The historic Cucamonga Service Station in Rancho Cucamonga, California, likely will reopen as an automotive memorabilia museum in July, reported The Press Enterprise. Volunteers of the Route 66 Inland Empire California Association have worked many months to restore the century-old station on Route 66, including unveiling a new paint job and Richfield gas sign in … Continue reading Cucamonga Service Station may reopen by July
Category: Museums
Route 66 Alliance co-founder ‘optimistic’ about Tulsa museum
The Fox23 television station in Tulsa devoted about four minutes last week to a free-wheeling report about the Route 66 Alliance trying to raise money to build that long-planned Route 66 Experience museum near the banks of the Arkansas River in town. You'll see author Michael Wallis and Cyrus Avery II, the grandson of Cyrus … Continue reading Route 66 Alliance co-founder ‘optimistic’ about Tulsa museum
A visit to Vega
This three-minute segment about the Route 66 town of Vega, Texas, was produced by Larry Lemmons for KVII-TV's "Panhandle Spirit" series. https://youtu.be/uE0-tyAMKLQ Featured are Deborah Sue McDonald of the Oldham County Chamber of Commerce, Dot's Mini Museum, Sheriff David Medlin, Miles Bell of Bell Leather Shop, Karen and Greg Conn of the Milburn-Price Culture Museum. … Continue reading A visit to Vega
Pontiac lands another museum
The Route 66 town of Pontiac, Illinois, has gained another museum to its bulging portfolio -- one that's dedicated to basketball in the the Land of Lincoln that's scheduled to open by summer 2016. According to the Bloomington Pantagraph, the Basketball Museum of Illinois, run by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, will be built inside … Continue reading Pontiac lands another museum
National Trust shepherds preservation plan for Southwest Museum
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has added the century-old Southwest Museum of the American Indian as a "national treasure" and is devising a plan for its future, according to the Los Angeles Times. Here's what the newspaper found out: Over the next 18 months, the Washington, D.C.-based National Trust will gather ideas and build … Continue reading National Trust shepherds preservation plan for Southwest Museum
Bob Waldmire exhibit planned in Walldog museum
An exhibit of the artwork and artifacts of late Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire will be in the Walldog Mural and Sign Art Museum in Pontiac, Illinois, by May, reported the Pontiac Daily Leader. The show, named the Bob Waldmire Experience, will be made in cooperation with his brother, Buz Waldmire, who has been a … Continue reading Bob Waldmire exhibit planned in Walldog museum
Teardown schedule for Bel-Aire Motel solidifies
The historic but long-troubled Bel-Aire Motel in Springfield, Illinois, will be demolished by late summer or early fall, according to Tim Landis in his State Journal-Register business column. It earlier was reported the motel on South Sixth Street (aka Route 66) would be torn down by summer. However, demolition permits haven't yet been filed. Current … Continue reading Teardown schedule for Bel-Aire Motel solidifies
Route 66 exhibit was ‘most popular’ in Autry history
The just-completed "Route 66: The Road and the Romance" at the Autry National Center in Los Angeles was declared "the most popular show in the history of the museum" by its president. That pronouncement was made by museum president Richard West, according to Jim Farber in an email Thursday. Farber shepherded the creation of the … Continue reading Route 66 exhibit was ‘most popular’ in Autry history
County clears plan for amusement park in Williams
Coconino County approved the creation of a theme park district that could lead to a half-billion-dollar amusement park on the north side of Williams, Arizona, according to the Arizona Daily Sun. The amusement park would be on 475 acres on the city's north side, plus 21 acres in downtown for a long-proposed, $20 million Arizona … Continue reading County clears plan for amusement park in Williams
Widow of Bill Shea dies
Helen Shea, the widow of Shea's Route 66 Museum owner Bill Shea Sr., died Monday at a hospice in Springfield, Illinois, according to an obituary from Butler Funeral Homes. She was 96. A Springfield native, she worked at Sangamo Electric and helped run Shea's gas-station museum in Springfield. Bill Shea converted a Marathon station on Route 66 into a museum … Continue reading Widow of Bill Shea dies