Page 2 Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026
Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 Page 3 Table of Contents Page 04: Route 66: The (Mother) Road to a Museum in Lincoln Page 08: City of Lincoln takes action to form a city Department of Tourism Page 10: Scott McCoy discusses the future of tourism in Lincoln Page 14: Welch and McCoy announce bank building will be a Route 66 museum Page 16: John and Darlene Ruh visit the new home of their unique Route 66 model train set Page 20: Deconstruction and reconstruction begin for the new museum Page 26: McCoy and Groves bring the train home in Lincoln Page 38: Plans for the City of Lincoln Route 66 Museum get underway Page 42: By late spring 2026 the vision moves to become a reality at the Museum of Route 66 Page 48: Iconic symbol installed on exterior of the Museum of Route 66 building Page 56: The giant penny is on its way! Page 60: Museum of Route 66 soft opening well received by local residents
Page 4 Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 The (Mother) Road to a Museum in Lincoln There are a few pearls of wisdom that are related to travel. One such favorite is “every journey begins with just one step,” and another “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” That second pearl is especially true when we look at the long and winding trail known as Route 66. From Chicago to L.A. the journey is truly fascinating. Route 66 expert Scott McCoy, addressing the LLCEO Class of 2025 in Atlanta, said that the Mother Road is popular with international travelers because it gives them the full view of America and Americana. It’s true. The journey includes lakes, rivers, and an ocean. There is flat prairie land, a well-marked path through dense forestry, mountains, and deserts. And let’s not forget Meramec Caverns in our neighboring state of Missouri. The views included magnificent works of architecture in tall buildings of some of our mega-cities, small agricultural communities where the largest structures in a town belong to the local grain elevator, rich green pastures dotted with cattle and horses, field after field of tall green corn stalks that change with the season along with the vast variety of trees on the landscapes, vast acreages where the only thing that grows is cacti and sage brush, and deep rivers dotted with tug boats and barges carrying goods from north to south and south to north on the mighty Mississippi. While it may not have been the original intent of the Mother Road, Route 66 over the years has become a Meca for man-made quirkiness. From giants dotting the landscape to a catsup bottle water tower, the gateway arch, Cars (the movie) on the Route, a totem pole park, blue whale, and cowboy museum, a Cadillac Ranch, Standin’ on the corner in Winslow Arizona (Take it Easy by the Eagles), to Elmer Longs Bottle Forest and the Santa Monica Pier, the landscape offers more quirky, kitchie “stuff” than any other road. Locally, that first pearl of wisdom might best apply to what has happened in Lincoln. “Every journey begins with just one step.” Some of us relate that first step to actions taken in 2025 by the city of Lincoln to secure tourism dollars in larger quantities via the hotel/motel tax. However, that is not entirely correct. The first step in the journey occurred about four years ago. Lincoln Mayor Tracy Welch felt a need to expand Route 66 tourism in Lincoln, and why not. The June 1926 installation of the Mother Road runs right into the heart of the city. Yet for decades, there has been very little to taut that fact by way of Route 66 tourist attractions. Scott McCoy was literally putting the tiny town of Atlanta on the map. He was
Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 Page 5 essentially doing for Atlanta what he had done for Pontiac, another small community, which, by the way, was merely Route 66 adjacent. McCoy had played a vital role in turning Pontiac into a “must stop” even if you had to actually leave the Mother Road, and now he was doing the same for Atlanta, with the advantage that the small community in Logan County was on the original route. If McCoy could develop Route 66 tourism in Pontiac and Atlanta, why couldn’t he do the same thing for Lincoln? Welch had spoken with McCoy years prior to the actions that were taken in 2025, and McCoy was more than receptive. In an interview with McCoy in June of 2025 LDN reported: “McCoy is excited about becoming a part of the newly designated Lincoln Tourism Department and has accepted the position of Department Director. As such he already has visions for the future of Lincoln as a Route 66 destination. “McCoy said that Lincoln has long been on his personal radar. He said that over the years he has spoken to various groups across the country about Route 66 and tourism, and he has used two communities as shining examples of towns that have missed the boat on Route 66, with Lincoln being one of those two. He said that it seemed like a big opportunity missed. He noted that there was really no reason for it to be that way. If Pontiac can draw tourists more than a mile off of 66 to their town, then why shouldn’t Lincoln, who has Route 66 traveling right into the heart of the city, be even more successful at drawing tourists?”
Page 6 Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 For the past several years, the city had control of the local hotel/motel tax but did not administer the funds. The lion’s share of the revenue was passed through to the Logan County Tourism Bureau with the city keeping only a very small percentage. During budgeting time in the city, Welch suggested that the city re-think that distribution and use more of those funds to support tourism within the city. The city council supported that suggestion and took action accordingly. Once revenues were secured, the city then took another big step in the journey by purchasing the former State Bank of Lincoln building at 500-508 Broadway Street. During a Coffee with the Mayor event in July 2025, Welch made two big announcements. The bank would be among other things, a Route 66 Museum. Welch invited McCoy to that coffee hour and invited him to address the development of Route 66 tourism. “McCoy said that when hired by the city he had spoken with Welch about needing a way to get people out of their cars. A museum or visitors center was going to be a big part of the plan. He said he came to Lincoln on a few occasions and just walked around downtown looking at the buildings. When he came past the State Bank building it all clicked for him that the size and location right on the downtown Route 66 alignment was in his mind ideal.” The second big announcement at that coffee event was that the city had already secured its first big installation for the museum. “So what is this donation? It is a route 66 model train array that has been painstakingly assembled over the years by Chicago resident John Ruh. The working model train travels over track and through backdrops and landscapes that depict all eight states where Route 66 passes through. Welch said the attention to detail is remarkable as is the size of the array.” Thus the journey began. And now, for the rest of the story…… [Nila Smith]
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Page 8 Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 City of Lincoln takes action to form a city Department of Tourism From April, 2025, Committee of the Whole meeting of the Lincoln City Council Lincoln Aldermen discuss re-directing hotel motel tax to a city tourism department At the Tuesday evening meeting of the Lincoln City Council, aldermen heard from Mayor Tracy Welch a proposal that would re-direct the hotel/motel tax collected in the city of Lincoln from the current Logan County Tourism Bureau to a newly formed City of Lincoln Tourism Department. It was noted that the 100th anniversary of Route 66 is next year, and currently the city of Lincoln is way behind in preparing for that event. The city would need to have money in hand and start working on promoting Lincoln as a stop on the route during that anniversary year. In a subsequent voting session of the council, aldermen approved the re-direction of the hotel/motel tax to a newly created City of Lincoln Department of Tourism. The council also would approve annual ongoing support for the Logan County Tourism Bureau so that entity could work to serve all of Logan County. Other actions to keep the new tourism program moving included hiring Scott McCoy as first a consultant and later as the Director of Tourism for the city of Lincoln. And, finally, the council voted to approve the purchase of the former State Bank of Lincoln building located in the 500 block of Lincoln, then owned by Heartland Bank and Trust for an amount of $150,000. The purchase included the building, the parking area adjacent to the building, and the large, paved parking area at the corner of Pekin and Chicago Streets. The purchase of the property brought on much speculation via social media including thoughts that the city might abandon city hall and convert the bank building to a new city administration office.
Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 Page 9 On June 24, 2025, Lincoln Mayor Tracy Welch made the following statement regarding the building. Mayor Tracy Welch said he would clear up some speculation about the old State Bank of Lincoln building being purchased by the city. He said that the city has put considerable investment in the current city hall and has no intention of moving city offices to the new urchase. He disclosed that the building will be used for tourism and economic development initiatives. Welch also said that the building is being purchased for $150,000. The payment for the building will come exclusively from the funds raised by the hotel/motel tax. It will be paid in two installments, the first half this year, and the second half in the 2026-27 fiscal year. [Nila Smith]
Page 10 Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 Scott McCoy discusses the future of tourism in Lincoln In June 2025, Scott McCoy sat down with Lincoln Daily News to discuss his vision for Lincoln pertaining to the exploitation of Route 66 as a major tourist attraction in the city. The 1926 installation of Route 66 came into the heart of the city on Kickapoo Street and made a right turn on Broadway and proceeded to Logan Street. This meant that today, the Mother Road runs right past the old State Bank building, as well as the Lincoln Depot and the christening site where Abraham Lincoln named and christened the city with the juice of a watermelon. Lincoln Illinois is the only city to be named for and christened by Abraham Lincoln before he became the 16th president of the United States. Excerpts from that June interview McCoy said that Lincoln has long been on his personal radar. He said that over the years he has spoken to various groups across the country about Route 66 and tourism, and he has used two communities as shining examples of towns that have missed the boat on Route 66, with Lincoln being one of those two. He said that it seemed like a big opportunity missed. He noted that there was really no reason for it to be that way. If Pontiac can draw tourists more than a mile off of 66 to their town, then why shouldn’t Lincoln, who has Route 66 traveling right into the heart of the city, be even more successful at drawing tourists? In another somewhat surprising move the Lincoln City Council on Monday, June 16th voted unanimously to purchase the building located at 500-508 Broadway Street. This is the former Heartland Bank & Trust building better known to most people as the old State Bank Building.
Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 Page 11 McCoy said that yes there is a definite plan for the building, but that he would refrain from spelling it out pending press releases from the mayor and further information gleaned in city council meetings. In spite of this, he admitted that there are those who have a reasonable idea of what may lie ahead for the structure. He said that he would say that it was a multifaceted project that would benefit the community through tourism as well as economic development. McCoy said that though some of these things may seem rushed, he had been talking with Welch for at least the last couple of years about how to grow tourism in Lincoln. With the anniversary of Route 66 just months away, McCoy said that Lincoln has almost missed the boat in being prepared for the 100th anniversary year, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still make a splash in 2026. He described 2026 as the “debut” of Route 66 tourism in Lincoln and said while the town may not be completely ready, it will make its mark and earn a spot on the “must stop” map for the one million or more tourists who travel the Mother Road next year. He added that bringing Route 66 into the heart of the city is not just about getting people to drive through the town take a look and move on, it is about giving them enough to do and see in town that they will stay. This includes promoting downtown businesses and encouraging the spending of dollars in those businesses, local eateries and local motels. He said that the bottom line is that tourism is about money. The ultimate goal is to bring tourist dollars into the community for the good of our local businesses.
Page 12 Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 He said also that in this new role, he hopes to become closer to downtown businesses and the downtown business group. He wants to see interaction between tourist attraction initiatives and downtown business owners. He said that the goal is to have businesses recommend sites to visit and also have site volunteers and staff recommend businesses and eateries, so that there is a flow back and forth between tourist attractions and local retailers and eateries. The final words on the subject of route 66 Tourism in Lincoln are the best is yet to come. With 2026 just a few months away, look for things to move quickly in the future, and hopefully the city will enjoy success in all its efforts. [Nila Smith]
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Page 14 Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 Welch and McCoy announce bank building will be a Route 66 museum In July Lincoln Mayor Tracy Welch hosted Coffee with the Mayor at Guest House Coffee and Pastries in Lincoln. Welch holds these open forum meetings every two months and typically extends an invitation to another member of city governance to join him. In July his guest was the new Director of Tourism for the City of Lincoln Department of Tourism, Scott McCoy. At this meeting, Welch revealed that the old State Bank of Lincoln building would be a multi-purpose facility that would include a new Route 66 Museum. Excerpts from July 2025 Coffee with the Mayor Welch and McCoy explained in some detail what the future of the building will be. Welch made a simple announcement that the building will be a Route 66 Museum in one section and a business incubator in the other. He asked McCoy to expand on the decision to purchase the building. McCoy gave a very abbreviated version of his personal experiences in route 66 tourism explaining he got into this when he was the mayor of Pontiac and that town was just dipping its toe into Route 66 tourism as a revenue source for the community. He noted that in that town coming up with museum space and bringing traffic into town that would not just drive through but have a reason to stop and get out of their vehicles had been a key decision. McCoy said that when hired by the city he had spoken with Welch about needing a way to get people out of their cars. A museum or visitors center was going to be a big part of the plan. He said he came to Lincoln on a few occasions and just walked around downtown looking at the buildings. When he came past the State Bank building it all clicked for him that the size and location right on the downtown Route 66 alignment was in his mind ideal. McCoy explained that he hesitates to call the building a museum because the word implies a place where people go and look and walk out. He says using the word visitor center invites a more “immersive” experience. The donation coming will provide that immersive experience. There was another big announcement at that same time, related to the museum. Welch was excited to share that the city is receiving a huge donation from a Route 66 buff in Chicago.
Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 Page 15 Second excerpt from the July Coffee with the Mayor So what is this donation? It is a route 66 model train array that has been painstakingly assembled over the year by Chicago resident John Ruh. The working model train travels over track and through backdrops and landscapes that depict all eight states where Route 66 passes through. Welch said the attention to detail is remarkable as is the size of the array, which takes up Ruhs entire basement. You can get a peek of the train set through this YouTube video. Route 66 Large Model Railroad RR Lionel O Scale Gauge Train Layout of John Ruh & his amazing trains Welch said that Ruh decided about five years ago it was time to get out of the model train business and since then has been hoping to find someone who would take the train array in its entirety. McCoy found the train and set up the meeting, and Ruh has agreed to donate the train set he values at about $150,000 to the city of Lincoln. Welch said that the city council is on board with this and will this week be discussing the donation agreement that has been drafted for the acquisition of the array. McCoy took the opportunity to explain that in addition to Route 66, the Abraham Lincoln connection will be exploited in the new visitor center as well. McCoy is consulting with local Abraham Lincoln Historian Ron Keller on this topic. McCoy added that he has studied Route 66 all across America and Logan County has such a unique set of circumstances no other community can boast in its tying together of Abraham Lincoln and Route 66. McCoy said there is no other state or even community that can claim all this within its history, and it is invaluable. It also ties in nicely with the new train exhibit that will be the first major component of the new visitor center. [Nila Smith]
Page 16 Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 From the left – City of Lincoln Director of Tourism Scott McCoy, John and Darlene Ruh, Lincoln Mayor Tracy Welch John and Darlene Ruh visit the new home of their unique Route 66 model train set Excerpts from the article published in Lincoln Daily News September 2, 2025 On Friday afternoon, August 29th, Lincoln Mayor Tracy Welch and Lincoln Director of Tourism Scott McCoy were joined by John and Darlene Ruh of Chicago for a tour of the former Heartland Bank building located at 501 through 508 Broadway Street in Lincoln. Earlier that day, the city of Lincoln had officially taken possession of the building, and the Ruhs were there to see what would be the future home of a model train set John Ruh has spent the past 20 years designing. The train set is a complete depiction of the Mother Road, Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles. ‘I’m excited that we have officially closed on the Heartland Bank building on Broadway Street,” said Welch. “This marks an important step forward for our community as the building will soon become home to the new city museum and also support various economic development initiatives.”
Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 Page 17 Welch concluded, “The museum will open with its first exhibit in 2026 – John and Darlene Ruh’s one-of-a-kind Route 66 train exhibit – bringing a unique attraction to Lincoln while also supporting the growth and future of our community.” John Ruh has invested a lot of time into designing the train model that is currently located in the basement of the Ruh home in Chicago. For years, the Ruhs have welcomed people into their home to see the train set and watch the train as it traveled the route. Within the landscape of the route are various depictions of sites one would see as they traveled through each state along the Mother Road. John Ruh noted that while it takes folks a couple of weeks to do the route justice if they travel by car, with the train set, they can make the entire trip in about an hour. The Heartland Bank Building is approximately 11,000 square feet, but is divided into three distinct sections. The largest of those three take up about 50 percent of the footprint and is the former banking center on the east end of the building. This is where the City of Lincoln Route 66 Museum will be housed and the new home of the Ruh train set. On Friday, the Ruhs took a tour of the entire building, then returned to the banking center portion to talk about how it will be utilized and how the train may be incorporated into the museum. The Ruhs are donating the train to the city, so it will become city property once everything is settled. John Ruh said that he has for the past five years or so been hoping to find some place to locate the train that would give the public access so that it can continue to be appreciated. He said that giving it to Lincoln was the ideal situation, and that being patient with finding the train a new home had paid off. When asked how they felt about giving away a big part of themselves, Darlene Ruh laughed and said that she was quite alright with the train finding a new home. She explained how the train came to be, saying it began as a little model train set placed around the Christmas tree for their children to enjoy. She said the kids did enjoy it very much as did she and John. Then John had said it would be nice if they could have the train set up year round, and Darlene agreed. She said that the family home had a large basement that was divided into two sections of about equal size. One section was semi-finished and the kids enjoyed being down there quite often. The other half was rougher, and housed the mechanicals for the house such as the furnace. She suggested that John move the train set to the unfinished section of the basement and then the kids (and John) could go down and play with it anytime they wanted to. She said the train from there began to grow into what it is today. She said she personally didn’t pay a lot of attention until one day John came upstairs and said, “you need to come
Page 18 Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 see what I did.” She followed him downstairs and to her amazement, he had cut a hole in the wall between the two sections of the basement, and the train was now rolling into that finished section as a part of its routine route. “I said what did you do! You cut a hole in our wall! And he said, ‘it’s not a hole, it’s a tunnel’.” Darlene said from there, the train just continued to grow until it skirted the parameter of the entire basement. In answer to the original question, John Ruh said he felt it was time for the train to have a new home, and besides that, giving the Route 66 train to Lincoln did not mean he was out of the model train business. He said there are other trains in the basement, including a model of the Chicago EL (Elevated Train) that travels close to the ceiling in the basement. He said that he was happy to find someone who wanted the train and would do right by it, giving it a home where the public could still enjoy it. On Friday a lot of the talk in the informal meeting focused on how the city planned to incorporate the train into the museum. McCoy explained that the museum will be a melting of Abraham Lincoln and Route 66, with the greater focus being on Route 66. Ruh said he felt that was appropriate, and reviewed the history of Route 66 and drew a straight line back to Abraham Lincoln. As many Linolnites know, the city of Lincoln was christened by Abraham Lincoln before he ran for president of the United States. Abraham Lincoln was well known in Lincoln and Logan County as a circuit attorney and also the surveyor who outlined the borders of the county and named it Logan after a good friend and fellow politician from southern Illinois. The town of Lincoln was strategically located because of the rail system that was being designed to traverse from Chicago to St. Louis. The new town would be a stop for the train, and A. Lincoln christened the town just feet away from what would be the first train depot for Lincoln the town. When the layout for Route 66 was proposed, the segment that went from Chicago to St. Louis followed the rail, bringing Route 66 to Lincoln in Logan County. Lincoln and Logan County is one of the only places in the state that can draw such a straight line connecting Abraham Lincoln and Route 66. That line gives this community a unique opportunity to attract tourists seeking not only the history of Route 66 but also those who strive to learn more of the life of the nation’s 16th president. "This is an exciting major step for the City of Lincoln and our strategic plan to capitalize on the massive tourism industry,” said McCoy. “This building will become the magnet where we'll give tourists a unique experience. But more importantly, we'll be able to directly showcase our local businesses, hotels, restaurants, and the Community -- and capture those outside tourism dollars." "It was wonderful to have John and Darlene Ruh here today. John's Route 66 model train exhibit will be a focal point of this new attraction. We are thrilled he chose Lincoln as the future home of his one-of-a-kind Route 66 exhibit." [Nila Smith]
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Page 20 Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 Deconstruction and reconstruction begin for the new museum Though the interior of the building looked much as it had the day it closed when John and Darlene Ruh visited in August, soon after, demolition began on the interior of the former banking center. In addition to hiring McCoy, the city hired former Logan County Tourism Bureau employee Lexi Groves. McCoy and Groves began tearing apart the old to make room for the new. [Nila Sith with photos by Smith and Scott McCoy]
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Page 26 Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 McCoy and Groves bring the train home in Lincoln November 10, 2025, Scott McCoy and Lexie Groves took a U-Haul up to Chicago to get John and Darlene Ruh’s model train set, which is a complete depiction of Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles. The Ruhs, McCoy and Groves plus a friend of the Ruhs took apart the train, bridges and little shops and loaded them up to bring to Lincoln to exhibit in the Route 66 museum. When the train arrived in Lincoln, each piece was carefully unpacked and had to be inventories for insurance purposes. Groves did most of that work which with so many pieces took quite some time. In June, 2026 Groves said McCoy has been meeting with members of a model train club in Springfield. He is getting guidance from that group and is hopeful that some of them will be interested in helping with the final layout of the train exhibit. The train will be displayed in a special room with large windows for guests to watch it run. Matthews Construction has built a display table where the train will be set up. [Angela Reiners with photos by Reiners, Scott McCoy and Lexie Groves]
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Page 38 Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 Plans for the City of Lincoln Route 66 Museum get underway In February, 2026 Lincoln Director of Tourism Scott McCoy talked to Lincoln Daily News more about plans for the City of Lincoln Route 66 Museum on the 500th block of Broadway Street. Some of the funding for the museum has come from the hotel/motel tax collected in Lincoln. In addition, the city received a $411,000 grant to help fund projects like the museum. McCoy said there are other grants he plans to apply for, too. A watermelon bench placed right outside the building this spring has been a popular spot for photos. A video cam in the window shows many people stop and sit on the bench as they walk by. The watermelon theme is also displayed in the gift shop, which is going to have local, customized items such as shelf sitters and wooden painted items. A focal point of the museum is John and Darlene Ruh’s one-of-a-kind Route 66 model train exhibit, which John Ruh spent 20 years designing. The rest of the museum will recreate a nostalgic trip on Route 66. McCoy said the museum will be part of the road tours and Route 66 scenic byway. With 2026 being the 100th anniversary of Route 66, many are traveling the historical route and the museum will give visitors a special experience. [Angela Reiners]
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Page 42 Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 By late spring 2026 the vision moves to become a reality at the Museum of Route 66 In the fall of 2025, Lincoln Director of Director Scott McCoy and Assistant Lexie Groves began taking apart the interior of the former banking center to make room for the new sections that would recreate a nostalgic experience of stops on Route 66. Before McCoy and Groves could set up the various areas of the museum, Brady’s Painting and Construction worked on construction of several indoor sections. In addition, Carpet House installed new carpet in various sections of the museum. A watermelon bench just outside the museum has been attracting many people walking by who sit down on it for a photo opportunity. A second watermelon bench is in the entrance to museum right in front of the ticket booth.
Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 Page 43 In keeping with that theme, Groves painted the gift shop to look like the inside of a watermelon. As you walk through the museum, you will see exhibits that will take you back in time on Route 66. Near the front of the museum, there is a ticket counter. One special display is John and Darlene Ruh’s one-of-a-kind train exhibit, which Ruh spent 20 years designing. The train set is a complete depiction of the Mother Road, Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles. Brad Matthew’s construction built the train table the set will go on. The ceiling and walls in one section have been painted to look like the sky and in the middle of the museum there is an area with fake grass. Near the front, McCoy has set up an old phone booth similar to the one on top of Lincoln’s City Hall. In another area is a replica of an old-time radio station like the ones on Route 66. Just past the radio station is a barber shop set up to look like one from years ago.
Page 44 Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 The large piece of sheet glass mirror in the barber shop was installed by Chuck’s Glass in Lincoln. There is also Coonhound Johnny/Al Capone bootlegger exhibit because of the connections to Route 66 in Logan County. A 50’s style diner area towards the front of the museum is reminiscent of the diners and malt shops along Route 66. Another special section provides a behind the scenes look at how giants are made complete with the head and torso of a giant. At some point, McCoy said the museum will have a 40s style Movie theatre replica with seats and a Route 66 Hall of Fame. The hard work over these past few months has helped transform the place into what is planned to be an immersive Route 66 experience. [Angela Reiners]
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Page 48 Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 Iconic symbol installed on exterior of the Museum of Route 66 building Wednesday, May 27, 2026, a crane hoisted up a large sign created by Jim Oskam of Oskam Signs near the top of the Museum of Route 66. Oskam made it in the shape of a Route 66 sign. Because of the size, workers in two different boom trucks spent a good portion of the day bolting each into place. When the signage for the museum was first introduced to the Lincoln City Council, it was quite different from what was installed. McCoy said that when they started really looking at the original design there were going to be structural issues as well as a possible risk during storms and high winds. McCoy said when it came down to it, he personally preferred what was eventually installed. He said that it makes an iconic statement on the exterior of the building. The exterior emblem does include a light feature that McCoy says is programable, much like the lights on the Logan County Courthouse. He will be able to light the symbol and do variations within the illumination. Because the large symbolic piece does not actually say Museum of Route 66, a smaller neon sign was purchased and is in one of the front windows of the museum. [Angela Reiners with photos by Scott McCoy and Nila Smith]
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Page 56 Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 The giant penny is on its way! Before the July 11, 2026, grand opening, a giant penny made by Mark Cline will be installed on a concrete base at the Museum of Route 66. The penny will be located outside the building and will be another excellent “selfie” opportunity for travelers on Route 66. Cline spent months creating the penny section by section. To make it look like a penny, he used metallic paint. In dark lettering, Cline stamped Route 66 and 2026 in the bottom right corner. Cline also created the Lincoln donut and several other giants on Route 66 plus made a mold of himself that is displayed in the museum. [Angela Reiners with photos by Scott McCoy]
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Page 60 Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 Museum of Route 66 soft opening well received by local residents On Monday, June 1st, 2026 at 11 a.m. the new Museum of Route 66 in Lincoln opened its doors to the public for the first time. As opening time approached a small crowd gathered outside anxious to step inside and see the work that had been done thus far. City of Lincoln Director of Tourism Scott McCoy greeted guests and talked briefly about what everyone would see on this first day of opening. He explained that the museum is still a work in progress with the grand opening slated for July 11th. He said that there were portions of the museum that were roped off for the sake of safety to the visitors, but that there was still an opportunity to get a good sneak peek at what was going on and what was yet to come. The museum, when completed will appear to be a streetscape where guests can walk a full circle viewing the multiple Route 66 era displays including a mid-century diner, barber shop, and radio station. There is also a phone booth that will be a very special part of the record of Route 66 history in Lincoln and a workshop where “giants’ much like those located in Logan County are replicated. The Ruh train display is not yet set up, but McCoy says that work will start on Monday, June 8th, and the public is invited to stop by and watch as the depiction of Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles is erected.
Museum of Route 66 Lincoln Daily News June/July 2026 Page 61 The last stop for visitors will be the gift shop which was open and stocked with items on the first day of opening, and it was getting the attention of some of the guests who left with selections of caps, books, and other Route 66 mementos. For the special soft opening, guests were given free bags of popcorn, and Carrie McEntire of McEntire Appliance (and mother of Lincoln Tourism Assistant Lexie Groves) had donated a lovely cake for the celebration. While there is yet much to be done, the message is clear. Come in for a sneak peek and just know that the best is yet to come! [Nila Smith]
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