Meramec Caverns in Stanton, Missouri, will reopen and resume partial tours today after a three-month closure because of cancer-causing fumes believed to have come from a Superfund site. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that the upper portions of the caves with ancient mineral formations no longer pose a health risk … Continue reading Meramec Caverns reopens today
Category: Attractions
Giant Vess Soda bottle in St. Louis being restored
Work crews are busy restoring the giant Vess Soda bottle near Route 66 in St. Louis to mark the company's 100th anniversary. According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch: The 34-foot tall, steel bottle will get a new paint job. On Friday morning, workers removed piles of trash from the base of the bottle and … Continue reading Giant Vess Soda bottle in St. Louis being restored
Jensen’s Point near Pacific reopens
The historic Jensen's Point that overlooks Route 66 near Pacific, Missouri, reopened last weekend, almost 25 years after it had been closed to the public. According to a blog post for the Washington Missourian: The landmark is now a Pacific city park and will be preserved for future generations to enjoy. There is a paved parking … Continue reading Jensen’s Point near Pacific reopens
Your vote may help the Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch in St. Louis is one of 20 national parks that could receive a grant, but it needs votes to get it. More from the news release: In honor of the National Park Service’s Centennial, we at the National Trust for Historic Preservation have joined with National Geographic and American Express for Partners … Continue reading Your vote may help the Gateway Arch
Albuquerque adopts budget for Route 66 visitors center design
The Albuquerque City Council on Monday night passed a $526 budget that includes $1.45 million for a design of a Route 66 visitors center on the city's west side. Councilors voted unanimously to approve the budget, reported the Albuquerque Journal. There was no timetable of when the Route 66 visitors center would be designed or … Continue reading Albuquerque adopts budget for Route 66 visitors center design
City may buy Sprague Super Service station
The city of Normal, Illinois, will vote Monday on whether to buy and keep up Terri Ryburn's historic Sprague Super Service station on old Route 66. The Bloomington Pantagraph reported: The council will consider a $458,000 investment, including $229,000 to buy the property, $200,000 to improve the building and $172,000 to buy and renovate an … Continue reading City may buy Sprague Super Service station
Albuquerque budget includes designing a Route 66 visitors center
Tucked into a half-billion-dollar budget proposal for the city of Albuquerque is $1.45 million to help design a Route 66 visitors center. The Albuquerque Journal reported the Route 66 visitors center would be built on the city's west side. No money was allocated for the actual construction of the site. The visitors center wasn't in the … Continue reading Albuquerque budget includes designing a Route 66 visitors center
National parks likely will offer naming rights
The Painted Desert in Arizona won't be renamed the Sherwin Williams Painted Desert anytime soon. But many other things will be up for grabs when the National Park Service begins to look for naming rights for many parts of its facilities. The Washington Post this week published a story about this development. Hard up for money because of flat funding from … Continue reading National parks likely will offer naming rights
Chelsea pedestrian tunnel under Route 66 vandalized
The Route 66 Pedestrian Underpass Mural in Chelsea, Oklahoma, that opened to the public less than two weeks ago already has been vandalized. But at least the mural itself was spared from the defacing. Kenneth Hollingshead from Sapulpa, Oklahoma, and 9-year-old Parker Stanbro of Chelsea painted the mural's collage of Chelsea landmarks, including the 1926 Pryor Creek Bridge that once … Continue reading Chelsea pedestrian tunnel under Route 66 vandalized
Illinois county seeks another expansion of Route 66 bicycle trail
McLean County, Illinois, is seeking a federal grant to help add seven miles to a Route 66 bicycle trail outside of the Bloomington-Normal metro area. According to WJBC radio: The McLean County Board is expected to apply for federal funds to add a 4-mile stretch of the trail between Lexington and Towanda and a 3.25-mile … Continue reading Illinois county seeks another expansion of Route 66 bicycle trail