the real deal.
Practical Advice for Booking
Booking these places isn't always as easy as using Expedia. Many of the best historic hotels on Lincoln Highway are mom-and-pop operations.
- Call them directly. Seriously. Some of these older motels have "special" rooms (the ones they've renovated) that they don't list on the big booking sites.
- Check the HVAC. Older buildings struggle with modern climate control. If you’re traveling in July through the Midwest, make sure the "historic charm" includes working A/C.
- Parking matters. These hotels were built for the Ford Model T or the heavy cruisers of the 50s. Usually, parking is right outside your door, which is great for security but can be noisy if you have a room facing the lot.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that the Lincoln Highway is just a slower version of I-80. It’s not. It’s a different world. People expect the "hotels on Lincoln Highway" to be cheap because they’re old. That’s a mistake. The well-maintained historic properties often cost more than the chains because the overhead of maintaining a 100-year-old building is astronomical.
You’re paying for the story. You’re paying for the fact that you’re sleeping in the same room where a 1920s cross-country pioneer might have collapsed after a day of changing flat tires and dodging mud holes.
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Actionable Steps for Your Road Trip
If you're planning a trip and need to pick your stops, don't just wing it. The Lincoln Highway is too long for that.
- Download the Lincoln Highway Association Map. This is the gold standard. It shows the original 1913 route versus later alignments.
- Pick three "Anchor" stays. Don't try to stay in a historic hotel every night—you'll get burnt out on the lack of elevators and tiny bathrooms. Choose three icons: maybe the Bedford Springs Resort (PA), the Hotel Tallcorn (IA), and the Hotel Nevada (NV). Fill the gaps with modern convenience.
- Check for local events. Many towns along US-30, like Clinton, Iowa, or Kearney, Nebraska, have Lincoln Highway "Buy-Way" yard sales or car shows. Hotels fill up months in advance during these times.
- Look for the "L" signs. Many historic hotels will have the red, white, and blue "L" logo somewhere on their property. This usually denotes a business that takes the highway's heritage seriously.
- Prioritize the "Second Story" Hotels. In the West, many original Lincoln Highway hotels were on the second floor of commercial buildings. While many are now apartments, a few have been converted back into "boutique" stays. These offer the best views of the old downtown strips.
The Lincoln Highway is a disappearing act. Every year, another old motor court gets torn down for a gas station. Staying at these hotels on Lincoln Highway is basically a form of preservation. You get a place to sleep, and the highway gets to live another day. It’s a win-win, even if the Wi-Fi is occasionally spotty.