The Tulsa Route 66 Commission on Monday will begin taking applications to restore old neon signs or create new ones along the city's stretch of the Mother Road. According to Public Radio Tulsa: The grants will provide dollar-for-dollar matches up to $10,000 for half the cost of new or refurbished neon signs along both alignments … Continue reading Tulsa to begin taking neon-sign applications Monday
Category: Preservation
Southwest Museum in Los Angeles put up for sale
The historic Southwest Museum in Los Angeles officially was put up for sale by the Autry Museum of the American West 16 years after its merger. According to LAist, the Autry spent about $20 million on renovations and upkeep since acquiring the property in 2003. "The future has arrived," Autry president and CEO W. Richard … Continue reading Southwest Museum in Los Angeles put up for sale
Painted Desert Trading Post gets a new roof
The ongoing quest to stabilize the long-closed Painted Desert Trading Post building in eastern Arizona received a major boost last week when volunteers installed a new roof on the structure. Workers -- many with the Route 66 Co-op that owns the landmark -- stripped off the porous and rotted old roof, installed a new roof … Continue reading Painted Desert Trading Post gets a new roof
A few thoughts on the AP’s story on the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program
A few days ago, Russell Contreras, a reporter with the Associated Press' Albuquerque bureau, filed a story last week about the imminent demise of the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. Because AP stories fly all over the globe and are picked up by dozens of news outlets, I thought I'd better address some of the … Continue reading A few thoughts on the AP’s story on the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program
Aztec Hotel of Monrovia faces June 5 deadline for finishing improvements
The owner of the Aztec Hotel in Monrovia, California, faces a June 5 deadline to finish improvements or he'll have to do a lot more work on the historic Route 66 property. Qin Han Chen bought the hotel at 311 W. Foothill Blvd. (aka Route 66) in 2012 after it was foreclosed. It had closed … Continue reading Aztec Hotel of Monrovia faces June 5 deadline for finishing improvements
Castaneda Hotel’s south wing likely will open April 1
The south wing of the historic Castaneda Hotel in Las Vegas, New Mexico, likely will open to overnight travelers for the first time in decades on April 1. The hotel's Facebook page posted this brief announcement on Monday: Friday we passed our elevator and fire inspections 😇. We should be able to open the south wing … Continue reading Castaneda Hotel’s south wing likely will open April 1
Original Route 66 sign being auctioned for Painted Desert Trading Post project
A longtime Route 66 enthusiast is offering an original Route 66 sign for auction to help fund the stabilization of the Painted Desert Trading Post in eastern Arizona. The sign originally came from Texas. According to the description on eBay: The sign shows some minimal indications of wear and use. This is a heavy duty, … Continue reading Original Route 66 sign being auctioned for Painted Desert Trading Post project
Relighting of Ariston Cafe’s neon signs, windows set for May 4
A relighting ceremony for the neon signs and window accents for the Ariston Cafe in Litchfield, Illinois, will be scheduled for the evening of May 4. The restoration of the signs and accents is a joint project between the Route 66 Association of Missouri and the Illinois Route 66 Association. The Missouri association has been … Continue reading Relighting of Ariston Cafe’s neon signs, windows set for May 4
Coleman Theatre marks 90th year with fundraising campaign
The Coleman Theatre in Miami, Oklahoma, is marking its 90th anniversary with a "90 Dollars to Celebrate 90 Years" campaign to upgrade its lighting and sound systems. KSNF-TV reports the theater wants to raise $175,000 for the projects. The current sound and lighting systems are more than 20 years old and not up-to-snuff for many … Continue reading Coleman Theatre marks 90th year with fundraising campaign
Long-closed Bono’s Deli in Fontana reopens as Bono’s Italian Restaurant
The long-closed Bono's Deli, a fixture along Route 66 in Fontana, California, for decades, recently reopened as Bono's Italian Restaurant. And, yes, the Bono's Historic Orange still is there. Lynne Miller of the California Historic Route 66 Association wrote this on the route66 yahoogroup: It was always a dream of property owner Joe Bono to … Continue reading Long-closed Bono’s Deli in Fontana reopens as Bono’s Italian Restaurant