Hotel Beale: The Grand Old Dame of Andy Devine Avenue
Few buildings along Kingman, Arizona’s Route 66 corridor carry as much historical weight as the Hotel Beale. Standing on East Andy Devine Avenue — the very street named for its most famous former resident — this three-story structure was built in 1903 to serve passengers of the Santa Fe Railway and went on to host an extraordinary roster of American luminaries: Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, Buster Keaton, Will Rogers, Harry Carey, Clark Gable, and Carole Lombard all passed through its doors. More than anything else, though, it is the childhood home of character actor Andy Devine, and it is through his story that the Hotel Beale is most intimately connected to the soul of Kingman and its Route 66 identity.
Where is the Hotel Beale?
The Hotel Beale is located in the 300 block of East Andy Devine Avenue (Route 66) in downtown Kingman, directly across from the Santa Fe Railroad Depot and adjacent to several other historic district landmarks. It is within easy walking distance of the Arizona Route 66 Museum at the Powerhouse, Locomotive Park, and Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner.
The History of Hotel Beale
Construction and Early Years (1903)
The Hotel Beale was constructed in 1903 by Harvey Hubbs, the son of one of Kingman’s earliest civic leaders, to serve the growing number of passengers arriving on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The depot sat directly across the street, and the hotel quickly established itself as the premier lodging option in Mohave County. In 1906, Hubbs sold the hotel to Tom and Amy Devine for a reported price of around $32,000 — a substantial sum for a frontier Arizona hotel at the turn of the century.
Tom Devine and his wife moved from Flagstaff to Kingman to run the hotel, bringing their one-year-old son Andrew — who would grow up to become the beloved character actor Andy Devine, famous for his distinctive, slightly gravelly voice and his roles as a comedic cowboy sidekick in hundreds of Western films and television programs. Andy Devine spent his formative years in and around the Hotel Beale, and it was here, according to family accounts, that he suffered the throat injury that would permanently affect his distinctive vocal quality.
The Golden Era (1906–1926)
Under Tom Devine’s management, the Hotel Beale underwent significant upgrades and expansions. Plumbing and electricity were added in 1913, and by 1916 a major remodel expanded the hotel to 70 rooms with the addition of a three-story building behind the original structure. The remodel transformed the building’s Queen Anne character toward a more modern aesthetic and added the famous Indian Room, decorated with an array of Native American artifacts and a collection of Navajo rugs that became a major attraction for travelers on the National Old Trails Highway (the predecessor to Route 66).
Tom Devine was also deeply involved in road advocacy. He and members of the Arizona Good Roads Association in Mohave County, Needles, California, and Coconino County were instrumental in lobbying for the National Old Trails Highway to be routed across northern Arizona — an effort that directly contributed to the establishment of Route 66 in 1926. The Hotel Beale, in a very real sense, helped midwife the Mother Road into existence.
The Devines sold the establishment in 1926, and the hotel changed hands several times over the following decades.
The Celebrity Guest List
The Hotel Beale’s guest registers from the first decades of the 20th century read like a who’s who of American celebrity. Charles Lindbergh stayed at the hotel on multiple visits to Kingman in 1929, when he oversaw construction of the Kingman airfield. Amelia Earhart, his associate who assisted at the ribbon-cutting ceremony that summer, was also a guest. Silent film star Buster Keaton stayed at the Beale in 1925 while filming Go West at a nearby ranch. Western actor Harry Carey was a guest in 1918. Will Rogers and Jack Dempsey are also documented as having stayed at the hotel.
The most celebrated celebrity connection is Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, two of Hollywood’s biggest stars, who married at Kingman’s St. John Methodist Church in March 1939. After their ceremony, an impromptu reception was held at the Hotel Brunswick next door. Their wedding night was reportedly spent at the Oatman Hotel in Oatman. The story of Hollywood royalty slipping quietly into this desert town for a private ceremony has become one of Kingman’s most treasured pieces of history.
The hotel also hosted the 1932 U.S. Highway 66 Association convention — a direct connection to the institutional history of the Mother Road itself.
Decline and Uncertain Future
When Interstate 40 bypassed downtown Kingman and the old Route 66 alignment was effectively superseded, the Hotel Beale’s tourist trade declined sharply. By the 1960s the once-grand hotel had lost much of its commercial appeal, and it eventually closed and fell into disrepair. The building has been condemned and has suffered from decades of neglect, pigeon infestation, broken windows, and deteriorating structural elements.
In recent years, renewed interest in Kingman’s historic district has brought the Hotel Beale back to community attention. Kingman Main Street announced a partnership with Henderson Investments LLC and received a $25,000 grant from the Route 66 Association of Arizona to begin facade restoration work. Whether the Hotel Beale can be fully restored to the elegance that once made it the finest hotel in Mohave County remains an open question — but the community’s desire to save it is genuine and growing.
Andy Devine and the Street That Bears His Name
Andy Devine’s connection to Kingman goes beyond his childhood at the Hotel Beale. In 1955, during a live episode of This Is Your Life on NBC, Kingman’s Front Street — the Route 66 alignment through downtown — was officially renamed Andy Devine Avenue in his honor. Today, every traveler who drives Route 66 through Kingman drives down Andy Devine Avenue, carrying the name of the town’s most famous son with them. The Arizona Route 66 Museum at the Powerhouse includes a dedicated exhibit to Devine’s life and career.
Tips for Visiting Hotel Beale
- The Hotel Beale is currently not open to the public — it can be viewed and photographed from the sidewalk along Andy Devine Avenue.
- The building’s architectural character is most apparent from the street — look for the original stonework and window details that survive beneath the weathering.
- Visit the Arizona Route 66 Museum to learn more about Andy Devine and the Beale’s role in Kingman’s history.
- The Kingman Main Street walking tour (available via QR codes throughout the historic district) includes the Hotel Beale with narration by Route 66 historian Jim Hinckley.
- Check local news for updates on the restoration project — the building’s future is actively being shaped by community efforts.
Final Thoughts on the Hotel Beale
The Hotel Beale is a tarnished gem in the most literal sense — a building that has known genuine greatness, weathered genuine decline, and now stands waiting for the investment and vision that could restore it to something worthy of its history. It represents one of Route 66’s most compelling narratives: the story of a building that helped shape the highway itself, hosted the century’s greatest celebrities, gave a voice actor his distinctive sound, and then watched the world change around it. For anyone who cares about Route 66’s living heritage, the Hotel Beale is one of Kingman’s most important stops — even in its current state.
Nearby Route 66 Attractions in Kingman
- Arizona Route 66 Museum at the Powerhouse
- Santa Fe Railroad Depot and Locomotive Park
- El Trovatore Motel — pre-war motor court east on Andy Devine Ave
- Hackberry General Store — 25 miles east
- Oatman, Arizona — 30 miles west via Sitgreaves Pass
