The historic Rialto Square Theatre along Route 66 in Joliet, Illinois, soon will receive a new marquee and will repaint its iconic vertical sign thanks to a $350,000 gift from a local construction firm owner, reported The Herald-News. The new marquee will have LED screens suitable for video under the name of the theater. Ed Czerkies of … Continue reading Rialto Square Theatre will get a new marquee
Category: Preservation
Albuquerque considers turning abandoned signs into public art
Albuquerque is considering an ordinance change that would make it easier to turn vacant and abandoned signs along old Route 66 into public art, reported the Albuquerque Journal. Ellen Babcock of the Friends of the Orphan Signs nonprofit is one of those who support the idea. The newspaper said: The art can be featured on … Continue reading Albuquerque considers turning abandoned signs into public art
Bill Shea’s Route 66 Museum put up for sale
Bill Shea's Route 66 Museum in Springfield, Illinois, has been put on the market after the property cleared probate following the longtime owner's death in December, reported the Springfield State Journal-Register. The newspaper noted the museum's Facebook page had this message a few days ago: Post by Shea's Route 66 Museum. According to the newspaper: … Continue reading Bill Shea’s Route 66 Museum put up for sale
Skylark Motel tower glows again
The former Skylark Motel tower on old Route 66 in St. Clair, Missouri, shined with the glow of neon again after a ceremony Saturday night at the building, which now serves as the VFW Post 2482. According to a news release about the event, about 150 people attending cheered when the light switch was thrown … Continue reading Skylark Motel tower glows again
A glimpse at the future Billboard Museum
If you're a longtime traveler on Route 66 who wonders what happened to the old neon sign for the Rio Siesta Motel in Clinton, Oklahoma, we have an answer. It -- along with several dozen other signs and billboards -- are safely in a storage warehouse in the Oklahoma City area until the Billboard Museum … Continue reading A glimpse at the future Billboard Museum
Rancho Cucamonga station may reopen by July
The historic Cucamonga Service Station along Route 66 in Rancho Cucamonga, California, may reopen next year as a museum -- perhaps by July, in time for its centennial, according to the Los Angeles Daily News. The article details the work the nonprofit Route 66 IECA group has done since taking over the property in January: When … Continue reading Rancho Cucamonga station may reopen by July
Neon relighting of former Skylark Motel is Saturday
The relighting of the former Skylark Motel's neon -- including its distinctive glass-block tower -- will occur about dusk Saturday at the site in St. Clair, Missouri, according to a news release from the Neon Heritage Preservation Committee of the Route 66 Association of Missouri. The ceremony is scheduled to last about 20 minutes. According … Continue reading Neon relighting of former Skylark Motel is Saturday
Baxter Springs theater nominated to National Register
The Ritz Theater, a former movie house on Route 66 in Baxter Springs, Kansas, has been nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, according to a news release from the Kansas Historical Society. The building is at 1145 N. Military Ave. (aka Route 66). The theater's inclusion is all but assured, because the National … Continue reading Baxter Springs theater nominated to National Register
Cuba adds five sites to National Historic Register
The town of Cuba, Missouri, recently had big news to announce -- five sites were added in one week to the National Register of Historic Places, including two on Route 66. Cuba's new additions to the National Register were revealed in an email from the National Park Service on Thursday. The National Register listings were … Continue reading Cuba adds five sites to National Historic Register
City of Pacific may buy scenic lookout
The City of Pacific, Missouri, moved to enter into a contract to buy the Lookout on Jensen's Point off Route 66, reported the Washington Missourian. The owner, Wayne Winchester, has set a price of $300,000 for the iconic stone structure of the lookout, 2 1/2 acres and a nearby parking lot. The city hopes to … Continue reading City of Pacific may buy scenic lookout