The Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, is planning an expansion project that will add to its size by 60% within the next few years.
According to a new release:
Executive Director Lina Holmes hopes to complete this 7,400-square-foot addition in time for the historic highway’s 2026 centennial.
“That is our goal,” said Richard Holmes, founder and president of the nonprofit Sapulpa museum.
This project, designed by Reed Architecture and Interiors, includes 5,000 square feet under roof and a 2,400-square-foot outdoor plaza. It promises a dramatic increase in the museum’s 36-vehicle inventory and other exhibits.
“We have many others we’d like to display,” said Lina, Richard’s wife. “Our founding members are all car people and they all have collections.”
This expansion will improve customer traffic flow throughout the existing 12,000-square-foot complex.
“The museum now has an L-shaped layout,” said David Reed, founder and principal of Sapulpa-based Reed Architecture. “This expansion will allow visitors to walk a complete loop through the museum and see all of the exhibits without having to backtrack or retrace any steps.”
The addition’s southern face will boast a broad glass wall allowing Route 66 travelers to gaze into the museum for the first time.
“This gives the museum a much stronger street presence,” said Reed. “That large glass façade will present a really nice backdrop to that giant gas pump.”
The plaza will connect the museum to that 66-foot-tall pump, a prominent Route 66 landmark. […]
The expansion also gives the Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum room to host seminars, meetings, banquets, and other events.
Holmes said the museum has hosted visitors from all 50 states and several foreign countries since it opened in 2016.
The museum is at 13 Sahoma Lake Road in Sapulpa, just off Route 66 on the city’s west side. It’s hard to miss — just look for the 66-foot-tall gas pump on its grounds.
(Artist’s rendering by Reed Architecture of an expanded Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum in Sapulpa, Oklahoma)
Sounds like a good plan to me!