Route 66 in Rolla: What Visitors Can See

Rolla’s place on Route 66 is tied to the completion of Missouri’s paved highway between the city and Springfield. The state finished paving that 72-mile stretch in 1931, and Rolla hosted a celebration on March 15 of that year, including a parade more than two miles long and an estimated 8,000 attendees.

The road also supported local businesses. The Edwin Long Hotel was built along Route 66 in 1931, with 75 guest rooms, a coffee shop and a banquet hall.

Its building hosted the highway’s ribbon-cutting ceremony; the ground floor housed the National Bank of Rolla, now Phelps County Bank. The National Register of Historic Places recognizes that bank building as a Route 66-related historic resource.

Historic Route 66 is mapped around Rolla, Doolittle and Newburg, but its complete street-by-street alignment through Rolla is not established.

The clearest local marker is the 10-foot Route 66 sculpture in Buehler Park, which Visit Rolla describes as marking the path of the original road. The visitor center also has a nearly six-foot Route 66 sculpture indoors, while the park sculpture gives you an outdoor stop.

Rolla’s Route 66 sights include a park sculpture, a downtown mural and traces of roadside businesses. Start with the outdoor sculpture in Buehler Park, then head downtown to the mural at the corner of 10th and Pine Streets.

Local business owner Kent Bagnall commissioned artist Craig Thomas to create it in 2013. The guide to Rolla’s downtown covers the surrounding area.

West of town, John’s Modern Cabins were built near Newburg in the 1930s, about five miles west of Rolla. Visit Rolla says a few remnants and the faded sign remain. The Mule Trading Post, which opened in 1946 and relocated to Rolla in 1957, occupied a former Route 66 building that is now Ole Mule Axes n’ Fun.

Some former attractions no longer survive as buildings. The Edwin Long Hotel’s history is tied to its former site, and Zeno’s Studio Motel—opened in the mid-1950s as Zeno’s Motel and Steakhouse—closed in 2011; its building was later demolished. The Uptown Theatre, opened in 1941, closed in 1998 and was demolished in 2010.

The historic corridor is identified on local and state maps, but its complete driving alignment through Rolla and ordinary visitor parking restrictions are not established. When you stop to view a landmark, follow current road signs and use legal parking areas.

The Phelps County Historical Society’s historic buildings and museum space at 305 W. 3rd St. are open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. between April and October; Monday and Thursday visits are by appointment. Hours can change, so check the official site before you go.

Downtown Rolla adds a Route 66 mural and historic buildings to a visit focused on the old highway. Pair the mural at 10th and Pine with the outdoor sculpture in Buehler Park; the National Bank of Rolla Building adds a connection to the 1931 ribbon-cutting. The guide to downtown Rolla can help you plan your time in the area.

At the western edge of the local story, Newburg’s cabin remnants recall the motor-court era.

Rolla’s Route 66 sights are about 1.4 miles from a motel in Rolla.

Did Route 66 pass through Rolla?

Yes. Rolla’s visitor bureau identifies the city as a stop on the historic road, and the highway’s 1931 paving celebration took place there.

Where can you see Route 66 public art in Rolla?

There is a 10-foot Route 66 sculpture in Buehler Park and a mural at 10th and Pine Streets downtown.

Are the Totem Pole Trading Post and Uptown Theatre still standing?

No. The Totem Pole Trading Post building has been demolished, though Visit Rolla says its sign remains for now. The Uptown Theatre was demolished in 2010.