Planning a Route 66 trip to Springfield just got a whole lot easier. The Route 66 Digital Pass is your guide to exploring the Birthplace of Route 66. Check in at participating stops, rack up points, and earn fun rewards along the way, including a sweatshirt, t-shirt, stickers, and even a tire gauge…
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As the birthplace of Route 66, Springfield, Missouri is pulling out all the stops to kick off the Route 66 Centennial in unforgettable fashion. From April 30–May 3, the city will host a lineup of special centennial kickoff events, paired perfectly with iconic attractions, classic diners, and local…
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Springfield’s story as the Birthplace of Route 66 is coming to life in a bold, colorful way. Across the city, over a dozen larger-than-life sculptures are turning everyday spaces into can’t-miss stops, with each one celebrating the history, creativity and community that define the Mother Road…
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Springfield, Missouri, known as the Birthplace of Route 66, is full of can’t-miss photo ops that capture the spirit of the Mother Road. From retro neon and historic motor courts to colorful murals and new public art, these stops offer the perfect mix of nostalgia and creativity for your next…
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You might say that Grant Kendall shapes history by cutting hair at his small Springfield barber shop along Route 66. “This is really just an old-fashioned barber shop like it was in the ‘40s,” Kendall says. “Everything is all the same – all this stuff is original.” “Except his prices,” one…
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Bud Perry’s chair still sits next to the counter. He started the Springfield tire-and-wheel shop back in 1958, a time when cars and racing were big. Things have changed since the shop’s start. Local racing’s heyday zoomed into the past. Route 66 – where the shop has sat for decades – wandered to…
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The National Route 66 Centennial Kickoff is coming to Springfield April 30, 2026 to May 3, 2026 in Springfield, Missouri. Here’s everything you need to know about the event and why you should attend. Why is Springfield considered the Birthplace of Route 66? On April 30, 1926, at the Colonial Hotel…
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Springfield’s Gillioz Theatre is built with bricks and the stories of generations. It was 1926 – 100 years ago, and the same year when Route 66 was “born” just steps away – when the downtown Springfield landmark came to be. “The opening of the new Gillioz Theatre, one of the most magnificent…
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Fame came to Springfield’s Rockwood Motor Court by way of Route 66. It’s long been known to Route 66 travelers, many who hail from across the country and around the globe, but a new level of light is shining on the vintage motor court: In November, it was added to Historic Hotels of America, a…
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The Shrine Mosque has been an Ozarks landmark since 1923. That year, work was complete on the towering downtown Springfield structure, which was — and is — home for the Abou Ben Adhem Shriners. Despite its name, the mosque has no religious affiliation, but was built as part of a national movement…
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