Springfield
BEST WESTERN ROUTE 66 RAIL HAVEN
Rail Haven, now a Best Western affiliate, is a Route 66 motel that has been beautifully preserved and updated, combining vintage roadside charm with modern comfort. Eight original sandstone cottages were built in 1938. When Elvis Presley performed in Springfield in 1956, he stayed at Rail Haven. The room he occupied was preserved in his honor and can still be rented.
• 203 South Glenstone Avenue, Springfield • BWRailHaven.com
THE SHRINE MOSQUE
The Abou Ben Shriners built this shrine in 1923, seating 3,200 people with an additional lower level accommodating 1,300 more. Many artists and musicians have played at The Shrine Mosque, including Willie Nelson and Elvis Presley. The shrine features red brick walls and terracotta polychrome turrets. Two stained glass windows, designed by Stanley Uthwatt, depict a camel caravan. The shrine still hosts ticketed concerts and events.
• 601 East St. Louis Street, Springfield • TheShrineMosqueSpringfield.com
GILLIOZ THEATRE
The historic Gillioz Theatre, built in 1926 by M.E. Gillioz, features architecture including elaborate plaster friezes, cornices, corkscrew columns, a golden sky of ornate paintings, and Spanish motifs. Though the venue closed in 1980, the community rallied to restore the Gillioz, and it reopened in 2006. Now it is a mecca for live entertainment in the region, offering a diverse range of programs, including comedy, music, and film.
• 325 Park Central East, Springfield • GilliozTheatre.com
ROUTE 66 SPRINGFIELD VISITOR CENTER
When visitors stop at the Route 66 Springfield Visitor Center, they are met with a large neon Route 66 sign and knowledgeable staff who can guide them to regional highlights and provide driving directions. The center is also a great place to find a special souvenir to commemorate your Route 66 road trip, such as a Route 66 roadmap or a Missouri-themed Route 66 patch.
• 318 Park Central East, Suite 106 • SpringfieldMo.org
HISTORY MUSUEM ON THE SQUARE
Originally founded in 1975 as the Bicentennial Historical Museum, the History Museum on the Square found a new home in 2019. The museum moved from housing temporary exhibits in the Historic Fox Theatre to its own location, the Barth’s Building, a restored 1800s department store. Visitors can jump into a ’57 Chevy Bel Air and see exhibits, including America’s first recorded Wild West shoot-out.
• 154 Park Central Square, Springfield • HistoryMuseumOnTheSquare.org
MOTHER’S BREWING COMPANY
This independent microbrewery, owned by Jeff and Lindsay Seifried, aims to “brew love in Springfield, Missouri.” The company is all about crafting heady beers and making community connections. With over 21 taps, the brewery has something for everyone. Specialty brews include Sunshine Chugsuckle, a hazy IPA, and Vanilla Winter Grind, a vanilla coffee stout.
• 215 South Grant Avenue, Springfield • MothersBrewing.com
COLLEGE STREET CAFE
This quaint black-and-white tiled cafe with its old screen-door entrance, is not only a Route 66 landmark but also serves home-style American meals, such as hamburgers and hand-breaded onion rings. The brownies, cobblers, and pies are all handmade as well. Guests continue to make new memories in this space, writing their name or a small note on an interior wall of the cafe as they wait for their meal.
• 1622 West College Street, Springfield • CollegeStreetCafe.com
ROUTE 66 CAR MUSEUM
What began with Guy Mace purchasing a private car collection in 1990 led to the opening of the Route 66 Car Museum in 2016. In the heart of classic car country, this museum preserves some of the most quintessential automobiles in history. The museum is home to models that range from 1907 to 2005 and showcases them in exhibits like the brass era of automotive manufacturing, sports cars, and celebrity automobiles.
• 1634 West College Street, Springfield • 66CarMusuem.com
ROCKWOOD MOTOR COURT
In 1929, Rockwood Court was built by Daverne Ruckman, featuring multiple cottages, each with a garage. In 2019, Phyllis and Tim Ferguson purchased and restored the property, preserving many of its original features. Today, it is the oldest operating court on Route 66. The cabins, filling station, Fill ’Er Up, was renovated and is now a rental unit.
•2200 West College Street, Springfield • RockwoodCourt.com
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ROUTE 66 STEAK ‘N SHAKE
The Route 66 Steak ‘n Shake in Springfield, also known as the St. Louis Street Steak ’n Shake because of its street name, is a retro example of the fast-food chain that was born along Route 66. The rectangular, one-story concrete building, built in 1962, features a porcelain tile facade, plate-glass windows, and a flat roof. Several slogans encircle the building, the largest of which is a red-and- white striped banner that says “TAKHOMASAK,” meaning “Take home a sack.” On top of the building is a neon sign saying, “Steak n Shake” above “It’s a Meal.” Although it features a standard Steak ‘n Shake menu, it holds a special place as a historic site and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012 for its 50th anniversary.
• 1158 East St. Louis Street, Springfield • SteaknShake.com/locations/mo-springfield-st-louis-street/
Presented by Missouri Life in partnership with Visit Missouri.
This article was originally printed in the February 2026 issue of Missouri Life.
