The landmark Launching Pad Drive-In restaurant in Wilmington, Illinois -- famous for its Gemini Giant fiberglass statue that stands next to Route 66 -- has closed, and its future appears to be uncertain. Several reports of the restaurant's closing have surfaced on various Route 66 social media groups in recent days, including unconfirmed rumors the … Continue reading Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington closes; future of restaurant appears uncertain
Tag: Gemini Giant
Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington reopens after long COVID-19 closure
The landmark Launching Pad Drive-In restaurant in Wilmington, Illinois, reopened this past weekend after a lengthy voluntary closure during the COVID-19 pandemic. The reopening occurred during the Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor Festival, which essentially is a 90-minute car cruise along the route in the northern part of the state. Tully Garrett and Holly … Continue reading Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington reopens after long COVID-19 closure
Launching Pad Drive-In will remain closed until spring due to COVID-19 pandemic
The owners of the revived Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington, Illinois, said they would keep their Route 66 restaurant closed until spring "to protect our family, employees and patrons" from COVID-19. Tully Garrett and Holly Barker made the announcement Friday on Instagram and other social media. It stated, in part: We have carefully watched this … Continue reading Launching Pad Drive-In will remain closed until spring due to COVID-19 pandemic
Restoration of Gemini Giant completed
The restoration of the Gemini Giant, the famous fiberglass mascot of the Launching Pad Drive-In restaurant in Wilmington, Illinois, was finished a few days ago. Here is a before-and-after photo the restaurant posted on Facebook: Tully Garrett and Holly Barker stated Sunday on the restaurant's Facebook page: Success! The Gemini Giant’s paint is finally complete! His … Continue reading Restoration of Gemini Giant completed
Muffler Man in Albuquerque to be restored
It must be a good year for Muffler Men along Route 66. A second will be restored in a matter of weeks, right after a souvenir shop in Tulsa erected a new one. The Muffler Man that stands high above Route 66 on the east side of Albuquerque will be restored in the next two … Continue reading Muffler Man in Albuquerque to be restored
Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington holds its grand reopening
The Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington, Illinois, held its grand reopening Friday, although the Route 66 restaurant had been open for several weeks to long lines to test its food offerings. Holly Barker and Tully Garrett purchased the long-closed restaurant in the fall of 2017. According to The Herald-News in nearby Joliet: Barker said they … Continue reading Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington holds its grand reopening
Launching Pad Drive-In’s grand reopening weekend set for May 3
The grand reopening of the Launching Pad Drive-In restaurant in Wilmington, Illinois, is set for the weekend of May 3, coinciding with the Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor Festival. The gala begins May 3 with the Route 66 restaurant's first cruise night by the Rusty Nutz Car Club. The Red Carpet Festival begins that … Continue reading Launching Pad Drive-In’s grand reopening weekend set for May 3
Launching Pad Drive-In likely will be fully open by April
The wait for the once-closed Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington, Illinois, to become a full-service restaurant again won't be much longer. When I asked the new owners, Tully Garrett and Holly Barker, by text when the Route 66 restaurant next to the famed Gemini Giant statue would be fully open, they replied: "Sometime in March no later … Continue reading Launching Pad Drive-In likely will be fully open by April
Illinois governor hits several Route 66 sites during motorcycle tour
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner led a parade Sunday of hundreds of motorcycles to four Route 66 sites to celebrate the state's bicentennial. According to the Herald-News in Joliet, Rauner and 300 to 500 other riders made stops at the Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington, the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum in Pontiac, … Continue reading Illinois governor hits several Route 66 sites during motorcycle tour
A lot going on with Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor festival
Towns along a 90-mile stretch of Route 66 in northern Illinois offer a lot during Saturday's Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor Festival, but Wilmington's seems especially enticing. Not only does that city's Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie offer the chance of seeing the famous Smokey Bear hot-air balloon and newborn bison, but the new owners of … Continue reading A lot going on with Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor festival