Tourists look for real America in Queen City

The Mother Road can be big business for small businesses on the route.

In fact, on multiple social media sites geared toward Route 66 tourism, veteran travelers of the Mother Road pile on in response to questions about the best attractions each stop on the highway has to offer.

Those who have been to Springfield cite businesses both classic and contemporary, posting selfies in front of the neon sign at Rest Haven Court, a motel on the eastern end of the city route, and at the neon-trimmed pastel hues of Trailer Perk Coffee as they head out to the west.

Even unexpected businesses not built to serve tourists get frequent shout-outs. One example is the white castellated stone office of State Farm agent Jeff Hammock, 2906 W. Chestnut Expressway, trimmed in the company’s red. Another is the tiny Route 66 Barber Shop, sporting a mural that boasts the shop has been in operation since 1948.

What’s familiar to locals can be special when viewed through fresh eyes, according to Sean FitzGibbons, director of the History Museum on the Square Inc.

At the epicenter of Springfield’s stretch of the route, FitzGibbons greets a lot of international travelers on the Mother Road, and he said he often hears a similar refrain.

“They say, ‘I’ve seen New York; I went to Los Angeles. Now I want to see the real America,’” he said. “Route 66 is internationally known as an iconic road trip, and people want to go out and experience the middle of America.”

Studies estimate between 2-5 million travelers from at home and around the world travel part of the route spanning eight states each year, though during this year’s centennial anniversary, a study from AAA Texas finds 41% of U.S. adults plan to visit some part of Route 66.

“I don’t think people from Springfield understand how big of a deal it is to take this trip,” FitzGibbons said.

Motels and motor courts
Accommodations are a key aspect of a Route 66 vacation, and options vary widely. Some people opt for the spaciousness and comfort of a modern chain, but the entire route is dotted with surviving examples of the classic American motel or motor court.

Phyllis Ferguson, proprietor of Rockwood Motor Court with her husband Tim Phillips since 2019, has worked to provide an authentic glimpse into the golden age of the route through six cabin options, and she sees how much travelers appreciate it.

“I’ve heard people say they don’t know why everything has to be about Route 66 this year,” she said. “Well, it’s because we’re going to have hundreds of thousands of people who are coming here for Route 66, and they’re go spend money that will help you live a better life in Springfield, Missouri.”

The goal is to encourage them to stop, have another meal or stay another night, she said.

Even so, there are many travelers who get out of their cars just to walk around Rockwood Motor Court and take it in before moving on.

“Even if people don’t stay, I’ll bet we have 10 cars a day who stop on the side of College Street and shoot pictures without getting out of their cars, or they pull into the court and walk around and take pictures or talk to us if we’re out,” she said.

When they do this, they’re stepping into a piece of history, Ferguson said.

“It resonates with something in your soul,” she said.

She said she had 3,000 visitors in 2025 and is seeing double-digit percentage increases this year.

Gordon Elliott, CEO of Elliott Lodging Ltd., operates hotels under multiple brands, but one property is special to him: the 63-room, ranch-style Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven at 203 S. Glenstone Ave.

The sign outside says Elvis Presley stayed there in 1956, but Elliott offered a little more context. The King actually put his mom up in Rail Haven, a 1938 hotel that was expanded and updated in the 1950s and had large, comfortable rooms where he knew she would be comfortable. According to Elliott, Elvis had a room in town at the Kentwood Arms Hotel with his group, but he left them to be with his mother.

The Rail Haven is well known to Route 66 fans, and Elliott offers them an imaginative approach, with Elvis and Wild Bill Hickok themed rooms and a Bonnie and Clyde room currently under construction.

Plenty of international travelers stay at the Rail Haven, including a large number of Europeans who often don’t speak English.

“We smile a lot,” he said. “We treat them the best we can, and they can get by and tell you what they need. The main thing is to have a memory to take back with them.”

At the similarly named Rest Haven Court at 2000 E. Kearney St., staff member Rita Patel said about a quarter of the guests are Route 66 travelers. It’s a small motel, with 32 rooms, she said, but it’s always full, and Route 66 tourists are welcome.

“They’re always good customers,” she said.

Traveler stops, present and future
College Street Cafe is the place to go in Springfield to chat with travelers on the Mother Road. Tourists and locals share the booths and stools to dine, and the price of one special – biscuits and gravy with coffee for $1.99 – seems especially retro.

The cafe has a screen door that refuses to close, but owner Marylou Meierotto figures that’s excusable. During a recent breakfast service, she pulled out a vintage photo showing that the flapping door is original to the building, formerly Pigg’s Cafe, which opened in the early 1950s. Meierotto said she had a replacement scheduled.

At the cafe, visitors are invited to sign their name on a wall with a Sharpie – Meierotto keeps one by a guest book up front – and nearly every inch has a signature, some accompanying love notes to the Mother Road. People like to announce where they’ve come from, whether that’s Texarkana or Tel Aviv.

“Our main goal is to keep our locals happy,” Meierotto said. “These are bonus,” she added, gesturing to a packed dining room of tourists

A favorite among motorheads who travel the Mother Road is the Route 66 Car Museum at 1634 W. College St. The museum has more than 70 classic and collectible cars, starting with a 1979 Gotham Cruiser – the Batmobile – right inside the door, but including vehicles as old as a 1907 REO Runabout.

The cars are mostly from the personal collection of museum owner Guy Mace, who said he plans to close the attraction in spring 2027, when the vehicles will be auctioned off by Mecum Auctions.

A manager said on a recent Friday that by 11 a.m., there had already been visitors from multiple states, including Maine and Alaska, and also multiple countries, including France, Italy, Hungary and Australia.

Where one (garage) door closes, another looks to open, as auto enthusiast Matt Montgomery envisions starting his own private museum – possibly combined with a coffee shop and event center – a few blocks west, in a lot beside 2320 W. College St.

Montgomery specializes in classic European imports – think Citroens and Fiats. In an interview, he said he was in discussions to purchase the Route 66 Car Museum building prior to its sale at auction and was even approved for a $500,000 loan. Since the sale of that property, Montgomery said he reverted his plans back to his present location.

A schematic drawing shows a building that resembles a 1960s car dealership with an upper floor that offers a view of the cars below.

“It’s going to be no trouble filling up a car museum,” he said. “There’s a little over 100 cars and bikes and scooters and stuff I’ve got stashed all around.”

Montgomery envisions a museum that showcases cars with weathered looks, since he’s found many of his acquisitions in barns, and these would be interspersed with shiny restorations, like those found in typical museums.

“I see it being a little more like a science or engineering museum,” he said. “People can walk around an engine and take a look. If you can have some cars kind of taken apart, to get in the middle of them and look around – if there’s a car sitting here next to your coffee table – that’s what I’m envisioning.”

Montgomery said he went through a predevelopment meeting with the city, and he believes he can have his museum – tentatively called the Motor Museum – functional within a year, perhaps starting up as the existing museum closes down.

“They get about 13,000 people a year at that car museum, and it’s a shame to just have that evaporate away,” he said.

Centennial spirit
Deloitte Insights published travel projections for 2026 that show Americans are downshifting on plans for travel and are looking to cuts in trip frequency, length of time and distance. Financial pessimism and economic uncertainty are cited as causes, and those factors could take even more of a toll if they deepen, Deloitte says.

The U.S. Travel Association’s Travel Price Index reflected a rise in travel prices in March 2026 of 2.8% from the previous month and 5.8% year over year. March gas prices were up 21.5% since February and 19.2% year over year.

The Route 66 centennial will happen only once, and enthusiasts have planned for it. If the survey from AAA is accurate, 110 million Americans will travel a portion of the route this year.

“It’s early days still with American travelers; they plan a little closer to when they go out,” Ferguson said. “International travelers, they’ve had this trip on the books for months at least, if not a year or more. When they were making their plans, fuel prices weren’t as high, and ... they’re sort of used to high fuel prices.”

Those visitors who come can anticipate a number of businesses making plans to welcome them. One example is found at the eastern entrance into the city, where Wheeler Auto is fully embracing the Route 66 centennial.

Adam Rubottom, owner of Wheeler Auto, is throwing a party on May 1 that will feature a car and motorcycle show. He’s hired a band, the 7D Funk All-Stars, and has lined up food trucks.

Rubottom said a lot of Route 66 travelers stop in his store to buy T-shirts or to take pictures in front of its sign.

Rubottom, who sells work trucks and motorcycles, said he doubts the centennial will impact his business much. Still, he said, the more people who travel up and down Route 66, the better.

“The city’s putting a lot of effort into this celebration, and we’re leaning in,” he said.