The Weekly Alibi, an alternative newspaper in Albuquerque, today uploaded this short documentary shot in 2001 about the Aztec Motel that once stood on Central Avenue (aka Route 66).
According to the Alibi, the film was screened at the 2001 Flicks on 66 Wild West Digital Shootout. Filmmakers were Kirsten Browne, Jen Lipow, Niels Dugan and Steve Pergam.
The motel was torn down in June 2011. It didn’t take many overnight travelers. But the knickknacks and artwork affixed to its adobe walls made it a distinctive and beloved sight in Albuquerque.
The motel, originally the Aztec Auto Court, was built in 1933, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. In 2003, the motel earned a cost-share grant from the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program to restore its neon sign, which still stands. The Aztec also was listed as a registered historic place by the City of Albuquerque.