Empty for Years? The 41 Motel, Menominee County

Way down in one of Michigan’s furthermost locations is the town of Wallace in Menominee County, almost a stone's throw from Wisconsin.

At 5707 US-41 lies the appropriately named 41 Motel, no longer in service.

The 41 Motel opened in 1957 as a 10-unit inn with Mr. and Mrs. Paul Flagel as proprietors. They also ran the 41 Cafe next door, which still stands – although it, too, is closed.

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The cafe sits across Number 15.5 Road, just north of the motel. The cafe’ looks as if it may have been made into a residence at one time; now it has peeling paint and overgrown grass. The motel looks like someone may have rented one of the units and is using it as a home. Bicycles and trash cans are the giveaway.

There is nothing spectacular about this motel, aside from the fact that it once played an important part in roadside resorts for northern Michigan travelers. Luckily, we still have plenty of these little motels in the UP, whether they are still open, closed, abandoned, or just ghosts.

To stay in one of these simple little lodgings is to experience northern Michigania at its uncomplicated best. Don't believe me? Try it.