The Oklahoma City Arts Commission this week approved an agreement to install the big Route 66 boot at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. The "Kicks 66" art project still requires approval from the city council before it can proceed, reported KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City. The original proposed location was on Classen Boulevard, on … Continue reading Commission votes to install Route 66 neon boot at Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City
Category: Museums
“Bozo” Cordova, founder of the Route 66 Auto Museum in Santa Rosa, dies
James "Bozo" Cordova, founder of the Route 66 Auto Museum in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, and a longtime mechanic in that city, died on Saturday. He was 77. According to his obituary, Cordova, as a youth, began working at various gas stations along Route 66 in Santa Rosa. After graduating from high school, he attended … Continue reading “Bozo” Cordova, founder of the Route 66 Auto Museum in Santa Rosa, dies
County commissioner pledges $250,000 to operations of Route 66 Visitor Center in Albuquerque
Bernalillo County Commissioner Frank Baca recently pledged $250,000 from his District Directed Funding account towards operations of the yet-to-open Route 66 Visitor Center in Albuquerque. The county operated the $13 million facility until April 2024, then donated it to the City of Albuquerque. The city formed a Route 66 Visitor Center Commission to determine how … Continue reading County commissioner pledges $250,000 to operations of Route 66 Visitor Center in Albuquerque
New Mexico Route 66 Museum may find new home at vacant retail store in Tucumcari
The now-closed New Mexico Route 66 Museum in Tucumcari is seeking a new home at the long-vacant Alco building on the city's west side. It may be joined by a proposed New Mexico State Police museum and memorial in that space. With luck and funding, the two museums may open in that space by 2027. … Continue reading New Mexico Route 66 Museum may find new home at vacant retail store in Tucumcari
Giant spaceman erected along Route 66 in Weatherford
A giant fiberglass astronaut was erected on Monday along Route 66 in Weatherford, Oklahoma, as a way to highlight the town's substantial space heritage. Wichita Mountains Life posted this video of the spaceman being assembled: The Weatherford Area Chamber of Commerce also posted photos of the installation: The big astronaut serves as a salute to … Continue reading Giant spaceman erected along Route 66 in Weatherford
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe begins $75 million expansion
The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Wednesday broke ground for a $75 million expansion of the facility. KRQE-TV attended the ceremony: The project will double exhibit space and add classrooms, a lecture hall, and conservation labs, while boosting visitor capacity to roughly 215,000 a year. Rooted in Northern New Mexico design, … Continue reading Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe begins $75 million expansion
Restraining order stops removal of New Mexico Route 66 Museum artifacts, demands their return
A judge on Wednesday granted a request for a temporary restraining order against the operators of the closed New Mexico Route 66 Museum in Tucumcari, New Mexico, that stops them from removing artifacts and demands the return of the ones that were moved. The petition for the order accuses the museum’s operators of “willful misconduct, … Continue reading Restraining order stops removal of New Mexico Route 66 Museum artifacts, demands their return
New Mexico Route 66 Museum in Tucumcari closes
The New Mexico Route 66 Museum in Tucumcari closed abruptly last week amid accusations from the city that it had not paid rent for years, amid an expired lease. City records indicate the lease, which was enacted and signed in 2015, expired in November 2020. The city found no records that the museum had paid … Continue reading New Mexico Route 66 Museum in Tucumcari closes
Kidzeum of Health and Science in Springfield opens a Route 66 exhibit
The Kidzeum of Health and Science in Springfield, Illinois, recently opened a new exhibit, "The Road to Adventure: Exploring Route 66." The new exhibit was part of a celebration marking the children's museum's seventh anniversary. Here are images from the event by the Springfield Chamber of Commerce: According to the Illinois Times: The Road to … Continue reading Kidzeum of Health and Science in Springfield opens a Route 66 exhibit
Expert: Muffler Men seeing a resurgence across the U.S.
Joel Baker, an expert on the Muffler Men made in the 1960s and '70s, reported something I've suspected for a few years -- that those fiberglass giants are seeing a big resurgence across the country. Baker in this recent video recounts all the activity seen with new and old Muffler Men, including along the Route … Continue reading Expert: Muffler Men seeing a resurgence across the U.S.