I missed this when it happened last summer, but Ace Sign Co. of Springfield, Illinois, restored the Sputnik sign that stood atop the Bel-Aire Motel and displays it in its museum. The Bel-Aire, a longtime Route 66 motel, was torn down last year after hundreds of code violations. According to a story on the Illinois Route 66 … Continue reading The home of the Bel-Aire Motel Sputnik
Tag: Springfield IL
Mahan gas station moved to restaurant
The historic Mahan gas station that sat at the now-closed Shea's Gas Station Museum in Springfield, Illinois, was moved Sunday about a quarter-mile north to its new owner, Fulgenzi's Pizza and Pasta, reported the State Journal-Register. Owner Jeff Fulgenzi told the newspaper he plans to restore it as much as possible to its original state. It was placed … Continue reading Mahan gas station moved to restaurant
100 years of drive-in theaters in one map
The first of many drive-in theaters opened in New Mexico in 1914. More than 100 years later, someone has compiled an interactive map that shows more than 4,600 drive-in theaters built in the United States. Below is a screen capture of the map, but the direct link to it is here (the map may take several … Continue reading 100 years of drive-in theaters in one map
Local businessman buys Shea’s Mahan gas station
The historic Mahan gas station that Bill Shea restored at his Shea's Route 66 Museum in Springfield, Illinois, before his death was bought at auction by a local business owner and will be moved in the next month to his property -- also on Route 66. Jeff Fulgenzi of Fulgenzi's Pizza & Pasta at 1168 Sangamon Ave. in … Continue reading Local businessman buys Shea’s Mahan gas station
A word from our sponsor …
If you're not already stuffed from your Thanksgiving dinner, you might have an appetite after viewing this advertisement from a Route 66 classic in Springfield, Illinois. https://youtu.be/Jc38qN0VMrw The Cozy Dog Drive-In has operated along Route 66 on Springfield's south side since 1949. although it dates back further than that. More about the restaurant's history and … Continue reading A word from our sponsor …
Online auction for Shea’s Museum items begins today
More than 200 items from the closed Shea's Route 66 Museum in Springfield, Illinois, are going up for auction online today. If you can't bid right away, no worries -- the auction continues through Nov. 22. The link to the auction site by Darrell L. Adcock Auction Service is here. I surfed over the the … Continue reading Online auction for Shea’s Museum items begins today
North Springfield suffers from a drop in tourism
The north side of Springfield, Illinois, is struggling economically because of a decrease in Route 66 tourism there, reported WRSP-TV. Apparently the situation has declined so much, alderman John Fulgenzi has met with the mayor's office and congressmen to figure out what to do about Peoria Road, aka Route 66. In the mid-20th century, if you ever … Continue reading North Springfield suffers from a drop in tourism
Auctions of Shea’s Gas Station Museum begin
A series of auctions of the Shea's Gas Station Museum in Springfield, Illinois, began Saturday, according to the State Journal-Register newspaper. The gas-station museum's longtime owner, Bill Shea, died at age 91 in December 2013. The Shea family requested offers for the museum, but apparently had no takers. Shea's son, Bill Shea Jr., said it was sad to … Continue reading Auctions of Shea’s Gas Station Museum begin
Route 66 events on same weekend draw crowds
Two Route 66 festivals on the same weekend but more than 1,500 miles part drew good crowds over the Sept. 25-27 weekend. The president of the board of directors for the 14th annual International Route 66 Mother Road Festival in downtown Springfield, Illinois, told the State Journal-Register that festival attendance was up "substantially" this year. The … Continue reading Route 66 events on same weekend draw crowds
Shea’s Gas Station Museum soon will be auctioned
Everything at Shea's Gas Station Museum in Springfield, Illinois -- including the land on which it sits -- soon will be auctioned almost two years after the patriarch's death at age 91. A bunch of outdoor equipment at the site is slated to be auctioned by Darrell L. Adcock Auction Service starting at 10 a.m. Oct. 10. Bill Shea … Continue reading Shea’s Gas Station Museum soon will be auctioned