A key official behind the proposed Route 66 Experience in Tulsa said fundraising for the multi-use museum complex is more than halfway to its $23 million goal. Ken Busby, CEO and executive director of the nonprofit Route 66 Alliance, told KJRH-TV in Tulsa about $13 million has been raised so far. Because of the site's … Continue reading Tulsa’s Route 66 Experience more than halfway to funding goal
Category: Museums
Additional funding sought for The Mill’s bathrooms
The Route 66 Heritage Foundation of Logan County seeks an extra $4,755 from the city to build handicap accessible bathrooms -- that also are transgender-friendly -- at The Mill in Lincoln, Illinois. The group hopes to have everything done so The Mill, a former Route 66 restaurant, can open as a local museum in the … Continue reading Additional funding sought for The Mill’s bathrooms
Giant gas pump at Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum nears completion
The 66-foot-tall giant gas pump planned for the Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum near Sapulpa, Oklahoma. is close to being finished. The skeleton of the giant gasoline pump is shown above. Below is about it should look like when it's finished. According to a news release from the museum: The frame of the large structure has … Continue reading Giant gas pump at Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum nears completion
Curt Teich Postcard Archive to be donated to Chicago library
TheCurt Teich Postcard Archive, which contains thousands of vintage images from Route 66 from the 1920s to the 1970s, soon will be donated to The Newberry library in Chicago. The Lake County Forest Preserve District, which had owned the archive for decades, said the deal to The Newberry likely will be finalized sometime next week … Continue reading Curt Teich Postcard Archive to be donated to Chicago library
Dobson Museum, home undergoing renovations
The Dobson Museum and historic home one block west of Route 66 in Miami, Oklahoma, now are undergoing renovations. The Miami News-Record talked to museum director Jordan Boyd: Volunteers have helped rearrange and move structures, cases and artifacts in order for the contractors to repaint walls and ceilings. The front porch of the house received … Continue reading Dobson Museum, home undergoing renovations
Museum unearths Red Chief Motel diner mural
A museum recently uncovered a nearly forgotten Native American-themed mural from the diner of the Red Chief Motel in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Officials at the Cooper Regional History Museum in nearby Upland, California, recently took the mural out of storage and put it on display. The Red Chief's owners donated the mural in 1979 when the motel was about to be … Continue reading Museum unearths Red Chief Motel diner mural
A look at “Route 66: Radiance, Rust and Revival on the Mother Road”
The "Route 66: Radiance, Rust and Revival on the Mother Road" show at the Albuquerque Museum ends in about 10 days. If you are unable to see it, this well-produced and remarkably comprehensive video from the city's television channel may suffice: https://youtu.be/O_zNQQQVhMY The show's curator said something notable, which is quoted here without irony: "You can see how things like signage have … Continue reading A look at “Route 66: Radiance, Rust and Revival on the Mother Road”
The Mill likely will reopen as a museum by April
The Mill restaurant in Lincoln, Illinois, likely will reopen as an area history museum in April after almost 10 years of restoration work on the Route 66 landmark. The Springfield State Journal-Register published a detailed story about The Mill and the plans for it. A $10,720 cost-share grant recently awarded by the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program … Continue reading The Mill likely will reopen as a museum by April
Supertam on 66 proves popular with Chinese tourists
The Supertam on 66 ice-cream shop and Superman memorabilia museum in Carterville, Missouri, has developed a following from tourists who hail more than 7,000 miles away. Owner Larry Tamminen told the Joplin Globe newspaper his store is prominently listed in a Chinese-language Route 66 guide. That would explain why Tamminen suddenly has greeted more than 600 Chinese … Continue reading Supertam on 66 proves popular with Chinese tourists
Melvena Heisch, Laurel Kane inducted into Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame
Melvena Heish and the late Laurel Kane were inducted Saturday into the Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame during ceremonies at the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma. The ceremony also celebrated the 90th anniversary of Route 66 and marked two new exhibits at the museum -- one about folk art and another of … Continue reading Melvena Heisch, Laurel Kane inducted into Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame