A few hours after I filed the story about the impending announcement Wednesday about the Route 66 Experience museum complex in Tulsa, I received architect renderings of the building that's set to open sometime in 2018. As you can see, it differs markedly from the artist rendering a decade ago (courtesy of Dana Dawson at … Continue reading A closer look at the Route 66 Experience design
Developer appeals city’s decision for De Anza project
A developer that finished second in bids to redevelop the historic De Anza Motor Lodge in Albuquerque is appealing the city's choice for the project, according to the Albuquerque Journal. Jerry Landgraf of De Anza Co., which proposed converting the long-closed Route 66 motor lodge into a 65-unit boutique motel, said the city's scoring system on … Continue reading Developer appeals city’s decision for De Anza project
Tulsa Route 66 museum’s opening finally has a date
The Route 66 Experience museum near the banks of the Arkansas River in Tulsa has been in the planning stages for more than a decade. Now, according to the Tulsa World, the city will announce plans later today to have what will be a $19.5 million project open by 2018, with a groundbreaking by summer 2016. The … Continue reading Tulsa Route 66 museum’s opening finally has a date
Odell Station to host commemoration for Lenore Weiss
Odell Station in Odell, Illinois, will host a commemoration Saturday to the late Lenore Weiss, who was one-half of the couple instrumental in getting the historic Route 66 gas station restored, according to the Pontiac Daily Leader. The event at from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the station will be a fundraiser for … Continue reading Odell Station to host commemoration for Lenore Weiss
Teaser film out about Will Rogers, Route 66
A few weeks ago, the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma, announced it was working with Kirkpatrick & Kinslow Productions in nearby Tulsa to produce a three-minute film about the link between Oklahoma movie star and humorist Will Rogers and Route 66. “Route 66: The Mother Road” author Michael Wallis and Jennifer Rogers-Etcheverry, great-granddaughter of … Continue reading Teaser film out about Will Rogers, Route 66
Bel-Aire sputnik will be restored for sign company’s museum
For those who worried about the fate of the sputnik structure atop the doomed Bel-Air Motel in Springfield, Illinois, do not worry. Ace Sign Co. of Springfield removed the sputnik over the weekend and eventually will restore it for its neon museum that coincidentally opens today, according to the State Journal-Register. The fiberglass ball of … Continue reading Bel-Aire sputnik will be restored for sign company’s museum
Remington Rand Building in St. Louis added to National Register
The midcentury modern Remington Rand Building in St. Louis' Central West End was added to the National Register of Historic Places, effective May 5, according to an email Friday from the National Park Service. The three-story building, designed by architect Gyo Obata with the HOK firm and built in 1957, is located at 4100 Lindell … Continue reading Remington Rand Building in St. Louis added to National Register
Artist restores his Route 66 mural in Webb City
John Biggs, who created in 1993 a large Route 66 mural on a building in downtown Webb City, Missouri, has restored the landmark, according to the Joplin Globe. The mural on the Bruner Pharmacy building at Main and Daugherty streets (map here) portrays several landmarks on Route 66 from Chicago to Webb City. The location … Continue reading Artist restores his Route 66 mural in Webb City
Dead Route 66 travelers in Springfield identified
Two men traveling Route 66 by motorcycle who were found dead last week in separate motel rooms in Springfield, Missouri, have been identified. According to The Guardian newspaper in London, James Bethel, 44, former leader of the Eurasian Natural Resources Corp.'s copper and cobalt division in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gerrit Strydom, … Continue reading Dead Route 66 travelers in Springfield identified
Tourism group may take part ownership of Tropics sign
The Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County is considering an agreement with the city of Lincoln, Illinois, and original owners of the historic Tropics neon sign in an effort to finally restore it, according to the Lincoln Courier newspaper. The sign initially was donated to the city by the Johnson family, who once owned the … Continue reading Tourism group may take part ownership of Tropics sign