Albuquerque City Council President Klarissa J. Peña and the Department of Arts & Culture last Wednesday flipped the switch on Neon @ Nine Mile Hill, a new park featuring a collection of vintage roadside signs that reflect the style and culture of Route 66.
Visitors can now experience the glow of these restored signs at Route 66 Visitor Center on the city’s far west side.
“We started this over 30+ years ago and it was a vision from the community,” Peña said of the center in a City of Albuquerque news release. “These people have never given up on the dream of this visitor center.”
A short video of the lighting ceremony can be viewed here.
Here’s another video via Albuquerque’s mayor:
Neon @ Nine Mile Hill includes new landscaping, accessible walking paths, seating areas and the collection of historic Route 66 signs on loan from a local collector. The signs include:
- Mountain Lodge motel in Carnuel
- Club Cafe in Santa Rosa
- Desert Sands motel in Albuquerque
- Monroe’s Mexican Food in Albuquerque
- Franciscan Lodge motel in Grants
- Chief Theatre in Gallup
- Crystal Cafe in Raton
The neon park will be lit nightly from 7 to 9 p.m., according to Visit Albuquerque.
The new space complements the Route 66 Visitor Center, which reopened earlier this year after upgrades.
Inside the facility, guests can view Centennial Roots, a photography exhibition celebrating the enduring spirit of Route 66 through the lens of New Mexico photographers Gabriella Campos, Jessica “Jessree” Roybal and Nathaniel Tetsuro Paolinelli.
“Route 66 Visitor Center continues to grow as a place where history, culture, and community come together,” said Diego Lucero, acting director of the Department of Arts & Culture. “Neon @ Nine Mile Hill and Centennial Roots invite visitors to experience Route 66 through the landmarks and memories that have shaped Albuquerque for generations.”
The Route 66 Visitor Center is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
For more information, go to the Route 66 Visitor Center webpage.
(Screen-capture image from City of Albuquerque video of the lighting ceremony for Neon @ Nine Mile Hill)