The History Museum on the Square in downtown Springfield, Missouri, just a few days ago launched an exhibit called “Order Up: The Restaurants of Route 66.”
The exhibit was made public shortly before this weekend’s Birthplace of Route 66 Festival in Springfield.
According to the Springfield News-Leader, it features a variety of eateries — past and present — along Route 66 near and in Springfield. The exhibit will be on display through Nov. 6.
Museum curator Joan Hampton-Porter told the newspaper she used photos and artifacts from the museum’s Route 66 archives and worked with Missouri State University’s special collections for the show.
This fine-dining area of the exhibit is one of Hampton-Porter’s favorites, specifically menus from establishments like the Colonial Hotel. The now-demolished building was constructed at 205 S. Jefferson Ave. in 1907 and served as a main gathering space during its heyday.
Other fine-dining artifacts include china from the Kentwood Arms Hotel, lent by Missouri State. The building, located at 700 St. Louis St., was built in 1926 and is now one of the university’s residence halls, Kentwood Hall. The hotel was known for its Crystal Dining Room, often rented for dances, banquets and political meetings.
“One of the things people don’t always (think about) is the African American travelers, business owners,” Hampton-Porter said. “Even though Graham’s Rib Station wasn’t immediately on Route 66, it was very popular and important for the local community and travelers.”
Opened in 1932, Graham’s Rib Station was a popular Springfield diner for nearly 60 years, located on the corner of Chestnut Expressway and Washington Avenue.
The exhibit includes a Graham’s menu, barbecue sauce bottle and a handful of photos of the restaurant’s interior. Up a few floors, in the “Birthplace of Route 66” permanent gallery, visitors can view the original Graham’s neon sign.
Other restaurants featured in the exhibit include A&W, Steak ‘n Shake and Red’s Giant Hamburg.
The museum has a total of five Route 66-related exhibits planned before the highway’s centennial in 2026.
The museum itself said this about the exhibit:
Once, not so very long ago, Route 66 was the best way to travel between Chicago and Los Angeles. All manner of restaurants were dotted along its two thousand miles, featuring many types of food to satisfy hungry and road-weary travelers.
Order Up! celebrates some of the most popular places to grab a bite to eat in Greene County, Missouri, during the heyday of Route 66. A few of these restaurants are still open while others, such as the elegant dining at the Colonial Hotel, have long since passed into history.
(Image from the “Order Up: The Restaurants of Route 66” exhibit by the History Museum on the Square in Springfield, Missouri)
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