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
Category: Attractions
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
Santa Monica Pier probably will replace its bridge in a few years
The City of Santa Monica, California, edged closer last week to a much-delayed project to replace the bridge leading to the iconic Santa Monica Pier. The city council approved an environmental document required for the $27 million project, reported the Santa Monica Daily Press. The Santa Monica Pier Bridge was built in 1939 and serves … Continue reading Santa Monica Pier probably will replace its bridge in a few years
Gearhead Curios in Galena holds its official ribbon-cutting
Though it's been open for more than a year, Gearhead Curios in downtown Galena, Kansas, held its official ribbon-cutting on Saturday. The ceremony commemorated five years of renovations on the old Texaco site by owner Aaron Perry. Rhys Martin of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association was there when the deed was done: Another set of … Continue reading Gearhead Curios in Galena holds its official ribbon-cutting
West End Service Station in Edwardsville reopens as a museum and interpretive center
The West End Service Station in Edwardsville, Illinois, reopened Friday as a Route 66-themed museum and interpretive center. The former gas station at 620 West St. (aka Route 66) hosted a ceremonial ribbon cutting that day. It received a $460,000 state grant a year ago to rehabilitate the site. It will be open for visitors … Continue reading West End Service Station in Edwardsville reopens as a museum and interpretive center