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
Category: Museums
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.
Viking Carpet giant installed at American Giants Museum
The American Giants Museum in Atlanta, Illinois, has added another very tall artifact. This time, it's the Viking Carpet giant, originally hailing from Virginia, that was installed at the Route 66 landmark. It was purchased two years ago and restored. The Viking giant stands alongside the Phillips 66 Cowboy and a Snerd at the museum. … Continue reading Viking Carpet giant installed at American Giants Museum
City of Albuquerque plans to move former Valentine diner to Route 66 Visitor Center
The City of Albuquerque plans to move a former Valentine diner that serves as a police substation to the troubled and yet-to-open Route 66 Visitor Center by next year for the highway's centennial. The police substation currently sits at Girard Boulevard and Central Avenue (aka Route 66), though it was at Eighth Street and Central … Continue reading City of Albuquerque plans to move former Valentine diner to Route 66 Visitor Center
Church Studio in Tulsa awarded grant to build a giant egg sculpture
The Oklahoma Department of Commerce recently awarded a grant of nearly $400,000 so that a giant egg sculpture -- symbolizing the logo for Leon Russell's Shelter Records -- can be put near Church Studio in Tulsa. News on 6 in Tulsa reported that the sculpture will be on Third Street, diagonally from the studio. The … Continue reading Church Studio in Tulsa awarded grant to build a giant egg sculpture
Needles soon will commemorate 50th anniversary of Spike from “Peanuts” comic strip
A couple of entities in the Route 66 town of Needles, California, will commemorate the 50th anniversary in mid-August of the creation of Spike in the long-running "Peanuts" comic strip. A celebration first will occur from 10 a.m. to noon local time on Aug. 12 at the Colorado River Medical Center in Needles, coordinated by … Continue reading Needles soon will commemorate 50th anniversary of Spike from “Peanuts” comic strip