The Madonna Inn: more than just a potty stop

You should have gone before we left!

You know you’ve said this on a road trip a thousand times with dread. However, if you’re driving through San Luis Obispo, California, you’ll be glad someone asked to stop. San Luis Obispo is the home of the Madonna Inn, one of the most interesting places to stop for a bathroom break in the state of California, if not the entire United States.

The Madonna Inn was built by Alex and Phyllis Madonna (no relation to the singer, of course) back in the ’50s and opened on December 24, 1958. It quickly became the hot spot to stop when traveling along the coast of California on Highway 101. San Luis Obispo’s almost exactly the midpoint between Los Angeles and San Francisco, creating a perfect place for travelers to take a break on the long drive.

The Madonna Inn where no bathroom’s complete without a waterfall

Featured as one of the Top 10 Bathrooms in the United States by the Travel Channel, the Madonna Inn men’s room often has lines outside the door. The lines aren’t made up of men, though. The lines frequently consist of women waiting for their male companion to give the “all-clear” signal so they can go inside to take a tour! This bathroom features a waterfall urinal and clamshell sinks, but the waterfall’s what all the fuss is about. When men stand in front of the urinal, a beam of light is broken, and the water falls down in front of the men as they take care of business. No flushing required.

If you have to wait for men who are actually using the waterfall, go stand in the cave located just outside the Madonna Inn’s entrance to the bathroom. You’ll find a strange, long rock jutting out from the wall of the cave, almost like a finger pointing at your head. Stand in the middle of the cave, facing the strangely-shaped rock. Now hum. Not loudly, just low and at about the volume of your speaking voice. If you get the pitch and volume just right, you should hear the humming echo throughout the cave until the sound buzzes around you. Trust me, it works!

Pretty in Madonna Inn pink!

Describing the bathroom and the cave nearby makes it sound kind of hokey and silly, but getting to the bathroom, located downstairs from the Madonna Inn steak house, sets the scene for the uniqueness. The entire inn is a spectacle of its own, not just the bathroom. The main dining room is pink. Yep, pink; like Pepto pink, not a subtle blush or rose. This is serious pink and it’s everywhere. Phyllis Madonna loved the color and used it as much as possible when designing and decorating the inn.

Everything about the Madonna Inn’s over the top and has to be seen to be appreciated. Each room’s decorated differently, the main dining room has a massive chandelier created from left over conduit from the construction, and gold cherubs hang from the ceiling. Oversized red leather chairs invite you to sit and people watch, and the hand-carved, wooden bar has seen thousands of drinks served for decades.

You walk in the door, your jaw drops, and you stare everywhere. You just can’t help yourself at the Madonna Inn.

The next time you hear the dreaded phrase, “Mommy, I have to go to the potty!” I hope you’re within stopping distance of the Madonna Inn. You’ll be happy someone had to go!

When Eileen Calandro isn’t finding unique places for a bathroom break, she is the Chief Mom Connector of Mom Central. You can learn more about her other adventures on her personal blog at calandroclan.com and connect with her on twitter at @MomCentralChat and @calandro5.

Eileen Calandro