The large rooftop letters at the closed and increasingly dilapidated Gardenway Motel in Villa Ridge, Missouri, were removed Monday and eventually will be displayed at the forthcoming museum and visitor center at the Red Cedar Inn in nearby Pacific, Missouri. Longtime Route 66 enthusiast Joe Sonderman posted photos on Facebook of workers removing the large … Continue reading Rooftop letters taken down from Gardenway Motel in Villa Ridge
Memorial Hall in Joplin added to National Register of Historic Places
The nearly century-old Memorial Hall in Joplin, Missouri, has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, according to a recent email from the National Park Service that administers the program. The listing was effective Oct. 7. Memorial Hall sits one block south of Seventh Street, aka Route 66, in the city. Memorial Hall … Continue reading Memorial Hall in Joplin added to National Register of Historic Places
Howdy Burger is 31st sign to benefit from Tulsa’s Route 66 neon sign grant program
The Howdy Burger restaurant on the 11th Street alignment of Route 66 in Tulsa is the 31st sign to be created or renovated through the city's Route 66 neon sign grant program. The sign is an animated design, with its main character tossing a lasso. Howdy Burger is at 1516 E. 11th St. (aka Route … Continue reading Howdy Burger is 31st sign to benefit from Tulsa’s Route 66 neon sign grant program
Tulsa Route 66 Commission recommends moving concrete planters to the east side
The Tulsa Route 66 Commission has recommended moving about one-third of the city's concrete Route 66 planters to the 11th Street and Mingo Road area to better identify the Mother Road there. According to Public Radio Tulsa, 46 of the 48 original planters purchased nearly 20 years ago still are around (two were destroyed in … Continue reading Tulsa Route 66 Commission recommends moving concrete planters to the east side
Few in Doolittle remember once-famous namesake who visited 75 years ago
Seventy-five years ago this month, Army Lt. Gen. Jimmy Doolittle visited the little Route 66 town in central Missouri that was named after him just two years before. Thousands attended the event. Today, a St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter went to Doolittle (population 648) but found few people who knew about the origin of the town's … Continue reading Few in Doolittle remember once-famous namesake who visited 75 years ago
Creator of Giganticus Headicus to unveil 16-foot art creation on Nov. 6
Gregg Arnold, who created the 14-foot-tall Giganticus Headicus tiki sculpture nearly two decades ago, will unveil a 16-foot-tall art creation at the grand opening on Nov. 6 at the Antares Point visitor center and gift shop northeast of Kingman, Arizona. The grand opening from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Antares Point, at mile marker … Continue reading Creator of Giganticus Headicus to unveil 16-foot art creation on Nov. 6
New website offers self-guided tours of Route 66 in Tulsa
A new website is offering self-guided tours of historic landmarks in Tulsa, including Route 66. Root Tulsa Historic Tours offers tours of the Greenwood District and Route 66 through the website directly or by scanning a QR code with a smartphone, according to a report from KTUL in Tulsa. It's a partnership between Root Tulsa … Continue reading New website offers self-guided tours of Route 66 in Tulsa
Old State Capitol in Springfield reopens to tours
The Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois, where a young politician named Abraham Lincoln served in the state Legislature and delivered his "House Divided" speech, reopened to tours last week after months of interior renovations. The Associated Press reports exterior work on the Capitol's dome is continuing, but indoor work on plaster and painting was … Continue reading Old State Capitol in Springfield reopens to tours
The Landing Hub boutique hotel opens in Pacific
The Landing Hub, a contactless boutique hotel, opened a few weeks ago in Pacific, Missouri, a short drive north of Route 66 in town. The Washington Missourian published a feature about the hotel and its owners, Jen Blakely and Shane Mayer: The Landing Hub’s 15 rooms have occupancies of 2, 7, 8, and 12, with … Continue reading The Landing Hub boutique hotel opens in Pacific
Ed Debevic’s diner reopens at a new location in Chicago
Ed Debevic's restaurant, famous for its 1950s decor and theatrically surly waitstaff, has reopened in the Streeterville area of Chicago after its previous River North location was closed and demolished about six years ago. The old Ed Debevic's was north of Route 66 but provided such a unique experience that many Route 66 travelers included … Continue reading Ed Debevic’s diner reopens at a new location in Chicago