City leaders in Springfield, Missouri, recently announced “a major sculpture” honoring Route 66 would be installed near the Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven hotel.
According to KSPR-TV in Springfield, the $1 million project will commemorate the city being the so-called “birthplace of Route 66” in 1926.
Cora Scott of the city said it would share ideas about what the monument would look like and gather input from the public and the city council.
“It will be very prominent and hopefully very beautiful as a marker for the birthplace of Route 66,” Scott said.
Springfield announced last week it would host official kickoff celebrations for Route 66’s centennial starting on April 30, 2026.
The Rail Haven at 201 S. Glenstone Ave. (aka Route 66) occupies a significant link to Route 66’s history in the area. It opened as the Rail Haven Motor Court in 1938, then was expanded in the late 1950s. Many of its original buildings are still intact, and it keeps several signs from its earlier eras.
(Image of the recreated Springfield, Missouri, directional neon sign at the Rail Haven Hotel)