Ash Grove to Joplin
MILLER
SPENCER STATION
Spencer Station was built because of Route 66. The General Store was built in 1926, the garage in 1927, and a cafe and barbershop in 1928. These properties are currently owned by Ed Klein, who began renovating the buildings in 2022. Visitors are welcome to stop by the General Store and see the progress. All proceeds from purchases in-store or online go directly to the restoration of the buildings.
• 19720 Lawrence 2062, Miller • SpencerStation.myshopify.com
HANGAR CAFE
Located by Kingsley Air Field just off Route 66, Hangar Kafe was built in 2013 with the goal of providing pilots with a convenient on-site meal option. Kiman Kingsley, owner of the cafe, along with his brothers Kaleb and Kaland, are fourth- generation farmers. In addition to farming, the brothers started a crop-dusting business. Guests can watch planes take off and land as they enjoy burgers, soups, and sandwiches.
• 3103 Lawrence 1070, Miller • HangarKafe.com
CARTHAGE
RED OAK II
Red Oak II was created by the late artist Lowell Davis, who, upon returning to his hometown of Red Oak, discovered it had become a ghost town. He decided to move Red Oak’s buildings onto his family’s land and restore them. The 20th-century buildings include a general store, a 1920s cottage-style Phillips 66 station, and a one-room schoolhouse. Visitors are welcome to view the installation.
• 10917 County Loop 122, Kafir Road, Carthage • RedOakII.com
JASPER COUNTY COURTHOUSE
The original Jasper County Courthouse burned down during the Battle of Carthage in 1863. The new structure, which remains one of the most photographed locations in the state, was built in its place in 1895. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Visitors are welcome to view a Route 66 mural and an array of military artifacts.
• 302 South Main Street, Carthage • JasperCountyMO.gov
BOOTS COURT MOTEL
Arthur and Ilda Boots opened Boots Court in 1939, offering eight rooms and carport parking in the “Streamline Moderne” architectural style. By 1948, Boots Court was sold and expanded to offer five more rooms. In 2011, the motel was close to being demolished, but the nonprofit Boots Court Foundation purchased it in 2021 and began its renovation. The motel reopened in 2023, with rooms now available for rent.
• 107 South Garrison Avenue, Carthage • BootsCourt66.com
66 DRIVE-IN THEATRE
One of the few historically intact drive-in theaters along Route 66, the 66 Drive-In Theatre looks like it did when it opened in 1949. The theater ran until 1985, when it closed due to a decline in attendance. The 66 Drive-In was renovated and reopened in 1998 with updates, including sound being broadcast on FM radio. Movies are offered every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from April to September.
• 17231 Old 66 Boulevard, Carthage • 66DriveIn.com
CARTERVILLE
SUPERTAM ON 66
Previous owners Larry and Barbara Taminen (i.e. Tam) opened SuperTAM on Route 66 in 2006, wanting a spot to share their 30-year collection of Superman memorabilia. Covered top to bottom in red and yellow, the business is part ice cream parlor and part Superman museum, featuring over 2,600 “Man of Steel” collectibles along- side Route 66 signs and photos.
• 221 West Main Street, Carterville • SupertamOn66.com
JOPLIN
JOPLIN CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
This visitors bureau resides in the historic Newman’s Department Store and is also home to Joplin City Hall. Historic Joplin photos and key Route 66 icons are displayed in the Route 66 gallery. In the lobby of the Newman Building is the mural, Route 66, Joplin, Missouri, by Anthony Benton Gude, which offers a snapshot of life in Joplin during the height of the Mother Road.
• 602 South Main Street, Joplin • VisitJoplinMo.com
SCHIFFERDECKER PARK
Within Schifferdecker Park is the World Street Painting Gallery, a Route 66 installation, which will include 33 pieces of 3D interactive art by the end of 2026 the largest of its kind in the world. The Joplin History & Mineral Museum also sits within the park. It features exhibitions such as woolly mammoth fossils and jewelry left behind by outlaw Bonnie Parker when she and her partner Clyde Barrow fled Joplin.
• 504 South Schifferdecker Avenue, Joplin • VisitJoplinMo.com
ROUTE 66 MURAL PARK
The Route 66 Mural Park beautifully decorates downtown Joplin. The three colorful, retro-themed murals include Cruisin’ Into Joplin, which welcomes visitors coming into Joplin from the west; The American Ribbon, which depicts a Route 66 map and the historic route leading from Joplin to the Great Lakes and to the Pacific Ocean; and Route 66 Tri-State Corridor, which highlights the lead and zinc mining district of Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. The red mock 1963 Corvette that sits in front of the The American Ribbon mural draws hundreds of visitors to the site to take photos.
• 619 South Main Street, Joplin • VisitJoplinMo.com
WILDER’S STEAKHOUSE
Once a bordello, a gambling hall that ran bootleg liquor out the back, and a burger joint, Wilder’s Steakhouse is known as Joplin’s oldest restaurant. Current owners Mike and Marsha Pawlus purchased the restaurant in 1996, making it a premier dining destination. Today, visitors can dine on beef tenderloin filet, grilled prawns, New Zealand Elk, and lobster-tail. Mike and Marsha have restored the restaurant’s red and green neon sign that beckons travelers to stop in and enjoy a meal. When it was first installed in 1950, it was bright enough to draw travelers off of Route 66, which was five blocks away.
• 1216 South Main Street, Joplin • WildersSteakhouse.com
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ASH GROVE
GARY’S GAY PARITA
Put together by the late Gary and Lena Turner, Gary’s Gay Parita is a recreation of a 1930 Sinclair gas station that takes you on a journey through time. When visitors arrive at the site, they can see a replica filling station with original pumps and other memorabilia from Route 66. Gary’s daughter, Barb Barnes, and her husband George Bowick, who now run the attraction, enjoy sharing a wealth of information about all things Route 66 with visitors.
• 21118 Old 66, Ash Grove • Gary’s Gay Parita/Barbara and George in Parita Missouri on Facebook
This article was originally printed in the February 2026 issue of Missouri Life.
Presented by Missouri Life in partnership with Visit Missouri.
