I was pressed for time, but I managed to stick around for about an hour or so to shoot pictures the grand opening Saturday of the new Kansas Route 66 Visitors Center in Baxter Springs.
The visitors center is located at 10th and Military (aka Route 66). It’s housed in a 1930 gas station that was a Phillips 66 franchise. A cost-share grant from the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program helped renovate it.
I got this photo right when two classic cars pulled in. Within five minutes after I shot this, there were probably 100 people looking around and chatting. Among the Route 66 community spied were Tommy Pike, president of the Route 66 Association of Missouri; University of New Mexico professor and oral historian Dave Dunaway; and Dean “Crazy Legs” Walker of the Kansas Route 66 Association.
Visitors Center director Carolyn Pendleton beamed much of the day.
Plenty of petroliana was on display.
One of the locals brought a fully restored 1925 Chevrolet. It will be in the center’s garage for a few days.
Visitors were allowed to write messages on one of the walls.
Here’s a compact history of the station:
KSN/KODE of nearby Joplin, Mo., has a short story and video from the event.
The Kansas Route 66 Visitors Center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, although it can be opened after hours if you call 417-438-1007. The center’s phone number is 620-856-2066, and can be e-mailed at Kansas_66_Station @yahoo.com
UPDATE: Here’s a story from KOAM-TV in Pittsburg, Kan.
Thanks for the additional pictures, Ron. I had not notices the copper roofed box window in the pictures before. It looks like they did a great job with the place.