The fate of the distinctive sign for the now-demolished Glancy Motel in Clinton, Oklahoma, remains uncertain, though the city manager said its likely home still would be the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in town. According to a recent print edition of the Clinton Daily News, city manager Robert Johnston said he was hopeful the Glancy … Continue reading Future site of the Glancy Motel sign appears to be still uncertain
Category: Museums
Local preservation group wants to turn old El Reno jail into a museum
A local preservation group seeks to convert the old Canadian County Jail in El Reno, Oklahoma, into a museum and education center by 2026, which is Route 66's centennial. According to KOCO-TV in nearby Oklahoma City, the Preservation El Reno group's Jail Restoration Committee wants to restore the 1907 building. The group began leasing the … Continue reading Local preservation group wants to turn old El Reno jail into a museum
Loss of Maplewood typewriter repair shop may be Rolla’s gain
A typewriter repair shop in the Route 66 town of Maplewood, Missouri, has closed after almost 60 years in business, but it appears its services and part of its collection will resurface later this year in Rolla, Missouri -- another Route 66 town. Jones Typewriter Co. recently closed after 81-year-old owner Vern Trampe decided to … Continue reading Loss of Maplewood typewriter repair shop may be Rolla’s gain
Launching Pad’s owner litters contents from restaurant’s interior onto parking lot
The owner of the closed Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington, Illinois, scattered items from the interior of her Route 66 restaurant onto its parking lot, prompting two citations from local police The Joliet Patch reported that Holly Barker on Tuesday broke bottles of Route 66 root beer and tossed equipment and other items from the … Continue reading Launching Pad’s owner litters contents from restaurant’s interior onto parking lot
Number of volunteers at Oklahoma Route 66 Museum plunges after COVID-19 pandemic
The number of volunteers that help run the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton has plunged from 30 to just three after the COVID-19 pandemic. So the museum's director is putting out a plea for more volunteers. Pat Smith, the museum's director, revealed that startling loss in volunteer help in a recent story in the … Continue reading Number of volunteers at Oklahoma Route 66 Museum plunges after COVID-19 pandemic
Joliet Area Historical Museum interested in buying closed Launching Pad Drive-In restaurant
The Joliet Area Historical Museum is considering the acquisition of the closed Launching Pad Drive-In restaurant -- best known for its unique, 28-foot-tall Gemini Giant fiberglass statue -- in nearby Wilmington, Illinois. The Herald-News published the story Saturday less than a week after the Launching Pad was listed for $1.4 million on the Crexi commercial … Continue reading Joliet Area Historical Museum interested in buying closed Launching Pad Drive-In restaurant
West Central Route 66 Visitor Center in Albuquerque offers sneak-preview hours
The West Central Route 66 Visitor Center won't open until sometime next year, but the facility is offering sneak-preview hours while stuff is being moved into the facility. The center stated this in a recent Facebook post: Open on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, these preview days provide a unique … Continue reading West Central Route 66 Visitor Center in Albuquerque offers sneak-preview hours
Rosati Winery and Museum near St. James to reopen by spring
The historic Rosati Winery and Museum along Route 66 near St. James, Missouri, will reopen by spring after being closed for almost a decade, said one of the principals. Jacob Stotler, who will run the museum, said in a phone interview that local caterer Deb Branson will open a restaurant at the facility, along with … Continue reading Rosati Winery and Museum near St. James to reopen by spring
Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield may be expanded
The Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, Illinois, may be expanded to include a replica of future President Abraham Lincoln's 1844 cottage and the nearby Elijah Iles House, named for one of the city's early settlers. U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth introduced legislation last week to expand the boundaries of the site, which is run … Continue reading Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield may be expanded
Joliet museum acquires the site of the world’s first Dairy Queen
The Joliet Area Historical Museum in Joliet, Illinois, recently acquired space that housed the world's first Dairy Queen restaurant. That first DQ, which opened in 1940, was in a brick, two-story building at 501 N. Chicago St., though the building itself dates to the 1890s. Greg Peerbolte, the museum's executive director, talked to the Joliet … Continue reading Joliet museum acquires the site of the world’s first Dairy Queen