"The Center of Nowhere," a full-length documentary produced by roadie Dave Hoekstra about the rich musical history of Springfield, Missouri, will premiere at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Fox Theatre in downtown Springfield. Hoekstra, a former writer at the Chicago Sun-Times who's traveled and written about Route 66 extensively, told Ozarks Alive that Springfield's central location, relative … Continue reading Music documentary about Springfield premieres this week
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.
The Tropics sign relighted for the first time in 15 years
The restored neon sign for the now-defunct The Tropics restaurant in Lincoln, Illinois, was relighted Sunday evening in front of a crowd of hundreds of people. The Lincoln Courier newspaper posted this short video of the countdown to the relighting: Here's what the sign looked like in the daytime, a few hours before the ceremony. … Continue reading The Tropics sign relighted for the first time in 15 years
Ariston Cafe likely will have new owners by mid-July
The historic Ariston Cafe in Litchfield, Illinois, is under contract to have new owners by mid-July after the Route 66 establishment belonged to the same family for more than 90 years. Marty and Kara Steffens, co-owners of the Maverick Steaks & Spirits restaurant in Litchfield, are scheduled to take over the reins of the Ariston by … Continue reading Ariston Cafe likely will have new owners by mid-July
Couple goes missing near Amboy Crater; man’s body found
A couple from Virginia that went missing at Amboy Crater near Amboy, California, in recent weeks is feared dead after the remains of a man's body was found near the site last weekend. Another search for the missing woman will begin this weekend. It would be the fifth fatality at Amboy Crater in less than … Continue reading Couple goes missing near Amboy Crater; man’s body found
Route 66 neon sign park in Tulsa planned for late 2019
The Route 66 Commission in Tulsa announced Wednesday a small neon-sign park is planned on the southwest side of Avery Centennial Plaza, also known as the historic 11th Street Bridge that once carried Route 66. In a Facebook post late Wednesday, the commission stated it would install three re-created neon signs in Tulsa that were … Continue reading Route 66 neon sign park in Tulsa planned for late 2019
Spivey Building in East St. Louis may be doomed
Residents are running out of patience with the historic but long-abandoned Spivey Building of East St. Louis -- the tallest skyscraper in the metro-east -- and it seems demolition will come sooner than later. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch filed a report last week about failed attempts to rehabilitate the 12-story skyscraper and how bricks and … Continue reading Spivey Building in East St. Louis may be doomed
Classic-car museum opening soon in Wilmington
A new classic-car museum, called Midwest Classics on 66, will open along Route 66 in Wilmington, Illinois, on the weekend after the July 4 holiday. According to a story in The Herald-News, car enthusiasts Jeff Hubrich and Mike Bell bought the old Ben Franklin building in downtown Wilmington. Hubrich grew up in the Wilmington and Joliet … Continue reading Classic-car museum opening soon in Wilmington
The man behind many of Tucumcari’s murals
The Route 66 town of Tucumcari, New Mexico, boasts so much public artwork, it's proclaimed itself the "City of Murals" in one of its \brochures. What many don't realize is one man -- Doug Quarles -- was responsible for creating about 85 percent of those murals. And he will create more murals in Tucumcari in … Continue reading The man behind many of Tucumcari’s murals
Design with Route 66 chosen as Illinois Bicentennial coin
A design featuring Route 66 as one of its elements was chosen as the official Illinois Bicentennial coin, the state treasurer announced Monday. The winning design out of five proposals was by Hayden Schumer, 21, from the Route 66 town of Chatham, Illinois, which was part of the original 1926-1932 alignment of Route 66 south … Continue reading Design with Route 66 chosen as Illinois Bicentennial coin
The Mill to host Celebrity Autograph Day before The Tropics relighting
In conjunction with the June 24 relighting of The Tropics sign, The Mill Museum on Route 66 in Lincoln, Illinois, is hosting a Celebrity Autograph Day and other activities from 1 to 6:30 p.m. that day. According a news release from the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway: Route 66 roadie Rod Ferguson, of Hot Rod … Continue reading The Mill to host Celebrity Autograph Day before The Tropics relighting