HOWELL – If you are from Howell, you are likely familiar with the Moon Motel. Whether you remember the motel in its heyday when travelers would stay the night there on their way to south Jersey, or as an abandoned husk sitting on the side of Route 9, or as simply a cool looking retro sign with nothing else surrounding it, most people who have been in Howell are familiar with the Moon Motel. Now it appears that the land that the motel once stood on is up for sale.
The Moon Motel was built in 1966, before Howell experienced its major population booms of the 70s and 80s. Back then it was largely used as an overnight stop for families going down to the Jersey Shore. It was also used a lot by truck drivers who were just trying to find a place to turn in for the night. Several online stories have surfaced, making it clear that the motel played a major role for locals who grew up in the area.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and for the motel, they ended in a rather sudden way. According to several reports, the motel closed in 2013 due to a fire that started in one room because of a lit cigarette. That fire spread to the rest of the motel, forcing people to evacuate and forcing the motel to close due to the structural damage the fire caused. The fire was determined to be accidental by the Howell Fire Bureau, however it was also discovered that the fire detectors were disabled.
Two years later, the building was demolished, but its iconic sign remained as a landmark. However, sometime during 2025, the sign was removed with the intent of restoring the roadside landmark.
Now, the same plot of land that once housed the Moon Motel is up for sale. In early December, Atlantic Health had proposed to build a three-story medical office building, called the Howell Pavilion, on the property. However it is unclear what happened to this proposal as the property was put up for sale on January 19. It is also unclear what will happen with the sign once it is restored.
According to a real estate company called Logistic Realty LLC, the site of the once iconic motel is a 4.27 acre property at 4650 U.S. Highway 9. The entire site has been listed at a total of $4.7 million.
The property is zoned for highway commercial use as it is between several businesses that are grouped up and down Route 9. In addition, with the growing population of Howell township and the fact that it is on one of the major roads that goes right through the town, the area where the motel once stood is considered prime real estate for business redevelopment and commercial use.
With citizens in the area wary of overdevelopment, it remains to be seen what will become of this prime plot of land that once housed one of Howell’s most beloved landmarks.
