Welcome to 1950! Your young country is Europe’s hero and the world’s inspiration. Money’s pouring in, everybody’s happy, and it’s time for a road trip across this grand land. Untie the frilly apron, shuck the gray flannel suit, and leave the Valium at home—you’re about to cut loose. Can you feel that American energy zinging through your bloodstream, that restless craving for action and novelty? Little do you know how the rest of us will someday idolize your fun.
For now, it’s enough to be cruising along Route 66, nicknamed The Mother Road by John Steinbeck and the Devil’s Highway by scaredy-cats. You’re setting forth from the heart of the nation, singing that catchy Nat King Cole tune, which, your wife informs you, was written by Bobby Troup after his wife gave him the key lyric. Like you, they were crossing the country, and he wanted to write about the experience but needed a rhyme for 66. “Get your kicks,” murmured Cynthia Troup.
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Route 66 officially begins in downtown Chicago, and now you’re heading west, crossing into Missouri on the shiny silver Chain of Rocks Bridge. It was named for a navigation hazard, but relax: You’ll be 60 feet above the water.
Start by taking the kiddos to Chain of Rocks Amusement Park. A guy at work told you about the Swooper and the wooden Comet. Billy loves roller coasters. Little Sally will love the carousel—46 hand-carved ponies for her to choose from. Better keep her out of the haunted house and the mad house, though, and away from the decommissioned electric chair and petrified mummy of a man who drowned in the river. The kids can burn energy climbing those stone steps to the Artist’s Point lookout or swimming in the Olympic-sized pool, thus allowing a calm parental martini at the Sky Garden Bar.
After dinner, keep heading west, out of downtown and along the north edge of Forest Park. If you’re not beat, take in a little Rodgers & Hammerstein at The Muny’s music festival. This outdoor theater “probably has no counterpart anywhere,” Fortune magazine says. “It seems to appeal to almost everybody.”
If you didn’t fill ’er up downtown, where St. Louis lays claim to the world’s first purpose-built petrol station, gas up at Skinker and Clayton. The Spanish-style Hi-Pointe Standard Station has a sign so swell, it’ll blind you. Five miles of wire connect 5,600 lamps and a maze of neon, lighting up the 44 tons of structural steel it took to make that giant Standard Red Crown. Blinking hard, you won’t even notice the uniformed attendant who’s cleaning your windshield and checking your tires and oil—until he asks for three bucks and hands you a fresh travel map.
This is the Age of the Auto. Everybody’s got a car now, sometimes two, because teenagers are begging for the keys. St. Louis’ Ford and Chevy plants mainly spit out glossy cars, manufacturing more than 100 makes—second only to Detroit. Every foundry, carriage maker, and blacksmith shop was trying its hand at assembling flashy, luxe automobiles. Then Henry Ford cranked up his assembly line, made affordable cars for the common folk, and put those aspirational little shops out of business. Sad, but still. Now nearly every American can hit the Mother Road, eyes peeled for wonders.
The city of St. Louis is big, with more than 856,000 souls, but the surrounding countryside is quiet. Which is good, because that’s where you’ll sleep, on neon-lit Motel Row. The string of mom-and-pop motels starts on Chippewa and continues out semi-rural Watson. Someday, such a quaint stay will be impossible: The landscape will be violently bland, filled with big boxes and chains and strips. Don’t think about it. You’re here in the heyday.
Blue Bonnet Court now has modern oil heat, “the fumes of which are carried off by vents.” The Wayside Motel is older, too, but cozy, a brick motor court with L-shaped bungalows wrapped around a courtyard. Across the street is your edgiest choice, Coral Court, built by John and Jessie Carr back in 1939. John was chased out of Ohio by the Detroit mob; he used to run brothels, and Jessie used to work in one. Now they offer legal hospitality, and when rumors fly about the illegal gambling and call girls, local cops look the other way. You can rent a room in one of those honey-colored, glazed-tile cabins for just four hours. Supposedly, this is for truckers to nap, just as the discreet private garages are there to keep your car safe, and the rumored escape tunnel and underground room are for…well, whatever. John and Jessie have a sense of humor—the units with two rounded bays in front are the Mae West units. They’re good at marketing, too: Once they hit room 66 they used letters, 66-B, 66-C, so they never outnumbered the route. And there are plenty of legit reasons this place is popular, like porter and maid service, not to mention the “Beauty Rest mattresses and box springs.” Well used.
If the Missouri Motel looks like Coral Court, that’s because John Carr shared the plans. But the Missouri Motel has a woodsy backdrop, so it’s more rustic outside, plusher inside, and less…storied. Same for Crystal Court, built right across Watson from Coral Court and just east of Wayside Auto Court (“Commercial men welcome”). Crystal Court has the same glass blocks, but yellow brick instead of glazed tiles and porthole windows edged in dark brick. The entrance gates are a graceful swoop, and the neon sign is more art deco than Coral Court’s. Plus the Conoco station next door gives Eagle stamps for your kids to lick into books.
If you feel like taking Lindbergh north, The King Bros. Motel sits right where highways 40-61 and 66-67 meet, and its “modern coffee shop” is open 24 hours a day. After a few highballs at The Olde Still Cocktail Lounge, you’ll be ready to cut a rug with Count Basie. Then a charbroiled steak in The Pilot House—eavesdropping on tidbits just as juicy. Parking is deliberately discreet here, just like Coral Court. But someday an elegant hotel called the Frontenac Hilton will wipe away all that naughty fun.
Back in speed-trap Marlborough, at 8730 Watson, there’s The 66 Auto Court, 15 stucco buildings set amid the trees. “Why spend the night in the city?” the owners ask. You’re 3 miles west of the city limits, out in bucolic rural Missouri. But make sure your little curtain climbers don’t explore the nearby Hideaway Club, a bordello positioned well back from the road.
Whichever motel you picked, you probably judged its personality by its sign. At sunset, Motel Row is transformed. Signs that might be black and white by day are suddenly hot pink and lime green, red and orange and lavender. The stretch goes from prosaic to iconic—just as Route 66 has.
Once you’ve checked into your hotel, you can pick up sundries at Hampton Village, St. Louis’ first shopping center. Then take the kids to this summer’s hits, King Solomon’s Mines or Annie Get Your Gun, at the “66” Park In Theatre, which has pony rides to settle ’em down before the newsreel starts. But if you love The Lone Ranger and you can’t miss Uncle Miltie and Fatso Marco on the Texaco Star Theater, you’ll be grateful for the television sets several motels brag about. After the national anthem plays and the screen goes fuzzy, dial up some music. Chuck Berry’s a local, and a little song called “Johnny B. Goode” just hit the charts right alongside that Elvis kid.
Hungry? You’re spoiled for choice. Too bad Donut Drive-In isn’t quite open yet, but there are diners along the route, and you can head out to Nelson’s Café at Lindbergh and Watson for sure-bet eggs and pancakes. Or, closer in, just grab some gooey-butter cake at Lubely’s Bakery in the sparkling-new Yorkshire Plaza.
For lunch, there’s Parkmoor No. 6, on Chippewa in the old A&W root beer stand. They’ll hook an Auto Server Tray, patented by Parkmoor founder Louie McGinley, to your car window and bring you burgers (or chickburgers) and malts. If you’d rather have a hot dog, though, take a quick detour to The Foot Long Hot Dog Company on Manchester. In less than a decade, it’ll be Carl’s Drive-In, and you can come back and compare. For dessert, you’ll wind up at the same place both times: Ted Drewes, for frozen custard. Ignore the brief experiment with 5-cent soft-serve, which old man Drewes will soon pronounce “junk.”
Spencer’s Grill is another must. When Bill Spencer came home from the war and the guy who was running his diner for him wouldn’t leave, he opened a new version. There’s a fancy neon clock and, inside, a phone booth spilling over with dimes. The joint’s open 24 hours a day, and at every one of those hours, somebody’s ordering a St. Louis Slinger: bacon, sausage, or hamburger topped with eggs, hash browns, and cheese, then smothered in chili till it has no breath left.
Burn off that slinger at Hi-Lands Miniature Golf Course, skirting those tricky water hazards and putting through a prophetic arch. Then, after a nap, it’s time for the famous fried-chicken dinner at The Green Parrot Inn on Big Bend. Stand on the bluff at sunset, looking out over the Meramec River Valley. Then enter and wait for Polly, the mascot parrot, to warn, “Watch it, boy!” while your wife gets a wolf whistle from the myna bird.
If all that avian commentary unsettles you, try Porta’s Tavern. Once The Nine Mile House, measured by its distance from the Mississippi River, it still offers refreshment to weary travelers. This is “a man’s tavern,” meaning it has pool tables and, for a year now, cold beer on tap. The Porta boys, Angelo and Joe, offer barbecue, a gas station, and lively music in the dance hall.
Casual options the kids’ll love: the little White Castle, with curb service, and Steak ’n’ Shake. They might also get a kick out of Bevo Mill on Gravois, a three-story Dutch windmill built by beer king August A. Busch, so he could stop for dinner on his way home from the brewery. This place feels like a real castle, with its giant fireplace (complete with rotisserie), porcelain murals, hunting décor, and hand-carved gnomes.
If you’re in the mood to dress for dinner, though, you want Club Shangri-La, which’ll soon to turn into Lou Parente’s Italian Village and display autographed photos of Dean Martin and other celeb visitors. They will baptize pizza with Provel and claim it’s a first, but Luigi’s will challenge them.
More celebs gather at Biggie’s Steak House, on Chippewa just northeast of Ted Drewes. Baseball player Stan Musial—who’s on a 30-game hitting streak this year—loves the place so much, he bought a half interest from Julius “Biggie” Garagnani. Freshly renamed Stan Musial and Biggie’s, they’re giving away autographed photos of Musial, who stops by regularly. Crowds flock, Stan Kann plays the organ, and Yogi Berra, another frequent guest, rolls his eyes and grins.
On your way out of town, stop at The Diamonds, rebuilt this year after a blazing fire. Now it’s called The Tri-County Truck Stop, and it’s open 24/7 with seating for hundreds. It claims to be the world’s largest roadside restaurant; maybe you’ll want to check.
Burn some rubber, and you’ll reach the suburbs’ edge, zoom across the Meramec River on a long steel truss bridge, and land in Times Beach by noon. It’s nothing fancy, just a clean little town where you can take a dip in the river and get the kids some ice cream—Hawaii’s hip these days, so pineapple’s the flavor pick—at The Times Beach Café. Behind the knotty pine bar, you’ll find Mae Kovis, a war widow who runs the café, tavern, gas station, and hotel all by herself. She did hire a cook, finally, and there are double-decker sandwiches for lunch and T-bones or broiled lamb chops for supper, with shrimp cocktail or fruit salad and tomato or grapefruit juice. Homemade pie to finish.
Now veer a little to the south and head for Stanton, Missouri. Billy wants to see Jesse James’s hideout at Meramec Caverns, and you want to see the artifacts said to prove it. Nine years ago, after a drought revealed a new section of the caves, owner Lester Dill made some eye-popping discoveries, among them a strongbox said to match one stolen in the 1874 Gadshill train robbery.
Billy’s over the moon. The rest of you are spellbound by the place itself. You’re looking at stalactites and stalagmites formed over 400 million years. Pre-Columbian native Americans took shelter here long before Jesse and his gang were diapered.
When you leave, don’t be surprised if the Bumper Sign Boys have stuck some advertising to your car. This is “the greatest show under the earth,” and you’ll be spreading the word as you drive. Following the old Osage Trace first blazed by herds of buffalo, you’ll go through Cuba, Rolla, Lebanon, Springfield, Carthage, Webb City, and Joplin, then cross into Kansas…and keep going, all the way to California.
Roadside Attractions
Oversize, offbeat, and undeniably fun stops
THE HOME OF BIGFOOT
The original Bigfoot monster truck sits parked just off the road, its massive tires and blue body visible to passing traffic. Built in the 1970s, the truck is a piece of motorsports history and a reminder of the outsize stunts that once drew travelers off the highway.
2286 Rose, Pacific.
ROUTE 66 ROCKER
Just outside Cuba, Missouri, a steel-and-wood rocking chair towers over the fields. Although it doesn’t move, its exaggerated proportions have turned it into a popular roadside marker. The attraction lost its “largest” accolade in 2015, but it remains the largest along The Mother Road.
5957 State Hwy ZZ, Cuba.
URANUS FUDGE FACTORY
At this Route 66 stop, a John Deere hit-and-miss engine churns ice cream. The machinery is just one unusual draw at this particularly colorful roadside attraction. 14400 State Hwy. Z, St. Robert.
FROG ROCK
Discovered when the highway was widened in the 1990s, this boulder overlooking Route 66 was later painted by a local tattoo artist. The result is Frog Rock, a hand-made landmark that greets drivers entering Waynesville.
300 Historic Route 66, Waynesville.
GAY PARITA SINCLAIR STATION
West of Springfield, near Ash Grove, this rebuilt 1930 Sinclair station sits along the original Route 66 alignment near the Paris Springs junction. The small white station, globe-topped dinosaur sign, and period vehicles invite travelers to stop before continuing west.
21118 Old 66, Ash Grove.
Storied Stays
Pull in, kill the engine, and stay awhile at one of these original lodgings.
BOOTS COURT
Opened in 1939, Boots Court was designed as a motor court with rooms accessed directly from the parking area. The long, white stucco building features curved corners and horizontal lines. Today, guests stay in restored rooms that retain the original footprint and layout.
107 S. Garrison, Carthage.
SHAMROCK COURT MOTEL
Constructed in the late 1940s, Shamrock Court was built as a stone motor court with eight units, which were later converted into longer-term accommodations. The property is undergoing renovations and expected to reopen this spring.
101 Shamrock, Sullivan.
WAGON WHEEL MOTEL
The Wagon Wheel’s stone cottages date to the 1930s and are arranged around outdoor seating areas. Original wood doors, windows, and floors remain in place, while interiors have been updated. The hotel’s Wagon Wheel sign is one of the route’s most photographed.
901 E. Washington, Cuba, Missouri.
VERNELLE’S MOTEL
Discovered when the highway was widened in the 1990s, this boulder overlooking Route 66 was later painted by a local tattoo artist. The result is Frog Rock, a hand-made landmark that greets drivers entering Waynesville.
300 Historic Route 66, Waynesville.
ROCKWOOD MOTOR COURT
Built in 1929 as a tourist camp, Rockwood consists of six cabins made from quarried sandstone trimmed with red brick. The stone was cut to create a wood-grain effect. A former filling station has also been converted into a themed overnight rental.
2200 W. College, Springfield, Missouri.
Nostalgic Bites
These restaurants fed the heyday and never turned off the grill.
DONUT DRIVE-IN
Postwar car culture brought sweet stops like this one to Route 66 corridors. Since 1952, Donut Drive-In has turned out long johns, crullers, cake doughnuts, and custard-filled classics, served beneath a restored animated neon sign—one of the city’s most recognizable.
6525 Chippewa.
SPENCER’S GRILL
On a lesser-known Route 66 alignment, Spencer’s Grill has been feeding travelers since 1947. The narrow diner still centers on the counter, where burgers, eggs, hash browns, and chili are cooked in full view, much as they were when Route 66 traffic rolled past the door.
223 S. Kirkwood.
BIG CHIEF ROADHOUSE
Opened in 1929 as part of the Pierce-Pennant Terminals, Big Chief promised travelers there would be no unpleasant surprises. Today, the Spanish-style building serves smoked meats, steaks, and Midwestern comfort dishes.
17352 Manchester, Wildwood.
CROWN CANDY KITCHEN
Crown Candy predates Route 66, but it became part of the road’s rhythm by feeding generations of drivers just off the highway. Family-run since 1913, it’s known for hand-poured chocolates, malts, and a BLT stacked with thick-cut bacon that’s fried in-house daily.
1401 St. Louis.
CARL’S DRIVE-IN
A product of the midcentury roadside era, Carl’s has served burgers since 1959 along what was once a busy Route 66 corridor. Customers sit at barstools facing the grill, order fries hot from the fryer, and sip house-made root beer poured from an IBC jug.
9033 Manchester, Brentwood.
Classic Cars, Clubs & Cruises
Route 66’s love affair with the automobile lives on through slow cruises, chrome-heavy gatherings, and engines that are meant to be seen and heard.
ROUTE 66 100TH ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL
From April 30–May 5, the Missouri History Museum marks The Mother Road’s centennial with car displays, concerts, documentary screenings, and talks. There’s even a cardboard-car drive-in movie night for families.
5700 Lindell.
ROADS, RIVER, ROOMS, AND REELS
Opening March 14 at the National Museum of Transportation, this exhibition traces how Americans traveled Route 66 and beyond. Anchors include a large-scale model of the S.S. Admiral and a spotlight on The
66 Park-In Theatre.
2933 Barrett Station.
MAPLEWOOD ROUTE 66 CELEBRATION
On September 26, Maplewood’s Route 66 Celebration will take over Manchester—one of the region’s most intact, original stretches of the highway—with classic cars, live music, and vendors. Expect a curated Vintage Row, a classic car show, kids’ activities, and more. Maplewood.
CLASSIC CAR SHOW & CRUISE
Each June, vintage vehicles line Edwardsville’s North Kansas Street before cruising historic Route 66 at dusk.
N. Kansas, Edwardsville, Illinois.
KICKS ON 66
Hosted at Ray M. Schon Park, this event is inspired by the Woodward Dream Cruise and ends with a drive through Edwardsville and Glen Carbon on Route 66. 156 N. Main,
Glen Carbon, Illinois.
Bright Lights
Even in the LED age, Route 66’s neon signs can still stop traffic after dark.
ROUTE 66 NEON PARK
Opened in May 2025 at George M. Reed Roadside Park, this place gives orphaned Route 66 signs a second life. Signs from restored motels, garages, and liquor stores illuminate lighted pathways from sunset to midnight, and storyboards share their histories. Admission and parking are free.
133 Reed, St. Robert.
IT’S ELECTRIC NEON SIGN PARK
Three restored signs from Granite City’s past—including Hudson’s Jewelry, Reese Drugs, and the Washington Theater—anchor this compact park. Murals, a Chain of Rocks Bridge love-lock display, and oversize Route 66–era objects make it an easy photo stop, day or night—the neon glows from dusk till dawn.
1300 19th, Granite City, Illinois.
ROUTE 66 LEGENDS NEON PARK
Part of the Illinois State Fairgrounds Route 66 Experience, this year-round park features re-created signs from long-gone motels, ballrooms, and drive-ins, all anchored by a glowing Route 66 shield just off The Mother Road.
801 E. Sangamon Ave, Springfield, Illinois.
Roadside Relics
A look at some of the items that made the Mother Road legendary
(1) Ted Drewes Sr. was a legendary tennis champion when he started selling frozen custard in St. Petersburg in 1929. A year later, he moved back to his hometown and opened a custard stand on Natural Bridge. Eleven years after that, in 1941, he opened the Route 66 stand on Chippewa. (2) The Fun Fair Park was set atop the bluff overlooking the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, which makes a turn halfway across the river. (3) Gas stations would hand out proprietary maps for free, promoting their brands and encouraging gas-guzzling road trips by making sure nobody gets lost. (4) The Phillips 66 name crystallized in 1927, when a Phillips Petroleum official was making a test drive along Route 66 and noticed his speedometer had hit 66. Hey, 66 on 66! Why not Phillips 66? The name change became official in 1930, and the company adopted a shield shaped like a U.S. highway marker for its logo. (5) Here’s a bit of noirish, 50-cent pulp fiction by Richard Wormser, featuring a cop’s extra-thrilling road-trip adventure. “The kid needed a keeper, and the keeper turned out to be an impetuous blonde,” teased the cover. (6) These “large letter cards” are examples of a famous design by Curt Teich & Co., which specialized in scenes of American life. (7) Root beer rivaled Coke in 1950 in the Midwest, thanks to A&W drive-ins, teenagers, and wildly popular root beer floats. (8) In 1950, Coral Court was still a nice motel, where families could stay. But that would change, first with the infamous Bobby Greenlease kidnapping in 1953 and later when the interstates devastated hospitality businesses along Route 66. (9) Years ago, hotel guests could light up in any room, and the kids would want the matchbooks for their collections. They just couldn’t steal the ashtray, including this brassy and sassy one from the Coral Court. (10) Guests at the “66” Park In Theatre would set the speakers in their cars to blast the movie’s soundtrack.
