The Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, will receive a grant more than $1 million grant for an expansion project.
The Oklahoma Department of Commerce earmarked $1,080,000 for the expansion as part of its Route 66 Revitalization Grant Program.
A groundbreaking ceremony will take place in January, and an opening date is expected in fall 2026.
The 5,000-square-foot expansion of the museum and a 2,000-square-foot plaza will allow it to showcase even more of the historic legacy of Route 66, featuring vintage vehicles and Mother Road artifacts, as well as provide a new venue for hosting events.
“The experience will be so much better to have the ability to travel around the museum instead of back and forth in wings,” said museum founder Richard Holmes. “Also, a plaza around the gas pump and doors to allow visitors to interact with the giant sign will be game-changing.”
The Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum opened in 2016. The museum is known for its 66-foot-tall replica gas pump in front of the building.
Visitors from every U.S. state and more than 100 countries have visited and enjoyed the museum.
In honor of the Mother Road’s centennial in 2026, the Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum will be open daily, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
(Artist’s rendering of the expanded Heart of Route 66 Museum in Sapulpa, Oklahoma)