The new Route 66 Interpretive Center, located in a former gas station in Edwardsville, Illinois, will be open to the public by late spring or summer once remodeling for the project is finished. The building at St. Louis and West streets (aka Route 66) also once served as a dental office. Last summer, Great Rivers … Continue reading Route 66 Interpretive Center in Edwardsville likely will be open by summer
Category: Attractions
Visits to Gateway Arch in St. Louis rose by 41% in 2022
The number of people who visited the iconic Gateway Arch in downtown St. Louis increased by 41% from 2021 to 2022 but still were below pre-pandemic levels. According to reporting by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the 1.62 million people who visited the Arch last year still was 22% below the levels seen in 2019, before … Continue reading Visits to Gateway Arch in St. Louis rose by 41% in 2022
Local tribe closes Grand Falls site northeast of Flagstaff
Grand Falls, also known as Chocolate Falls or Adah’iilíní, became a popular tourist site because of its spectacular waterfalls during monsoon or snowpack-melt seasons. It sits less than an hour's drive from downtown Flagstaff, Arizona. It's open to tourists no longer. According to the Arizona Daily Sun, residents of the Leupp Chapter of the Navajo … Continue reading Local tribe closes Grand Falls site northeast of Flagstaff
Removal of newer facade reveals original front of Pearl Brothers Hardware building in Joplin
In recent weeks, contractors for the new owner of Pearl Bros. Hardware building in downtown Joplin, Missouri, removed the green metal facade that had covered the original front of the building for about 60 years. A reporter for KOAM-TV showed before-and-after images of the work being done by Neal Group Construction: https://youtu.be/WcXfSKLMq68 The story also … Continue reading Removal of newer facade reveals original front of Pearl Brothers Hardware building in Joplin
Santa Monica Pier was saved from destruction 50 years ago
It's unthinkable now, but the iconic Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California, once was very much in danger of being torn down a half-century ago. The Santa Monica Daily Press recently published an article about the history of the pier, including a successful grass-roots effort in 1973 to preserve it after the city council … Continue reading Santa Monica Pier was saved from destruction 50 years ago
American Giants Museum planned for downtown Atlanta, Illinois
Joel Baker, a Muffler Man aficionado who has created a website and documentary shorts about his obsession, announced this week he is planning an American Giants Museum site along Route 66 in Atlanta, Illinois, The museum will be almost directly across the street from the Bunyan Giant Muffler Man in downtown that once stood along … Continue reading American Giants Museum planned for downtown Atlanta, Illinois
New, Route 66-themed mural unveiled for Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet
The Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, Illinois, recently held a private unveiling of the "Twin Centennial" mural that will be installed later this month outside of the historic theater. Dante DiBartolo's mural honors both the theater and Route 66, both of which will mark their 100th year in 2026. The theater showed what the mural … Continue reading New, Route 66-themed mural unveiled for Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet
Route 66 features prominently in Oklahoma Tourism’s new “Imagine That” campaign
Oklahoma Tourism earlier in the week announced the launch of its "Imagine That" campaign where Route 66 features prominently in the mix. According to a news release, it is the first television campaign showcasing the new state branding, and it marks the first time since 2015 the agency has released a campaign of this scale … Continue reading Route 66 features prominently in Oklahoma Tourism’s new “Imagine That” campaign
Sugar Grove Nature Center in Funks Grove imposes sudden layoffs
The Sugar Grove Nature Center in Funks Grove, Illinois, imposed sudden layoffs and shut down its visitors center last week, shocking volunteers and former staff members. Sugar Grove Nature Center consists of over 1,000 acres of preserved forest, the nature center just off Route 66. It regularly hosted field trips and programs about Illinois history … Continue reading Sugar Grove Nature Center in Funks Grove imposes sudden layoffs
New Route 66 emblem emerges on Amarillo water tower
A long-planned Amarillo Route 66 emblem recently emerged on one of the city's large water towers located just off the Mother Road. Dora Meroney of Texas Ivy Antiques has posted a number of photos of the emblem on the tower, which is undergoing repainting: The Amarillo Route 66 water tower even has its own Facebook … Continue reading New Route 66 emblem emerges on Amarillo water tower