A fire Sunday night destroyed a century-old building in downtown St. Clair, Mo., that housed the St. Clair Historical Museum, reported the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Washington Missourian. The museum at 280 Hibbard St. stood about two blocks south of Route 66, and it housed a Route 66 exhibit. The building previously was an … Continue reading Fire destroys St. Clair museum
Category: Museums
Historic hotel in Seligman receives grant
A group that wants to turn the century-old Cottage Hotel in Seligman, Ariz., into a visitors center and museum received a $9,000 grant from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, according to The Associated Press and a news release from the agency. The Seligman Historical Society will use the grant to survey the property for potentially harmful asbestos … Continue reading Historic hotel in Seligman receives grant
Sapulpa tourism advocate named Citizen of the Year
Russell Crosby of Sapulpa, Okla., on Thursday was named the city's 2013 Citizen of the Year for his work on the famed trolley car on Route 66 and other tourism attractions over the years, according to the Sapulpa Daily Herald. His list of accomplishments is impressive: His contributions in Sapulpa include the transformation of an … Continue reading Sapulpa tourism advocate named Citizen of the Year
Museum seeks Route 66 postcards for exhibit
The Cibola Art Gallery and Artifacts Museum in Grants, N.M., is seeking vintage Route 66 postcards -- especially from west-central New Mexico -- for an upcoming exhibit, according to a letter to the editor in the Cibola County Beacon. The letter from the museum's staff says the exhibit will be titled "Postcards from Route 66." They … Continue reading Museum seeks Route 66 postcards for exhibit
Number of visitors to Pontiac increases again in 2013
The number of tourists to the Route 66 town of Pontiac, Ill., increased for the fourth straight year in 2013, according to numbers released this week by Pontiac Tourism. Tourism director Ellie Alexander said overall tourism numbers rose by 5 percent during the year, to a record 24,173. Pontiac saw robust increases in international visitors … Continue reading Number of visitors to Pontiac increases again in 2013
Oklahoma senator again criticizes Route 66 preservation program
U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) again targets the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program with his "Wastebook," an annual publication released Tuesday that cites alleged government waste. In the publication, Coburn criticized the $81,224 the program awarded in cost-share grants to restore the roof of the historic DeCamp Junction near Staunton, Ill., the climate-control system of … Continue reading Oklahoma senator again criticizes Route 66 preservation program
Bill Shea, owner of Shea’s 66 Gas Station Museum, dies at 91
Bill Shea, a longtime owner of a gas station in Springfield, Ill., and then curator of a gas-station museum on Route 66, died in his sleep today at age 91, according to a post on the Shea's Route 66 Museum Facebook page. Funeral arrangements will be announced later. Shea started in the gas-station business shortly … Continue reading Bill Shea, owner of Shea’s 66 Gas Station Museum, dies at 91
Oklahoma Route 66 Museum exhibit focuses on music of the road
The Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton has started a new exhibit that focuses on the music and music artists who helped make Route 66 famous, according to a news release from the museum. "Music for the Mother Road: Route 66" features displays and interactive pieces about the history of radio and the popular songs … Continue reading Oklahoma Route 66 Museum exhibit focuses on music of the road
Walldog Museum offering customized holiday cards
The International Walldog Mural & Sign Art Museum in Pontiac, Ill., is offering customized holiday greeting cards of the town's famous Route 66 mural at a discounted price during the month of November, according to a news release from Pontiac Tourism. According to the news release: The picture can include you and your family in front … Continue reading Walldog Museum offering customized holiday cards
A visit to Red River Steakhouse
KC Keefer Photography continues its "Genuine Route 66 Life" video series with a visit to the Red River Steakhouse in McLean, Texas. In the clip is an interview with proprietor Will Frost, who may be younger than you'd expect. https://youtu.be/wLmyqFuLWvU We've found the Red River Steakhouse to be an ideal stopping place if our schedule … Continue reading A visit to Red River Steakhouse