A promotional video for Kansas Route 66

Check out this well-made, three-minute video for Kansas Route 66, made for Kansas Byways. Route 66 MASTER from Gizmo Pictures on Vimeo. The segment was produced by Gizmo Pictures, a film and video production company in Topeka, Kansas. (A scene from downtown Baxter Springs, Kansas, by Aaron Sumner via Flickr)

Bloomington lands a grant for new visitors center

As expected, the Illinois Office of Tourism officially pledged Wednesday to give Bloomington a $249,000 grant to help build a new visitors center downtown, according to WJBC radio. The museum will prominently feature Route 66 in its exhibits. Illinois Tourism director Jen Hoelzel said the grant coincides with the office's effort to bring more international tourists to Illinois. Hoelzel said … Continue reading Bloomington lands a grant for new visitors center

Front Street Garage in Galena will be renovated

The long-closed Front Street Garage in Galena, Kansas, has a new roadie owner, and his long-term plans are renovating it into a Ford Model A museum, according to KODE-TV. The garage, also known as the Bradshaw Garage, is directly across the street, aka Route 66, from Cars on the Route -- known as the home … Continue reading Front Street Garage in Galena will be renovated

Will the Route 66 festival transform Kingman?

The Kingman Daily Miner newspaper posted an interesting article this week about Route 66's growing economic influence and whether the upcoming International Route 66 Festival will transform the host town of Kingman, Arizona. The article borrows heavily from the influential Route 66 Economic Impact Study and anecdotal evidence on how Route 66 affects other towns, … Continue reading Will the Route 66 festival transform Kingman?

Replica of historic hotel lobby re-created in Oklahoma Route 66 Museum

As if you don't have enough good reasons to visit the marvelous Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Celina Hawkins of the Odessa American in Texas explains why there's another: On Thursday, relatives and many others gathered inside the Route 66 Museum as the newest exhibit – an exact replica of the lobby of the … Continue reading Replica of historic hotel lobby re-created in Oklahoma Route 66 Museum

New Mexico Route 66 Museum now has regular hours

The New Mexico Route 66 Museum in Tucumcari has been operating with regular hours for about two weeks. Hours on weekdays are from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. And it plans to soon add Saturday hours as well. According to the museum's website: The New Mexico Route 66 Museum will offer a unique look into … Continue reading New Mexico Route 66 Museum now has regular hours

Pigeon Museum in Oklahoma City holding grand opening

A new museum aimed at Route 66 travelers and other tourists is holding a grand opening Saturday in Oklahoma City -- the American Pigeon Museum and Library. The Oklahoman newspaper produced this video about it: The newspaper said: The museum and library will contain numerous photographs, paintings, trophies, artifacts, collectables and much more memorabilia. [...] … Continue reading Pigeon Museum in Oklahoma City holding grand opening

Illinois Route 66 Museum marks 10th anniversary Saturday

It's hard to believe, but the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum in Pontiac already is marking its 10th anniversary Saturday. According to a news release from Pontiac Tourism: To commemorate this milestone, the museum will hold a special open house on that day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be … Continue reading Illinois Route 66 Museum marks 10th anniversary Saturday

Bloomington moves forward on Route 66 tourism center

Even though it doesn't have all the money needed for the project, the McLean County Museum of History in Bloomington, Illinois, is taking bids on building a tourism center that will highlight Route 66, reported the Bloomington Pantagraph. The project would turn the south lawn of the museum square into a plaza pointing visitors to the … Continue reading Bloomington moves forward on Route 66 tourism center

A chat with Laurel Kane at Afton Station

KC Keefer continues his Genuine Route 66 Life video series with an interview with Laurel Kane, co-owner of Afton Station in Afton, Oklahoma. Afton Station, a former gas station on Route 66 in town, was converted into a display area for a Packards collection and as a visitors center for Route 66 travelers. https://youtu.be/B3NpM-BRY9k Kane … Continue reading A chat with Laurel Kane at Afton Station