Route 66 Neon Park to open in St. Robert, Missouri next month

ST. ROBERT, Mo. – A new roadside attraction is set to open next month and light up the skies of the Missouri Ozarks.

Route 66 Neon Park, the first park dedicated to vintage neon lights in Missouri, is set to open in Saint Robert on Friday, May 9, 2025.

The park will stand next to George M. Reed Roadside Park in St. Robert, Missouri. It will be visible from parts of Interstate 44 and commemorative Old Route 66 roadways. Route 66 Neon Park will celebrate its grand opening with a 7 p.m. lighting ceremony.

The site will feature nearly a dozen restored neon signs that once stood along the Missouri portion of Route 66 in its prime, paying tribute to the nostalgic roadside stops that once lined the famous American highway.

The signs, collected and refurbished by private collectors, were once used to advertise along Route 66 in Missouri, stretching from St. Louis to Joplin.

“The opening of the Route 66 Neon Park in Saint Robert is a proud moment for our city and for all of Pulaski County,” said Saint Robert Mayor James Breckinridge via a news release. “This park not only preserves the iconic glow of America’s Mother Road, but it also celebrates the rich history and culture Route 66 brought to our region and Missouri as a whole. It’s a tribute to the spirit of exploration and connection that defined a generation. Now, it inspires a new one.”

In addition to the restored neon signs, the park will feature storyboards that provide visitors with the backstory behind each sign, offering a deeper connection to Route 66’s rich history.

This project has been nearly a decade in the making. Discussions began in 2014.The Pulaski County Preservation Organization acquired nine neon signs and launched fundraising efforts in 2015. The City of Saint Robert took over development efforts in 2020.

Route 66, one of the original highways in the United State Numbered Highway System, will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year.