Published October 23, 2024 | Updated July 23, 2026

The Satellite Motel is something you might expect along the Lincoln Highway but not something you’d expect to find in the middle of Omaha.

Sitting at the northwest corner of 60th and L Street, it and a bunch of land to the north was owned by Fred Tex Jr. whose father was a farmer who also owned a bunch of land. On that land, Fred operated a service station and garage. When the city began widening L Street to four lanes, the buildings sat in the way.

Junior Kidder, the son of Floyd and Ida Kidder, acquired the land in order to rebuild the garage. In addition to being friends with Fred, Floyd married his sister Ida. The two families were quite close as Fred married Floyd’s sister Blanche. Meanwhile, Junior, standing just four feet tall, was considered a pioneer in the drag race community in the Midwest. He and his brother Gene could often be seen racing along highway 133 north of Irvington.

He had developed an interest in automobiles at a young age, so a garage was right in his wheelhouse. He built that garage in 1963. In doing so, it left an empty parcel at the intersection. On that land he decided to build a small hotel. He wanted it to stand out from the rest while also providing him with a place to live. He settled on a design that resembled the Soviet satellite Sputnik. In order to minimize the amount of maintenance required, it was constructed using concrete walls and steel doors.

When the Satellite Motel opened in 1966, it was a time when people were fascinated with the possibility of a moon landing and the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. That likely served as inspiration for both the shape and the name. Junior also added an eye-catching neon sign with flashing lights at the end of its antenna. Its motto: “Designed for Tomorrow, Available Today.”

In the center of the motel was a core that served as Junior’s living quarters. The first floor included the dining room and kitchen while the second floor, only accessible by elevator, contained the bedrooms and bathrooms. Referred to as the penthouse, the third floor contained the living area and a bar built to suit his height. Circling the perimeter of the building and surrounding the core on the first two floors were 15 keystone shaped hotel rooms. The rooms on the first floor were accessible from the outside while those on the second-floor rooms were accessed inside and had access to a wraparound patio.

In 1977, just 11 years after he moved in, Junior passed away at the age of 55. At that point, his sister Margaret and brother-in-law Joe Kosalka operated the motel which was popular with the Aksarben horseracing crowd in addition to tourists that were drawn to its unique design.

They sold the hotel to Mahesh Patel, an independent hotel owner, in 1986. He expanded it from 15 to 45 rooms. I suspect in doing so, he removed the core living space where Junior once lived. This was at a time when many small hotels were closing due to competition from large chains. Despite the increased competition, the Satellite remained a popular choice and maintained an occupancy of 70% due to its low rates, personal service and unusual design.

The motel looks largely the same today with the exception of fresh paint and antenna lights that were damaged by hail years ago. I’ve read conflicting information on the use of the third floor. Some suggest it is used as storage while others say it is an apartment. Either way, it doesn’t appear to be available for rent. That seems like a missed opportunity.

2016 interior shots of the Satellite Motel are courtesy of Lisa LaViolette in the Forgotten Omaha Facebook group.

Content written by Omaha Exploration. Feel free to leave a comment or a suggestion. Until then, keep exploring!

More pictures

Omaha Exploration is sponsored by

Click here to contact me if you’re interested in sponsoring OE.

Sources

• Omaha World-Herald archives
• https://douglascohistory.org/satellite-or-spaceship-in-omaha/
• https://preservation.cityofomaha.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/11_Survey_Central_and_South_Omaha_2009.pdf
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/147858282/fred-c-tex
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/176399893/floyd-frederick-kidder