Tag: route 66

New Exhibit: 100 Years of Route 66 opens 3/14/2026

The National Museum of Transportation Celebrates 100 Years of Route 66 with New Exhibit:  “Roads, River, Rooms, and Reels” 

St. Louis, MO – The National Museum of Transportation is proud to announce a special exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of historic Route 66. Titled “Roads, River, Rooms, and Reels,” the exhibit will open to the public on March 14, 2026, and will explore the stories, memories, and modes of travel that shaped America’s most iconic highway and the communities connected to it.

Two iconic features anchor the exhibit. Visitors will experience a stunning 26-foot model of the S.S. Admiral, beautifully restored by the skilled craftsmen of Sheet Metal Workers’ Local 36, honoring the legendary riverboat that once defined river travel and entertainment in the Midwest. The exhibit will also spotlight the beloved ’66’ Park-In Theatre on Watson Road, owned by the Wehrenberg Family of St. Louis, Missouri, a treasured symbol of drive-in movie culture and shared community memories along Route 66.

100 Years of Route 66

Posted on by renee-tnmot

The National Museum of Transportation Celebrates 100 Years of Route 66 with New Exhibit:
“Roads, River, Rooms, and Reels” 

St. Louis, MO – The National Museum of Transportation is proud to announce a special exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of historic Route 66. Titled “Roads, River, Rooms, and Reels,” the exhibit will open to the public on March 14, 2026, and will explore the stories, memories, and modes of travel that shaped America’s most iconic highway and the communities connected to it. 

Two iconic features anchor the exhibit. Visitors will experience a stunning 26-foot model of the S.S. Admiral, beautifully restored by the skilled craftsmen of Sheet Metal Workers’ Local 36, honoring the legendary riverboat that once defined river travel and entertainment in the Midwest. The exhibit will also spotlight the beloved ’66’ Park-In Theatre on Watson Road, owned by the Wehrenberg Family of St. Louis, Missouri, a treasured symbol of drive-in movie culture and shared community memories along Route 66. 

As part of the exhibition, the Museum invites the public to participate in a special storytelling initiative titled, “I Remember…” Community members are encouraged to share personal memories of the S.S. Admiral, the ’66’ Park-In Theatre, or any drive-in theater “back in the day.” 

Submissions of 600 words or less may be emailed to [email protected] with the subject line “I Remember.” Essays must be received by January 25, 2026, and selected submissions may become part of the exhibition. 

The National Museum of Transportation, 2933 Barrett Station Road, Kirkwood, MO, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and receives no governmental funding. The Museum relies solely on the generosity of the community to continue its mission of preserving the past for future generations. 

The Museum boasts “one of the largest and best collections of transportation vehicles in the country,” according to representatives from the Smithsonian Institution, and has been voted one of the top open-air museums in the nation for the past two years by a USA Today Readers’ Choice poll. 

For more information about the exhibit or how to support the Museum, please visit The National Museum of Transportation or contact the Museum directly.

Media Contact: 
The National Museum of Transportation 
Email: [email protected]
Website: tnmot.org

Cheers to a great 2026. May the new year bring you good health and much happiness….

TNMOT Route 66 Plans for 2026

Posted on by renee-tnmot

Here is a brief outline for The National Museum of Transportation’s Route 66 Plans for 2026, the 100th celebration of Route 66’s existence as The Mother Road.

Roads

Our 1926 Willys automobile represents the year it all started! The Earl C. Lindburg Automobile Center will display one car from each decade over the 100-year history of Route 66. Signature pieces of the collection include a Chrysler Turbine car, the Bobby Darin Dream Car, and a 1970 Barracuda.

River

Drivers crossing the Mississippi River bridges on Route 66 were sure to see the SS Admiral. The Museum’s Route 66 exhibit features a 26′, yes 26 feet, scale model of the iconic excursion steamboat that operated on the Mississippi River from the Port of St. Louis, Missouri, from 1940 to 1978.

Rooms

The Coral Court Motel was a 1941 U.S. Route 66 motel constructed in suburban St. Louis County, Missouri, and designated on the Nation Register of Historic Places in 1989 as a valuable example of the art deco and streamline modern architectural styles. It expanded to 77 rooms in the heyday of automobile tourism. Coral Courts closed in 1993 and The National Museum of Transportation secured the facade of one of the rooms to display in our Earl C. Lindburg Automobile Center, capturing the bygone era of this roadside motel.

Reels

Flexor Drive Ins opened the Route 66 Park In Theatre on Watson Road in 1947. Wehrenberg took over operation in 1948. Wehrenberg was a household name in the St. Louis community operating more than 15 movie theaters with 213 screens. We thought it would be REEL special to feature the Wehrenberg family and take a look at the impact of the park in theatre on Route 66.