A few weeks ago, the West End Service Station along Route 66 in Edwardsville, Illinois, reopened as a museum and interpretive center. The Adventures in TV-Land channel on YouTube paid a visit to the landmark, plus a few other Route 66-related sites in Edwardsville. https://youtu.be/QV4NlD6ySJU The former gas station at 620 West St. (aka Route … Continue reading A closer look at the repurposed West End Service Station in Edwardsville
Category: Museums
History Museum on the Square to hold an exhibit about gas stations along Route 66
The History Museum on the Square in downtown Springfield, Missouri, soon will launch a three-month exhibit about gas stations along Route 66. "Service with a Smile" will run at the museum from Aug. 9 to Nov. 5. It's the second of five annual exhibits featuring Route 66's history, running up to the highway's centennial in … Continue reading History Museum on the Square to hold an exhibit about gas stations along Route 66
Route 66 Visitor Center in Albuquerque quietly opens; grand opening tentatively set for August
The Route 66 Visitor Center on Albuquerque's west side quietly opened to the public on June 21, the first day of summer, and it reportedly will hold a grand opening celebration sometime in August. The center at 12300 Central Ave. SW (aka Route 66) will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily until … Continue reading Route 66 Visitor Center in Albuquerque quietly opens; grand opening tentatively set for August
Route 66 Spirit of America Museum opens in Stroud
The Route 66 Spirit of America Museum opened Saturday in downtown Stroud, Oklahoma, and it's a different cat from other Route 66 museums. It pays tribute to the people who make an impact "to the larger scheme of things," its founder says. Route 66 author and artist Jerry McClanahan, who lives in nearby Chandler, visited … Continue reading Route 66 Spirit of America Museum opens in Stroud
West End Service Station in Edwardsville reopens as a museum and interpretive center
The West End Service Station in Edwardsville, Illinois, reopened Friday as a Route 66-themed museum and interpretive center. The former gas station at 620 West St. (aka Route 66) hosted a ceremonial ribbon cutting that day. It received a $460,000 state grant a year ago to rehabilitate the site. It will be open for visitors … Continue reading West End Service Station in Edwardsville reopens as a museum and interpretive center
Report gives more details about the forthcoming American Giants Museum
A recent report in a regional newspaper gave more details about the American Giants Museum that will open next month along Route 66 in downtown Atlanta, Illinois. The story of so-called Muffler Men, or fiberglass giants built primarily in the 1960s, will be housed in a former Texaco gas station at 100 SW Arch St. … Continue reading Report gives more details about the forthcoming American Giants Museum
Three entities involved in Route 66 groups or towns win grants from National Trust fund
Three entities, including one dedicated to preserving the endangered Gasconade River Bridge in Missouri, recently received grants from the National Trust Preservation Fund. More about the bridge award from the National Trust's news release: The Route 66 Association of Missouri, Inc. was awarded $5,000 from the Kansas and Missouri Preservation Fund to hire an engineering … Continue reading Three entities involved in Route 66 groups or towns win grants from National Trust fund
Unser Racing Museum leaving Albuquerque for a new spot in Nebraska
Apparently the Unser racing family's deep roots in Albuquerque weren't deep enough to keep its museum in the Duke City. The Unser Racing Museum announced Friday it would close and move its massive collection to the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed in Lincoln, Nebraska. The move is occurring despite the city offering $4 million … Continue reading Unser Racing Museum leaving Albuquerque for a new spot in Nebraska
Springfield plans to reopen Bill Shea’s Gas Station Museum
The City of Springfield, Illinois, recently accepted a $623,000 state grant to reopen Bill Shea's Gas Station Museum along Route 66. According to the Springfield State Journal-Register, Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau director Scott Dahl wants to make the closed station on Peoria Road (aka Route 66) an "Instagram-able stop," especially for international travelers. Dahl elaborated on … Continue reading Springfield plans to reopen Bill Shea’s Gas Station Museum
Nat King Cole among new inductees at Illinois Rock and Roll Museum on Route 66
The Joliet-based Illinois Rock and Roll Museum on Route 66 recently announced its third class of inductees, and one of them made a key impact on Route 66 itself. That would be Nat King Cole, who was born in Alabama but spent his formative years in Chicago. He popularized "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" … Continue reading Nat King Cole among new inductees at Illinois Rock and Roll Museum on Route 66