The Oklahoma Route 66 Association is launching a new type of membership focused on engaging youth 8 to 18 years old, called the Route 66 Explorer’s Club. “Our hope is to inspire the next generation of roadies by encouraging more youth to explore Route 66,” Rhys Martin, president of the association, stated in a news … Continue reading Oklahoma Route 66 Association launches new membership for children
New Mexico Tourism requests $5M for Route 66 centennial without apparent input from state association
The New Mexico Tourism Department is requesting $5 million from the state legislature for Route 66's centennial in 2026, but a 12-member centennial coalition group apparently has no representation from the New Mexico Route 66 Association. The Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper first reported last month that the state Tourism Department appeared before the Legislative … Continue reading New Mexico Tourism requests $5M for Route 66 centennial without apparent input from state association
Fire-damaged Sk8 Liborius in St. Louis makes Missouri Preservation’s Places in Peril list
The fire-scorched Sk8 Liborius, aka St. Liborius Catholic Church, in St. Louis was announced as one of the annual Places in Peril by the Missouri Preservation nonprofit organization. Places in Peril are nominated by concerned individuals and decided upon by a committee of preservation advocates. Missouri Preservation advocates for, educates about and assists in the … Continue reading Fire-damaged Sk8 Liborius in St. Louis makes Missouri Preservation’s Places in Peril list
St. Cloud Hotel in Chandler put up for sale by its longtime owner
The 120-year-old St. Cloud Hotel building along Route 66 in Chandler, Oklahoma, has been placed on the market by its longtime owner. John Givens, who has owned the property since the 1980s, said in a telephone interview he put it up for sale a few weeks ago because he needs to devote more time to … Continue reading St. Cloud Hotel in Chandler put up for sale by its longtime owner
Ground broken for huge Three Ponies RV Park and Campground near Vinita
Local and state officials broke ground this week on the enormous Three Ponies RV Park and Campground just off Route 66 near Vinita, Oklahoma. Three Ponies will be a luxury outdoor resort containing 300 cabins and 750 RV sites. At 320 acres, the development will be the largest campground in the region, according to a … Continue reading Ground broken for huge Three Ponies RV Park and Campground near Vinita
Amarillo’s only drive-in theater closes
The Tascosa Drive-In in Amarillo, Texas, closed last Friday after more than 70 years in operation, leaving a nearly 600-mile gap between operating drive-in theaters on or near Route 66. The theater made the announcement of its closing just days before its final screening: In a follow-up message on Facebook, the owners stated they were … Continue reading Amarillo’s only drive-in theater closes
Tulsa Route 66 organization aims to restore historic buildings in the Red Fork District
The Tulsa Route 66 Main Street organization wants to restore historic buildings in the Red Fork District in southwest Tulsa before Route 66's centennial in 2026. The Red Fork neighborhood runs south of the Arkansas River and ends at 33rd West Avenue, with Route 66 right in the middle. News on 6 in Tulsa reports: … Continue reading Tulsa Route 66 organization aims to restore historic buildings in the Red Fork District
Organization seeks to reopen Saratoga Motor Hotel in Tulsa as sober-living facility by Christmas
The Wings of Freedom organization, which acquired the Saratoga Motor Hotel in Tulsa in 2020, hopes it will be partially open as a sober-living facility by Christmas. Pastor Dixie Pebworth, director of Wings of Freedom, told KJRH-TV in Tulsa he hopes to have 29 rooms on the west side of the Route 66 motel transformed … Continue reading Organization seeks to reopen Saratoga Motor Hotel in Tulsa as sober-living facility by Christmas
Joliet museum acquires the site of the world’s first Dairy Queen
The Joliet Area Historical Museum in Joliet, Illinois, recently acquired space that housed the world's first Dairy Queen restaurant. That first DQ, which opened in 1940, was in a brick, two-story building at 501 N. Chicago St., though the building itself dates to the 1890s. Greg Peerbolte, the museum's executive director, talked to the Joliet … Continue reading Joliet museum acquires the site of the world’s first Dairy Queen
Boots Court motel in Carthage opens its visitors’ center
The historic Boots Court motel in Carthage, Missouri, recently opened to the public its Boots Court Motel Visitors Center, housed in a former Sinclair gas station adjacent to the Route 66 property. The motel opened the facility during Maple Leaf Festival weekend, which is Carthage's biggest event. More about it: A grand opening for the … Continue reading Boots Court motel in Carthage opens its visitors’ center