Oakboro Museum invites visitors to Route 66 exhibit
Published 3:28 pm Tuesday, June 13, 2023
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Come visit the current rotating exhibit at the Oakboro Regional Museum of History to “Get Your Kicks on Route 66.”
This new exhibit, “Route 66 — It’s not the Destination. It’s the Journey,” will be on display through September.
The original Route 66 Highway ran 2,448 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, California.
Two bar stools and a living room armchair covered in Route 66 fabric greet visitors as they enter the museum. These unique articles were provided by Betty Huneycutt and her son, Chris.
“The fabric on the furniture items in our exhibit is an upholstery grade, themed tapestry fabric woven by Mastercraft Division of Collins & Aikman Corporation during the 1990s,” Betty Huneycutt said. “The fabric was unique in its design and durability and was great for residential and commercial applications. It was popular for use in cabins, lodges, family rooms, on bar stools or any home décor fabric project.”
DVDs tell the story of U.S. Route 66 from its beginning in 1926 until it was removed from the U.S. Highway System in 1985. It was replaced by segments of the US Interstate Highway System. Segments of Old Route 66 are now preserved by the individual states that it traverses.
Also on exhibit are signs and model cars from the time period. Photos, books, a compiled historical notebook and maps give insight into the famous “Mother Road” and its history. Tour books, maps and trip kits from AAA of the Carolinas chart America’s most iconic road from Oakboro to Chicago (where Route 66 began) to Santa Monica on the Pacific coast.
Other travel items on display include collections of spoons, thimbles and shot glasses from hundreds of places in the U. S. and abroad. In addition, there is a collection of walking stick medallions from the US National Parks.
The museum is open for visitation from 2-4 p.m. Sunday and Monday and 10 a.m. to noon Thursday.
Arrangements for group tours may be made by calling Oakboro Museum at 704-485-4222 and leaving a message.