Smiles on the “Mother Road” - Along the Mother Road: A Family Journey Through Route 66 in St. Robert

Route 66 Neon Park in St. Robert, Missouri, features restored vintage signs and a military tank honoring the region’s later connection to Fort Leonard Wood. Though the famed highway predates the military base by more than a decade, both became deeply intertwined in shaping Pulaski County’s history and identity. Photos courtesy of Jeremy P. Ämick

The restored Motel St. Louis sign stands among the attractions at the Route 66 Neon Park in St. Robert. Vintage neon signs like these once guided weary motorists to food, lodging, and fuel during the golden age of travel along America’s legendary Mother Road.

During a year in which Americans are reflecting upon the approaching 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, another major milestone is also approaching across the highways and backroads of the United States. In 2026, the legendary Route 66 , known as America’s famed “Mother Road,” will celebrate its 100th anniversary.

Nearly a century after its creation, the historic roadway continues attracting travelers from around the world who seek a glimpse into the nostalgia, freedom, and the roadside culture that once defined American travel.

Recently, my wife Tina, our grandson, and I made a quick trip into Pulaski County to explore two of Missouri’s most recognizable Route 66 destinations — the Route 66 Neon Park in St. Robert and the ever-popular Uranus Fudge Factory.

For many Americans, Route 66 was more than a highway. Officially established in 1926, the route stretched approximately 2,448 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, California, connecting small towns, rural communities, diners, gas stations, motor courts, and roadside attractions along the way. During the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, the highway became a vital migration route for thousands heading westward in search of opportunity. While World War II unfolded, it carried military traffic, supplies, and travelers across the nation. In the ensuing decades, it helped shape family vacations and featured neon signs, roadside diners, and the romance of the open road. 

“Route 66 is the most famous road in the world,” noted author Michael Wallis in his acclaimed book Route 66: The Mother Road, a phrase echoed repeatedly by historians and preservationists who continue working to preserve its rich past.

Missouri holds a special place in that history. The state contains more than 300 miles of the original roadway and has become one of the leading states in Route 66 preservation efforts. Throughout communities like Cuba, Lebanon, Rolla, Waynesville, and St. Robert, visitors can still find remnants of vintage America carefully preserved alongside modern development.

Our first stop was the Route 66 Neon Park in St. Robert, a striking attraction that immediately evokes the golden era of automobile tourism.

The park features restored neon signs from historic Route 66 businesses throughout Missouri. According to the City of St. Robert, the attraction became the first dedicated neon sign park developed along the entire Route 66 corridor. The carefully restored signs once advertised motels, garages, liquor stores, restaurants, and roadside businesses that served travelers during the highway’s peak years. One of the most recognizable displays is the massive vintage Motel St. Louis sign advertising “44 ultra modern units,” a reminder of the era when roadside motels competed for motorists through elaborate neon advertising and promises of modern conveniences.

Standing near the giant white “66” sculpture overlooking the park is a military tank, an important reminder that while Route 66 predates Fort Leonard Wood, the military installation would later shape the region’s identity in profound ways.

“The original Route 66 passed through the area in 1926,” notes one historical account of St. Robert, “well before Fort Leonard Wood was established in 1940.” The presence of the highway later proved critical in supplying transportation access to the rapidly expanding military base during World War II.

The nearby communities of St. Robert and Waynesville became deeply connected to both Route 66 travel culture and military traffic during the war years. Historians have noted that Waynesville quickly evolved into a bustling service center for soldiers and travelers alike, housing restaurants, bus stations, hotels, and entertainment venues associated with Fort Leonard Wood.

“Route 66 brought prosperity and travelers to Pulaski County long before the interstate era,” noted the Pulaski County Tourism Bureau in describing the region’s historic significance.

Today, the tank displayed beside the neon signs symbolizes that shared connection between the Mother Road and the military history that later followed.

My grandson was fascinated by the military display and the towering vintage signs, while Tina and I enjoyed reading the interpretive plaques explaining the history behind each restored attraction. Even in daylight, the park possesses an unmistakable nostalgic atmosphere. One can easily imagine weary travelers pulling off the highway decades ago in search of food, gasoline, or a room for the night beneath glowing neon lights.

Visitors exploring the St. Robert stretch of Route 66 can also stop for a meal at the Route 66 Diner, which continues the long tradition of roadside dining associated with the Mother Road. Diners and cafés formed an essential part of Route 66 culture, offering travelers a hot meal and a brief pause before continuing westward.

Not far from the neon park stands another attraction that reflects Route 66’s enduring roadside spirit and embracing the wildly colorful name of the Uranus Fudge Factory. With its giant sign, playful humor, gift shops, fudge counters, sideshow museum, and over-the-top roadside atmosphere, the attraction has become one of the best-known modern tourist stops along Missouri’s section of Route 66.

The business embraces a tradition that has always defined the Mother Road:  the celebration of roadside Americana. Route 66 was never merely about transportation. It was about discovery. Travelers encountered giant dinosaurs, quirky museums, unusual gift shops, eccentric restaurants, and attractions specifically designed to capture attention from passing motorists.

Uranus carries that tradition into the twenty-first century with modern humor and social media appeal while still embodying the spirit of classic roadside entertainment. Here, visitors can explore the sideshow museum featuring unusual displays such as two-headed animals and even watch live performances that include a sword-swallowing entertainer reminiscent of vintage carnival attractions once found along America’s highways.

The attraction also highlights how Route 66 communities have adapted through time. Though Interstate 44 eventually bypassed much of the original roadway, communities like St. Robert and Waynesville refused to allow their Route 66 heritage to disappear. Instead, local preservation groups, tourism officials, and business owners have embraced that identity, helping preserve the area’s unique role in American travel history.

That fascination extends far beyond the United States itself. International travelers from Europe, Japan, Australia, and elsewhere continue making pilgrimages along surviving stretches of Route 66 each year.

“Route 66 remains an international symbol of freedom and the American road trip,” noted the National Park Service in describing the roadway’s continuing cultural influence.

Route 66 has become deeply woven into American popular culture through songs, films, books, postcards, television programs, and tourism campaigns. From Nat King Cole’s iconic “Get Your Kicks on Route 66” to Hollywood depictions of roadside America, the highway continues inspiring generations who never even experienced its heyday firsthand.

As our family made the drive home through the rolling Ozark hills, it became clear why Route 66 continues captivating people nearly one hundred years after its creation. In a world increasingly dominated by hurried interstate travel and digital navigation, the Mother Road still invites travelers to slow down, stop at roadside attractions and appreciate the stories hidden along America’s highways.

For our family, the journey to St. Robert was more than a short outing. It became a reminder that history is still alive along Route 66. It is a legacy that continues to glow through restored neon signs, is preserved in roadside diners, honored beside military memorials, and celebrated through attractions that continue making travelers smile along the Mother Road.
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Jeremy P. Ämick is author of the historical compilations “Moments on the Moreau” and “Beyond the Moreau.”       

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The colorful Uranus Fudge Factory near St. Robert continues the quirky roadside attraction tradition long associated with Route 66. Featuring fudge, novelty shops, a sideshow museum, and live entertainment, the destination has become one of Missouri’s most recognizable modern stops along the historic highway.