Birthplace of Route 66 Roadside Park

Springfield, Missouri is officially recognized as the birthplace of Route 66. It was via telegram at a 1926 meeting of highway officials at the Colonial Hotel that Springfield businessman John T. Woodruff and Oklahoma businessman Cyrus Avery first proposed U.S. 66 as the name of the new Chicago-to-Los Angeles highway. The Birthplace of Route 66 Roadside Park in Springfield, Missouri pays respects to the city’s roots with a small pullover park packed with nostalgia.

The star attraction of this Route 66 park is a replica of the “Giant Hamburg” sign that was once a Route 66 attraction in itself. The original stood outside of a Route 66 restaurant that opened in the 1940s and is believed to be the world’s first drive through. The famous sign says Hamburg, not Hamburger as you might expect, because the owner, Sheldon “Red” Chaney, misjudged the sign’s height and didn’t have room for those last two letters without hitting power lines, so he cut it down to size. Red’s Giant Hamburg closed in 1984 and the location was torn down, but this replica pays homage to that once famous Route 66 institution. (A new Red’s Giant Hamburg opened after 35 years at a new location in 2019.)

While at the park you can also meander down a small walking path, see a Route 66 sign, or have lunch at a picnic table. While there isn’t much to see at the park now, plans to expand are in the works. Someday you might see here a replica gas station, motor court, Route 66 sculpture, restrooms, visitor information, and more.