Joplin, MO

Royal Heights Apartments & Theater 2201-05 N. Florida Ave. This building was originally home to the Royal Heights Apartments and Royal Heights (Movie) Theater ... read more

Former Store Building 2599 Utica St. at Florida Ave. In 1953 Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Smith were running a furniture auction business here. I 1954 someone applied for a permit to ... read more

Jackson Food Market 2332 Utica Ave. In the 1950's-60s this was Jackson's Food Market and also Royal Heights Grocery Store ... read more

Dales Barber Shop 2312 Utica (at intersection with Euclid) This was the 1920s Shamrock Inn Tourist Camp & Cafe. After Route 66 arrived cabins were added and in ... read more

Johnny Powers Sinclair Station 1302 Broadway  Johnny Powers operated a Sinclair Station here from the late 1940s to the early 1970s. Before that it was the ... read more

1920s Burke Key Auto Repair 1111 Broadway St. (Langston Hughes) In 1920 this was Burke Key Auto Repair, in 1929 James Parker Auto Repair and in ... read more

Former garage 1019 E Broadway St According to a neighbor, this was once a barber shop ... read more

Jones Food Market 1016 E. Broadway From 1930 to 1959 this was primarily a grocery store, first as Stokes Brothers Grocery, then Busy Bee Food Market followed by ... read more

1936 Dr. Pepper Bottlin Plant 920 Broadway Dr. Pepper outgrew the plant at 815 Broadway, so they built this one and moved into it in 1936, appraently you could watch ... read more

1930 Dr. Pepper Plant 815 E. Broadway The Dr. Pepper Bottling Company moved into this building in 1930. When you think Dr. Pepper do you think of beer, neither did ... read more

Chester Jones BBQ 809 Broadway In the mid-1940s this cool little rock building was Chester Jones BBQ joint. Beyond that it's kind of a mystery to me ... read more

Queen's Grocery / Royale Cinema 715 Broadway From 1927 to 1953was home to Queen's Grocery Co. In 1954 it became the Bladl Food Market ... read more

East Town Mural 621 Broadway St. (Langston Huges) The "Belonging to all the hands who build" mural is on the historic Earl Smith Grocery building. The title comes from a ... read more

F.M. Weeks Building 607 E Broadway St. This looks like this building housed F.M. Weeks business and possible they lived upstairs. It is located on E Broadway at ... read more

Twin Towers Barber Shop 602 E. Broadway, Joplin, MO I'm guessing this 1925 building started out as a gas station. The canopy was still open in 1936. In 2013 it was ... read more

1870s Historic Building 519 Broadway St. This is the oldest commercial building in Joplin, it dates back to the very early 1870s. It started life as the Oner & Shepherd ... read more

Side Trip: At Broadway & Main St. Turn north on Main St. (the 1930s - 1955 bypass alignment).

Joplin Union Depot East of Main St. between "A" & "B" Streets. The Joplin Union Depot was completed in 1911. The last train left November 1969 ... read more

Welcome to Joplin Mural Mural in progress on Main St. N & "B" St., The first panel welcomes visitors to "Downtown JOMO" The others show George Spiva ... read more

Former Cities Service Station GONE 304 W Main St. This building was a Texaco and later a City Service Station located on W Main St.& "B" St. ... read more

Westport Lodge W Fountain Rd & Main Street N. This 1940's tourist court consists of several cabins and 1 larger office. Reopened in 2017 as the Enlight Inn, a ... read more

Cottage Style Station & Garage W. Fountain Rd & Main St. N This Cottage Style Station and garage are located on the 1950s alignment of Route 66 ... read more

Back on 66 (1926 - 1955):At the cottage style station and Westport Lodge on Fountain & Main turn around and head back south.

Joplin Rt. 66 Mural Park 617 Main St., Joplin, MO 64801 Located on the Pearl Brothers Hardware building, near where two alignments of Route 66 meet, Main Street and 7th Street ... read more

Side Trip: Turn left on 7th Ave. to see the Plaza Motel. This is the 1956 - 1985 alignment, but the Plaza is about all that's left to see.

Plaza Motel 2612 E. 7th Street The Plaza Motel was built in 1962 and is located at the intersection of 7th St. (latest 66 alignment) and Florida Ave. ... read more

Back On 66 (1926 Alignment): Turn around and head west on 7th Ave., which is the original alignment.

Former Mr Swiss Drive In 635 - 7th Ave. W. A former Mr Swiss is located at 7th Street & Sergeant Ave. Hugh Hills opened this drive-in in April 1967 and ... read more

Budget Inn Motel 1822 W 7th Street, The 1950's Dutch Village Motel is now the Budget Inn Motel, it is located across the street from Woody's Wood Fire Pizza ... read more

Woody's Wood Fire Pizza 1831 W. 7th St. (W. 7th St & Adele Ave). You'll reconize it by the buge bottle of Coca-Cola out front. In 1948 this was a Dairy Delite soft serve icream shop ... read more

Will Rogers Highway Marker W. 7th and Schifferdecker Ave. Located in Schifferdecker Park, enter from Schifferdecker Ave. and then take the first left into the park, then take ... read more

Tri State Drive-In Theater (Gone) 300 S. Tri State Rd, Joplin, MO The Tri-States Drive-In opened in 1948 and operated by Commonwealth Amusement until at least 1955. It closed in ... read more

Carousel Park - Permanently Closed 3834 W. 7th St. The former park is located on W. 7th just west of Tri State Rd. This was truly a family entertainment center ... read more

Stay tuned, there's more to come!