The Pacific, Missouri, board of aldermen voted last week to award a $2.2 million contract to rehabilitate the closed Red Cedar Inn restaurant into a visitors center. According to a report by the Washington Missourian, the board unanimously gave the deal to St. Louis-based Legacy Contracting Group to remake the Route 66 landmark into a … Continue reading Pacific awards $2.2M contract to convert Red Cedar Inn into a visitors center
Category: Museums
Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa will open to the public in May 2022
The widely anticipated Bob Dylan Center will open to the public on May 10, 2022, in downtown Tulsa, appropriately just a few feet from the Woody Guthrie Center. Early in his career, Dylan was a musical disciple of Guthrie, a folk-music icon. According to the announcement Wednesday from the center's website, the facility devoted to … Continue reading Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa will open to the public in May 2022
COVID-19 causes permanent shutdown of Powers Museum in Carthage
The COVID-19 pandemic turned out to be the final nail in the coffin for the financially struggling Powers Museum along Route 66 in Carthage, Missouri. The museum opened in 1988, though it was offering programs several years before that. The museum's board members told the Joplin Globe the facility had only enough money left to … Continue reading COVID-19 causes permanent shutdown of Powers Museum in Carthage
The Mill Museum in Lincoln to reopen to the public on May 22
In another sign of the return to normalcy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Logan County Tourism Bureau announced this week it would reopen its Mill Museum in Lincoln, Illinois, to the public at 11 a.m. on May 22. A news release from the bureau states the reopening follows more work on the historic structure, which … Continue reading The Mill Museum in Lincoln to reopen to the public on May 22
Albuquerque resident and racing legend Bobby Unser dies at 87
Bobby Unser, who cut his teeth building cars at his dad's shop along Route 66 in Albuquerque before becoming a legend with his brothers in the auto-racing world, died of natural causes Sunday in his hometown. He was 87. Unser won 35 major races during a nearly 30-year career, including the Indianapolis 500 three times. … Continue reading Albuquerque resident and racing legend Bobby Unser dies at 87
Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington reopens after long COVID-19 closure
The landmark Launching Pad Drive-In restaurant in Wilmington, Illinois, reopened this past weekend after a lengthy voluntary closure during the COVID-19 pandemic. The reopening occurred during the Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor Festival, which essentially is a 90-minute car cruise along the route in the northern part of the state. Tully Garrett and Holly … Continue reading Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington reopens after long COVID-19 closure
Owner of Outsiders House in Tulsa plans a second museum
The owner of The Outsiders House Museum in Tulsa is planning a second museum at an undisclosed location to hold items related to "The Outsiders" novelist S.E. Hinton. Danny Boy O'Connor, a member of the House of Pain hip-hop group who was deeply influenced by the book and film, purchased the ramshackle north Tulsa house … Continue reading Owner of Outsiders House in Tulsa plans a second museum
Devil’s Rope Museum in McLean reopens for the first time in a year
The Devil's Rope Museum in McLean, Texas, is back open to the public after being closed for a solid year because of COVID-19. That museum's reopening is another signal that the U.S. is slowly emerging from the pandemic. Vaccinations have reduced caseloads and hospitalizations in many states. KAMR-TV in nearby Amarillo reported: “We had just … Continue reading Devil’s Rope Museum in McLean reopens for the first time in a year
First Avenue Bridge in Barstow scheduled to be torn down
The historic First Avenue Bridge in Barstow, California, that leads to the Harvey House and one of its tenants, the Route 66 Mother Road Museum, will be demolished after a new bridge is built because it's a liability to the city. If the old bridge fell onto the BNSF railroad tracks, the railroad could bill … Continue reading First Avenue Bridge in Barstow scheduled to be torn down
Albuquerque-area officials break ground on Route 66 Visitor Center
Officials from the Albuquerque area on Monday officially broke ground on construction of the Route 66 Visitor Center on Nine Mile Hill on the city's west side. According to KRQE-TV, plans for the visitors center had been percolating for almost 30 years: Since 1992, community leaders in southwest Albuquerque have been working toward the groundbreaking … Continue reading Albuquerque-area officials break ground on Route 66 Visitor Center