Original Bagdad Cafe Site

Route 66, Bagdad, CA
Phone:

East < GO > West

If you're looking for the site of the original Bagdad Cafe, see postcard below, or the town of Bagdad itself for that matter, keep your eyes wide open as you zip along historic Route 66. This lonely little tree between the Mother Road and the railroad tracks marks the spot. It's about eight miles west of Amboy.

The cafe had an active dance floor, making it a sort of social center for the area. Sometimes when we stop at a place like this I try to imagine the sounds of happy people enjoying a night away from the toil of living in such an environment. Or maybe the relaxing conversations of a traveler stopping for a bite to eat and a bit of respite from the road and maybe even a night in one of the nearby cabins.

The cafe was the inspiration for the film of the same name but the actual cafe featured in the film is in Newberry Springs, about 40 miles west.

About 4 - 500 feet west of this spot a road named Bagdad Way veers off to the southwest.

GPS: 34.583073, -115.875881

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Vintage Advertising Highlights

BAGDAD CAFE
On Highway 66 halfway between Barstow and Needles, California. Without leaving California one may pass the Santa Fe railroad whistle stops of Bagdad, Paris, Moscow, Cairo, Delhi, Havana, Cadiz, Java, Siberia and Pekin.

NOTE: I think this is a mid-60s postcard, but it's not very Route 66 related beyond the image. It does show how important local businesses thought aggressive signage was when it came to attracting travelers on 66.
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Photo(s): 2013