Pioneertown Motel Est. 1946

5240 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown, CA, United States

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Pioneertown Motel
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Pioneertown Motel exists at the nexus of desert culture.
Though only a few minutes from Yucca Valley, and a few more from the glitz and fanfare of Palm Springs, Pioneertown feels a world away. Tucked up between craggy mountains off highway 62, Pioneertown feels quieter, and somehow a bit cooler, than the towns below. With 19 guest rooms, a communal lounge, locally crafted outdoor furnishings, camp chairs and cozy ponchos— the Pioneertown Motel is the ideal host for a High Desert stay.
The Lowdown
Type
Barn / Farm / Ranch
Boutique Hotel
Historic Building
Views
Desert
Landscaped Grounds
Mountains
Style
Country
Desert Oasis
Rustic
Western
BEST type of CELEBRATIONS
Adventure Travel
Product Launch
Birthday Party
Charity Event
Corporate Event
Dinner Party
Elopement / Vow Renewal
Group Getaway
Rehearsal Dinner / Welcome Reception
Retreats: Corporate, Spa, Wellness, Etc.
Reunion
Social Event
Wedding Ceremony
Wedding Reception
Workshops: Creative, Photo, Etc.

Venue Setting

Pioneertown Motel exists at the nexus of desert culture — a melange of outsider art and philosophy, kitsch and caricature, wild, natural beauty, resourcefulness, spiritual searching, rock n’ roll and the proverbial “Escape from LA”. Always intended to be a representation of a period in time which never really existed, Pioneertown evokes the spirit of the American West, though the definition of what that means continually shifts.

Though only a few minutes from Yucca Valley, and a few more from the glitz and fanfare of Palm Springs, Pioneertown feels a world away. Tucked up between craggy mountains off highway 62, Pioneertown feels quieter, and somehow a bit cooler, than the towns below. There’s a security knowing you’re not far off, but a convincing solitude and remoteness nonetheless. You are safe, but you are free — a rare and utterly appealing sensation.

With 19 guest rooms, a communal lounge, locally crafted outdoor furnishings, camp chairs and cozy ponchos— the Pioneertown Motel is the ideal host for a High Desert stay.
Fees
(Prices listed here are estimates only & are subject to change)
Price Range

Does this include catering fees?

No

Insurance

Additional Insurance May Be Required Depending On The Event

Capacity

Seated
150
Buffet
N/A
Standing
500
Celebrations Hosted Here Since
1946
Curfew
11 PM
Venue Spaces
Outdoor Venue Space Only
Catering
Client Can Select The Caterer Of Their Choice
Alcohol
Licensed Server Is Required
Music
Indoors & Outdoors
Smoking
Smoking Permitted
Accommodations
19 guest rooms
2 bedroom off-site history Mane Street cabin
Open grounds for camping/ glamping (3 acres)
Eco/Green Events
Yes
Pet-Friendly Events
Yes
Kid Friendly Events
Yes
Amenities
  • A/V Equipment
  • Bridal Suite/Changing Rooms Onsite
  • Street Parking
  • Wifi
  • Ample Parking Onsite
  • Dining Chairs
  • Dining Tables
  • Onsite Restrooms
Venue Features
The Scene:

The High Desert is the grandfather of the wild American West, the birthplace of the California mystique, and a destination for those seeking visions and untamed beauty. A wild, unruly and wondrous place, it is home to cougars, bobcats, rattlesnakes, wildfires, flash floods, hail storms, heat waves, birds of prey and more species of scorpion than anywhere else in the world. But it is also home to glorious wildflower blooms, rugged rock formations, songbirds, wide varieties of cactus, surreal sunsets, rare gems, healing minerals, cool, pleasing breezes, a peaceful quietude, sweeping, breathtaking views — and legend has it: an underground river of gold. The light is bright and unflinching. Your lips chap. It seems to exist at a different time — or outside of time altogether — domesticated dogs still yip and howl at the deepening dusk. The day seems infinite. Your boots are always dusty.

The comforts of the modern world do not really apply here. You are not here to linger, to revel in warm showers or fancy dinners. You accidentally leave your phone in your room but realize you don’t need it or miss it. When you leave Pappy & Harriett’s, vowing to play more guitar, you crane your neck to look at the stars, elbows akimbo, mouth agape. You are here to remember what your senses are for, what silence means, what the light can do. The desert reminds you what it feels like to be a thinking, breathing human being in the wilderness, on this planet, in the Universe.

Pioneertown Motel fosters this desert experience, existing as a waystation between a traveler and his or her freedom. It is not disembodied from the greater desert landscape, but rather a focused lens into the area’s storied past and singular marvels. For those seeking solace and inspiration, Pioneertown Motel can be both a beautiful respite from the elements and a catalyst for interaction with the landscape, as well as the diverse swaths of humanity that come through PTM’s doors — each different from the other but united in what they seek. 

Standout Venue Features:

The idea of the “American West” took root in the sandy, wild landscape of the western United States. The film tycoons who founded Pioneertown loved it for its versatile terrain — scenery of seven western states could be duplicated by immediate surroundings. The true origin story of Pioneertown is hotly contested. The legend of the place often overshadows its true historical trajectory, and the more people you talk to, the more scrambled it gets. Alice “Honey” Fellers who wrote the book, Pioneertown, Then and Now, was quoted saying “Psychologically speaking, Pioneertown is not a town. It is a legend.” What we know is that Pioneertown began in 1946 when perennial movie bad guy Dick Curtis — a strapping man with a black mustache — whoa’d his horse on a grassy knoll and proclaimed, “This is the place.” Other accounts say an old lady owed him twenty-five dollars and repaid him with a deed to an unseen homesteader plot. Along with Curtis, Roy Rogers, Philip N. Krasne, Gene Autry, Russell Hayden, and the Sons of the Pioneers (for whom the town was named) were some of the original investors and personalities who helped build and invent Pioneertown. More than 50 films and several television shows were filmed there, most notably The Cisco Kid and The Gene Autry Show.

Promoted as a scenic, smog-free, 32,000 acre “all-inclusive filming location,” Pioneertown featured a variety of fully-built circa 1870s western movie set buildings along “Mane” Street, including corrals, stables, a sound stage, storage facilities, a Chinese restaurant called the Golden Stallion, two saloons, a 6-lane bowling alley built because Roy Rogers loved to bowl and a motel, originally christened The Townhouse, was part of an original plan conceived by Curtis, Rogers and Hayden. Even its two sturdy-looking buildings assembled from what may be old railroad ties, had doubled as an army fort in one of the first films ever shot at Pioneertown. 

    Awards & Notables Pioneertown, The Sequel - The New York Times
    Why You Should Know About This High-Desert Oasis - Architectural Digest
    Best of the West - Sunset Magazine (print)
    Most Luxurious Motels in America - GQ
    Pioneertown Goes From Film Set To Funky Desert Settlement - American Way Magazine
    Celebration Locations
    Skyline Stage:
    Perfectly framed mountainous desert backdrop, surrounded by native trees, boulders & agaves.
    - View: Desert, mountains.
    - Max Capacity: 150
    - Price: Join the party and sign in to view pricing
    Barnyard Pavillion:
    Open air barn space
    - View: View of the motel property/ building.
    - Max Capacity: 150
    - Price: Join the party and sign in to view pricing
    Eats & Drinks
    Food, Restaurants, Cafes, Bars & Lounges
    Food, Restaurants, Cafes:
    Red Dog Saloon
    The Copper Room
    Pappy and Harriet's Pioneertown Palace
    Frontier Cafe
    La Copine Kitchen

     
    Bars & Lounges:
    Red Dog Saloon
    The Copper Room
    Pappy and Harriet's Pioneertown Palace

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