A survey for the Tulsa Route 66 Master Plan that drew more than 1,000 respondents indicated a strong preference for historic preservation along the Route 66 corridor. Public Radio Tulsa first reported on some of the results earlier this week: Nearly three in four responses picked incentives for neon signs, facade improvements and building rehab … Continue reading Tulsa Route 66 Master Plan survey respondents want more preservation
Category: Signs
Brookshire Motel in Tulsa set afire for the fourth time
An arsonist torched the doomed Brookshire Motel along Route 66 in Tulsa for a fourth time in less than two years Monday night. According to a report in the Tulsa World, the fire first was reported at 5:45 p.m. No one was in the abandoned motel at the time, and no injuries were reported. A … Continue reading Brookshire Motel in Tulsa set afire for the fourth time
Route 66 neon sign park takes shape in Tulsa
In recent days, workers have installed three replicas of classic neon signs that once stood along Route 66 in Tulsa. Replicas of the Will Rogers Motor Court, Oil Capital Motel and Tulsa Auto Court signs were installed in a small park on the south end of the historic 11th Street Bridge that once carried Route … Continue reading Route 66 neon sign park takes shape in Tulsa
Route 66 MotorHeads erects its ‘world’s largest Route 66 emblem’
Route 66 MotorHeads Bar, Grill and Museum in Springfield, Illinois, on Friday erected its "world's largest Route 66 emblem." According to the Springfield State Journal-Register, the sign measures 32 by 32 feet. It was attached to 60-foot-tall poles that once carried a Stuckey's sign. Route 66 MotorHeads is housed in a former Stuckey's. The sign … Continue reading Route 66 MotorHeads erects its ‘world’s largest Route 66 emblem’
Route 66 MotorHeads will dedicate ‘world’s largest Route 66 sign’ on Friday
The Route 66 MotorHeads Bar, Grill and Museum in Springfield, Illinois, will celebrate the installation of the "world's largest Route 66 sign" on Friday evening. The big event will take place at 6 p.m. Friday when the massive sign is mounted on two 60-foot-tall poles that once held a Stuckey's sign in front of the … Continue reading Route 66 MotorHeads will dedicate ‘world’s largest Route 66 sign’ on Friday
Fire guts restaurant building at Road Runner’s Retreat near Chambless
A likely arson fire destroyed the restaurant building Wednesday at the long-closed Road Runner's Retreat complex near Chambless, California. Beth Murray reported the fire began about 4:15 p.m. The sign and service station remained intact, but the restaurant was "a total loss." After the bad news, Murray set up a fundraiser with a goal of … Continue reading Fire guts restaurant building at Road Runner’s Retreat near Chambless
Central Camera in Chicago to reopen in a storefront next door in September
Central Camera, a mainstay on Route 66 in downtown Chicago for over a century that burned during unrest in late May over the George Floyd police-brutality case, will reopen in September in a temporary store as the original is rebuilt. Block Club Chicago had the story Tuesday: The store at 228 S. Wabash Ave. will … Continue reading Central Camera in Chicago to reopen in a storefront next door in September
Museum rescues House of Spirits sign from Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles
The Museum of Neon Art last week rescued the iconic House of Spirits signs that stood in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles after a major fire closed the business. The museum, based in nearby Glendale, California, also accepted the donations of the liquor store's storybook house with the crooked chimney, white picket fence … Continue reading Museum rescues House of Spirits sign from Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles
A chat with Mary Beth Babcock, owner of Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios on Route 66
Last week, Tim Landes of TulsaPeople magazine sat down for a chat with Mary Beth Babcock, owner of the Buck Atom's Cosmic Curios on 66 shop in Tulsa. For the uninitiated, the gift shop in a repurposed gas station at 1347 E. 11th St. (aka Route 66) not only commissioned its own Muffler Man fiberglass … Continue reading A chat with Mary Beth Babcock, owner of Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios on Route 66
Vintage Firestone station in downtown Albuquerque closes
Firestone Complete Auto Care, a fixture along Route 66 in downtown Albuquerque since at least the early 1930s, closed and its classic neon sign was hauled away about a month ago. The auto-repair shop was at Seventh Street and Central Avenue (aka Route 66). Downtown Albuquerque News (subscription required) reported: In response to questions, Firestone … Continue reading Vintage Firestone station in downtown Albuquerque closes