The Decades of Wheels complex in downtown Baxter Springs, Kansas, has been placed on the market with a Wichita real-estate firm for $5 million, barely two years after it opened. A local media outlet, the Spring River Current, helped break the story last month. "The hotel will remain open until sold but the rest of … Continue reading Decades of Wheels in Baxter Springs is for sale for $5 million
Author: Ron Warnick
I'm the editor and publisher of Route 66 News, a clearinghouse of events, information, and entertainment pertaining to historic U.S. 66, the Mother Road.
Threatt Filling Station wins grant from National Trust for Historic Preservation
The Threatt Filling Station near Luther, Oklahoma, on Thursday was one of 40 recipients of $3 million in grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. This is what the National Trust wrote about the Route 66 station in a news release: Constructed c. 1915 and still family-owned, the … Continue reading Threatt Filling Station wins grant from National Trust for Historic Preservation
Louie Keen shows mockup for future neon sign wall at Uranus Missouri
Louie Keen, the self-proclaimed "mayor" of the Uranus Missouri near St. Robert, Missouri, recently posted an artist's rendering of a neon-sign wall planned for the complex. Keen stated on Facebook that "the wall will be painted and each of the objects on the wall are big neon pieces." "We believe this will be a huge … Continue reading Louie Keen shows mockup for future neon sign wall at Uranus Missouri
Big Boy locomotive will make several stops in Route 66 towns in Missouri, Oklahoma
The legendary Big Boy No. 4014 steam locomotive owned by the Union Pacific Railroad will make stops in several Route 66 towns in Oklahoma and Missouri in August during its 2021 tour. The Big Boy will make scheduled stops at these Mother Road cities: Aug. 12, Vinita, Oklahoma, at East Flint Avenue crossing; 9:45 a.m. … Continue reading Big Boy locomotive will make several stops in Route 66 towns in Missouri, Oklahoma
Springfield came within an eyelash of losing its Route 66 Mother Road Festival
The International Route 66 Mother Road Festival in Springfield, Illinois, will return in September for its 20th edition after a one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the event landing a new manager Reporting by the Springfield State Journal-Register indicates the city came close to losing the festival entirely after it had become a … Continue reading Springfield came within an eyelash of losing its Route 66 Mother Road Festival
First phase of Illinois Route 66 Experience coming next month to Illinois State Fair
One of the entrance gates of the Illinois State Fair will be the site of the first phase of the Illinois Route 66 Experience when the fair begins on Aug. 12. The attraction will be at Gate 2, which is at the corner of Sangamon Avenue and Ninth Street in Springfield. According to a news … Continue reading First phase of Illinois Route 66 Experience coming next month to Illinois State Fair
Birthplace of Route 66 Festival canceled due to COVID-19 upsurge
Next month's Birthplace of Route 66 Festival in Springfield, Missouri, was canceled Monday due to concerns about an upturn of COVID-19 cases in the region. The festival, which typically draws between 60,000 and 80,000 people, was axed for a second straight year because of the pandemic. It had been scheduled for Aug. 13-14, including a … Continue reading Birthplace of Route 66 Festival canceled due to COVID-19 upsurge
City of Santa Fe to repair historic railroad depot
After more than a decade of tentative plans, the City of Santa Fe, New Mexico, recently agreed to spend $1 million to rehabilitate its long-decaying railroad depot in the Railyard. According to an article in the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper, the city had been discussing a face-lift for the century-old depot since 2009. And … Continue reading City of Santa Fe to repair historic railroad depot
City plans to reassemble a Lurvey’s Court cabin into a visitors center
A Route 66 Association of Missouri board member said the city of Springfield, Missouri, plans to reassemble one of the demolished cabins of the Lurvey's Court motel to serve as a visitors center at the Birthplace of Route 66 Park. KY3 in Springfield had some of the details: “The idea is to make a visitors … Continue reading City plans to reassemble a Lurvey’s Court cabin into a visitors center
Kingman to dedicate new Route 66 drive-through sign on July 24
Prompted by popular demand during the Arizona Route 66 Fun Run, a Route 66 drive-through sign will be dedicated near the Powerhouse Visitors Center in Kingman, Arizona, on the evening of July 24. A temporary drive-through "Historic Route 66" shield had been erected each year during the Fun Run at the end of the three-day … Continue reading Kingman to dedicate new Route 66 drive-through sign on July 24