What is Massachusetts' loss apparently is Oklahoma Route 66's gain. The Hi-Way Cafe in Vinita, Oklahoma, recently acquired the so-called "Big Indian" that stood outside the Native and Himalayan Views, formerly the Big Indian Shop, for nearly 50 years in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. According to the Greenfield Recorder, the 20-foot-tall fiberglass statue was the subject … Continue reading ‘Big Indian’ statue in Massachusetts moving to Hi-Way Cafe in Vinita
Category: Attractions
President Biden designates new monument near Grand Canyon
President Joe Biden this week designated nearly 1 million acres as a new national monument near Grand Canyon National Park. The national monument will be called Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. "Baaj Nwaavjo" means "where tribes roam" in the native Havasupai language, and "I'tah Kukveni" means "our ancestral footprints" in the Hopi tribal … Continue reading President Biden designates new monument near Grand Canyon
New Mexico Route 66 Association helps launch effort to repair hail-damaged neon in Tucumcari
The New Mexico Route 66 Association and Tucumcari MainStreet are joining forces to repair a dozen historic Route 66 neon signs in Tucumcari, New Mexico, that were damaged by a severe hailstorm in late May. In a news release, the association stated its damage assessment identified more than 60 pieces of broken neon tubing among … Continue reading New Mexico Route 66 Association helps launch effort to repair hail-damaged neon in Tucumcari
Switch thrown at Legends Neon Park at Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield
Re-creations or restorations of neon signs for long-defunct Route 66 businesses glowed anew on Wednesday night during a lighting ceremony at the Legends Neon Park at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield. The neon park at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Route 66 Experience contains the signs of the A. Lincoln Motel, the Coliseum Ballroom, Chain … Continue reading Switch thrown at Legends Neon Park at Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield
Design for Albuquerque’s Rail Trail includes a 25-foot LED neon tumbleweed
The City of Albuquerque several days ago unveiled the design for its Rail Trail that includes a 25-foot LED neon tumbleweed. The Albuquerque Journal reports the 7-mile, $60 million walkway and cycling trail that will circle downtown will highlight the history of the railroad and Route 66. The city hopes to begin construction by fall. … Continue reading Design for Albuquerque’s Rail Trail includes a 25-foot LED neon tumbleweed
Huge, American Heartland theme park planned for Vinita
An American Heartland theme park that is expected to cost billions of dollars to build and draw 5 million visitors a year is coming to the Route 66 town of Vinita, Oklahoma. The developers have an ambitious timeline of opening by 2026, which would be the centennial of Route 66. According to News on 6 … Continue reading Huge, American Heartland theme park planned for Vinita
Totem Pole Park in Foyil will be the source of lecture series, workshops next month
Ed Galloway's fabled Totem Pole Park in Foyil, Oklahoma, will be the center of a lecture series and workshops in August. Artist Erin Turner is designing the "Totem as Monument and Archive" programming to offer a historical and contemporary context for the park, which is three miles off Route 66 on Highway 28A. Totem Pole … Continue reading Totem Pole Park in Foyil will be the source of lecture series, workshops next month
Fire destroys SK8 Liborius church skate park in St. Louis
A fire late Wednesday gutted the SK8 Liborius Social Club, formerly the historic St. Liborious Catholic Church, in north St. Louis. Drone footage on Thursday morning from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch showed the blaze destroyed everything inside, leaving only the walls standing. No injuries were reported, but the burning embers ignited fires on several other … Continue reading Fire destroys SK8 Liborius church skate park in St. Louis
Route 66 Visitor Center in Albuquerque quietly opens; grand opening tentatively set for August
The Route 66 Visitor Center on Albuquerque's west side quietly opened to the public on June 21, the first day of summer, and it reportedly will hold a grand opening celebration sometime in August. The center at 12300 Central Ave. SW (aka Route 66) will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily until … Continue reading Route 66 Visitor Center in Albuquerque quietly opens; grand opening tentatively set for August
One wall of Tulsa’s Rose Bowl collapses due to high winds several days before
The western wall of the Rose Bowl Events Center in Tulsa collapsed Tuesday, weakened by 100 mph winds from severe storms just days before. It had appeared that Tulsa's iconic Route 66 buildings had emerged unscathed from storms that have left thousands without power, but that apparently was not the case. An earlier report by … Continue reading One wall of Tulsa’s Rose Bowl collapses due to high winds several days before