The historic Southwest Museum in Los Angeles officially was put up for sale by the Autry Museum of the American West 16 years after its merger. According to LAist, the Autry spent about $20 million on renovations and upkeep since acquiring the property in 2003. "The future has arrived," Autry president and CEO W. Richard … Continue reading Southwest Museum in Los Angeles put up for sale
Category: Museums
Springfield History Museum’s new exhibits will be ‘spectacular’
A longtime columnist at the daily newspaper in Springfield, Missouri, proclaimed the History Museum on the Square's upcoming new exhibits -- including Route 66 -- this summer will be "spectacular." Steve Pokin, the Answer Man at the Springfield News-Leader, received a sneak peek of the exhibits under construction at the downtown museum from its executive … Continue reading Springfield History Museum’s new exhibits will be ‘spectacular’
Route 66 Experience Hub unveiled in downtown Bloomington
Local officials on Monday unveiled a 9-foot-tall Route 66 Experience Hub at Main and Jefferson streets in downtown Bloomington, Illinois, in an effort to boost tourism there. The interactive kiosk is designed to help point out to visitors Route 66 attractions in the city and region, reported the Bloomington Pantagraph: The hub — the 14th experience … Continue reading Route 66 Experience Hub unveiled in downtown Bloomington
Public floats ideas for Red Cedar Inn building
The city of Pacific, Missouri, has hired an architect to renovate the former Red Cedar Inn restaurant along old Route 66. What exactly the architect will do with it remains an open question. Patterhn Ives will be paid $33,690, plus reimbursable expenses up to $4,500, to draft a renovation design and provide a cost estimate. … Continue reading Public floats ideas for Red Cedar Inn building
Decades of Wheels complex in Baxter Springs should be fully open by May
The half-block-long Decades of Wheels complex in downtown Baxter Springs, Kansas, should be fully operational by May, according to an event coordinator there. Decades of Wheels held a grand opening celebration in October that included concerts from high-profile music arts, including the final concert of Steppenwolf founder John Kay before his announced retirement. However, many … Continue reading Decades of Wheels complex in Baxter Springs should be fully open by May
Tulsa Route 66 group advocates repairing, reopening 11th Street Bridge
While a lot of talk percolated about it in recent years, the Tulsa Route 66 Commission recently made it official -- it wants to reopen the historic but long-closed 11th Street Bridge, at least to pedestrian traffic. Several reasons exist for the group to become bigger bridge advocates. Next year, the city is scheduled to … Continue reading Tulsa Route 66 group advocates repairing, reopening 11th Street Bridge
Group pulls plug on Illinois basketball museum in Pontiac
The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association announced it is ending its pursuit of a Basketball Museum of Illinois in Pontiac because it fell short on fundraising. The museum was supposed to be in a vacant Kmart building in Vermillion Square in Pontiac, next to old Route 66 on the city's southwest edge. The museum also was planned … Continue reading Group pulls plug on Illinois basketball museum in Pontiac
High winds break off one of the blades of The Mill in Lincoln
High winds last week snapped off one of the blades of the The Mill museum along Route 66 in Lincoln, Illinois, and organizers are raising money to restore it. Geoff Ladd of the Route 66 Heritage Foundation of Logan County said he was alerted about the damage Thursday. According to the Lincoln Courier: “I received … Continue reading High winds break off one of the blades of The Mill in Lincoln
U.S. government shutdown affects some national parks
The shutdown of the U.S. government that began Friday night is affecting some, but not all, of the national parks and other sites managed by the National Park Service. The effect the shutdown, if it's short-term, should be low on Route 66 because it's tourism off-season, especially near the Christmas and New Year's holidays. One … Continue reading U.S. government shutdown affects some national parks
Majority of Packard collection at Afton Station sold, hauled away
Much of the late David Kane's valuable collection of Packard vehicles at Afton Station Route 66 Museum in Afton, Oklahoma, recently was sold and hauled away, adding uncertainty about the future of the station. Reports filtered in on social media that passers-by had seen the Packards being loaded up onto transport vehicles. Marlin Carpenter, who … Continue reading Majority of Packard collection at Afton Station sold, hauled away