The Joplin History & Mineral Museum in Joplin, Missouri, reopened last week with a new Route 66 exhibit after a month-long renovation.
Here are images from Joplin’s tourism bureau of the refreshed museum:
Curator Chris Wiseman told the Joplin Globe that the face-lift comes during the centennial of Route 66, the 250th year of the United States’ founding and the 95th anniversary of the musem.
The renovation touched nearly every exhibit and every object in the museum. Wiseman said it worked on improving flow around and gave the walls a new look with fresh paint.
The crown jewel of the renovation is the permanent Route 66 display stretching the length of a museum hallway, with a special focus on Joplin. The 73-foot mural showcases the route from California to Illinois with photos, maps, historical facts and quotes. Memorabilia and artifacts from the route are in glass cases, and at the end is a replica filling station.
“Every section of the route has its own story,” Wiseman said about the display. “This is such a part of the history of Joplin. We’re in the song. … We need to have something for them to see when they stop.” […]
Part-time city of Joplin employee Ned Mayes took Wiseman’s ideas and designed the Route 66 mural. It was then printed by Sign Designs. Mayes said he put a lot of research into the project, especially with the photos and quotes. He hopes people feel the history of Route 66 and what it was like to travel the highway during its height.
KOAM-TV produced this segment about the museum’s reopening:
Museum hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
—