La Hacienda Motel, which dates to the 1950s along Albuquerque's Route 66, is being converted into a food court and shopping center. Albuquerque Business First reported the property at 6214 Central Ave. (aka Route 66) will be rechristened as Hacienda Shopping Center and is expected to open by spring 2025. Karina Chavez, one of the … Continue reading La Hacienda Motel in Albuquerque being converted into a food court, shopping center
Category: Preservation
Acquaintances seek to keep open Henry’s Rabbit Ranch in Staunton
A longtime friend and a family member aim to keep Henry's Rabbit Ranch along old Route 66 in Staunton, Illinois, going through at least the highway's centennial in 2026. Bob Caldieraro, who knew founder Rich Henry for decades, said he and Henry's sister, Michelle, reopened Henry's Rabbit Ranch about two weeks after his death at … Continue reading Acquaintances seek to keep open Henry’s Rabbit Ranch in Staunton
Donated paint from Benjamin Moore helps spruce up Galena Mining & Historical Museum
Paint donated by Benjamin Moore Paints through a National Trust for Historic Preservation program helped brighten up the Galena Mining and Historical Museum along Route 66 in Galena, Kansas. Rhys Martin, president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and new manager of the National Trust's Preserve Route 66 Initiative program, recently posted this video of … Continue reading Donated paint from Benjamin Moore helps spruce up Galena Mining & Historical Museum
CORE of McLean officially takes possession of village’s historic water tower
A historic preservation group based in the Route 66 town of McLean, Illinois, announced it has assumed ownership of the village's historic water tower after saving it from the wrecking ball. CORE of McLean stated on a Facebook post last week it officially took ownership of the water tower on Sept. 10. The organization stated … Continue reading CORE of McLean officially takes possession of village’s historic water tower
Nine new grants announced through Route 66 Black Experiences Program
The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership announced nine projects through the Route 66 Black Experiences Grants program that were awarded $5,000 each. The 2024 recipients and the cities where they are based are: Choctaw Freedman Citizenship Footprints Inc. in Oklahoma City Black Business Alliance in Bloomington, Illinois Threatt Filling Station Foundation in Luther, Oklahoma Jack … Continue reading Nine new grants announced through Route 66 Black Experiences Program
Rainbow Bridge near Baxter Springs in line for funding to repaint it
One way or another, it appears the Marsh Arch Bridge, aka Rainbow Bridge, on old Route 66 near Baxter Springs, Kansas, will be repainted before the highway's centennial in 2026. According to the Galena Sentinel-Times, Gearhead Curios owner Aaron Perry and Machelle Smith of the Route 66 Association of Kansas recently approached the Cherokee County … Continue reading Rainbow Bridge near Baxter Springs in line for funding to repaint it
Nonprofit group buys long-closed Millennium Hotel in St. Louis
The nonprofit Gateway Arch Park Foundation announced last week it is under contract to buy the landmark but long-vacant Millennium Hotel in downtown St. Louis. The hotel, located between the Gateway Arch and Busch Stadium on Fourth Street, was built in the late 1960s and early 1970s. For years, it was a big focal point … Continue reading Nonprofit group buys long-closed Millennium Hotel in St. Louis
Gun museum in Claremore to host railroad exhibit as Big Boy locomotive arrives on Oct. 14
The J.M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma, will open a temporary railroad history exhibit the same day Union Pacific's historic Big Boy locomotive stops in the city on Oct. 14. According to the Claremore Progress newspaper, the Claremore museum will host "American Treasures: The Railroad Museum of Oklahoma," displaying about 150 artifacts … Continue reading Gun museum in Claremore to host railroad exhibit as Big Boy locomotive arrives on Oct. 14
Status report given on 14 neon signs on Route 66 in Albuquerque that received grants
Two neon signs along Albuquerque's Route 66 that received improvement grants are finished and two more are nearly done, according to a report by a TV station in the city. The Imperial Inn Motel sign at 701 Central Ave., which received a nearly $60,000 grant, and the Route 66 Barber sign at 5303 Central Ave., … Continue reading Status report given on 14 neon signs on Route 66 in Albuquerque that received grants
Restoration work begins on century-old jail in El Reno
Renovation work recently started on the century-old Canadian County Jail in El Reno, Oklahoma, so it eventually can reopen as a museum. Preservation El Reno, a nonprofit organization, is busy replacing the stone building's roof before starting on interior work, according to KOCO-TV in nearby Oklahoma City. The station reported: The estimated million-dollar project is … Continue reading Restoration work begins on century-old jail in El Reno