State Historical Society of Missouri

As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Route 66 this year, there’s no better time to explore the history behind America’s most iconic highway. If you’re in the Columbia area, check out Through the Windshield: Missouri’s Route 66 at the State Historical Society of Missouri. The exhibition highlights the people, places, and stories that helped shape Route 66 right here in its birthplace state. Not able to make it in person? You can still explore the exhibition online at /route66

Happening TODAY!!! All aboard Barter Boat!!! ⚓️🚢🌊 Coming to Springfield, MO May 1st! Next Friday! We will be set up 1-6pm at the Square and on the Route 66 Centennial Parade Route! Please share to get the word out! 🎙️ Barter Boat is a traveling, collaborative art installation by Anna Elliott, Desireé Moore, and Robin Schwartzman, with an ever-growing crew of sailors. At each stop, we set up our “boat” and trade objects + stories with the public—no money, just meaning, memory, and material culture in motion. Come find us on the route, bring something odd, beloved, or overlooked, and help us set sail into the next exchange. Whether you have a small trinket or a legendary Route 66 story, we want to hear from you! All hands on deck! Sponsored by @shsofmo in partnership with Missouri Humanities and the Missouri Humanities Trust Fund.

To someone outside the urbanist sphere, parking can be an unassuming issue. Sometimes it almost feels like parking is a right, and cities are obligated to provide it for us. But we implore you: if you’re privileged enough to have traveled abroad, think of your favorite city. Was it easy to park? And was it abundantly provided in the city center? The answer is most likely no. Currently, 27% of St. Louis’ city center is dedicated to off-street parking. How can we expect our city to perform at the level of [insert your favorite city] when it doesn’t have enough space to properly do so? “A Strong Town builds wealth by creating places for people to live, do business, and congregate.” “But most cities have rules about parking that destroy opportunities to make these places.”

Did you know Route 66 got its iconic name in Springfield, Missouri? The name was finalized a century ago on April 30, 1926. Later that year, #route66 began carrying drivers from the skyscrapers of the Windy City to Missouri’s Ozarks and the sunshine of Los Angeles. Known as the country’s “Mother Road” and “Main Street,” Route 66 was a cornerstone of the first federal highway system and the only national highway to ever cross the country diagonally. 🛣️🚗 Beginning in the 1950s, the new Interstate Highway System gradually replaced Route 66 with I-40, I-10 and other roadways. The highway was decertified in 1985. But its colorful history still live on in the roadside attractions that remain throughout Missouri, Kansas, and the rest of the 2,448-mile journey. 📍🏜️🏞️ 📷: @librarycongress @shsofmo

The St. Louis World’s Fair kicked off in April 1904. 🎪🌎 The event lasted seven whole months and drew almost 20 million people from around the globe to @forestparkforever . At the time, the fair was the largest of its kind in history — covering over 1,000 acres and more than 1,500 buildings. The extravaganza popularized foods that are now staples of American cuisine, like hamburgers, iced tea, and the ice cream cone. But the origin of the ice cream cone, in particular, is hotly contested. Some say that Syrian concessionaire Ernest Hamwi invented the cone after running out of dishes and scooping ice cream into a wrapped up waffle instead. Others say the dessert was invented by an Italian immigrant a full year before the fair. Either way, the treat took off in a big way in St. Louis. 🍦 📷: @shsofmo @librarycongress

All aboard Barter Boat!!! ⚓️🚢🌊 Coming to Springfield, MO May 1st! Next Friday! We will be set up 1-6pm at the Square and on the Route 66 Centennial Parade Route! Please share to get the word out! 🎙️ Barter Boat is a traveling, collaborative art installation by Anna Elliott, Desireé Moore, and Robin Schwartzman, with an ever-growing crew of sailors. At each stop, we set up our “boat” and trade objects + stories with the public—no money, just meaning, memory, and material culture in motion. Come find us on the route, bring something odd, beloved, or overlooked, and help us set sail into the next exchange. Whether you have a small trinket or a legendary Route 66 story, we want to hear from you! All hands on deck! Sponsored by @shsofmo in partnership with Missouri Humanities and the Missouri Humanities Trust Fund.

All aboard Barter Boat!!! Coming to Springfield, MO May 1st! Follow along + get dock access: Instagram @barter_boat Barter Boat is a traveling, collaborative art installation by Anna Elliott, Desireé Moore, and Robin Schwartzman, with an ever-growing crew of sailors. At each stop, we set up our “boat” and trade objects + stories with the public—no money, just meaning, memory, and material culture in motion. Come find us on the route, bring something odd, beloved, or overlooked, and help us set sail into the next exchange. Whether you have a small trinket or a legendary Route 66 story, we want to hear from you! All hands on deck! Sponsored by SHSMO in partnership with Missouri Humanities and the Missouri Humanities Trust Fund.

🎻 There’s a language still spoken here—through music, movement, and memory. On Saturday, June 13, 2026, the French Heritage Festival returns to Sainte Geneviève, hosted by the Foundation for Restoration of Ste. Geneviève. Experience a rare dialogue between Cajun and Paw Paw French musical traditions, where old-world roots meet the rhythms that shaped America. Hear from today’s thought leaders exploring how French culture continues to echo through our national story. And as the sun begins to set… step into a Frontier French Dance—an open-air evening that feels like something out of Bridgerton, only older, deeper, and entirely your own. 🎟️ Learn more and reserve your place at historicstegen.org 👗 Rent period attire at ensemblesofthepast.com/stegenevieve

Roosevelt High Location: Tower Grove East #stl #stlouismo #historicarchitecture #highschooldays #oniondome

Our #EpsilonBeta (Keepers of the Library) club had our field trip this week during #NationalLibraryMonth. This field trip is all about literacy in our community and some of the resources available to help think, create, share, and grow. Many thanks to our community partners: @dbrlteen , @skylarkbookshop , and @shsofmo ! We are so grateful for their time with our students as we connected with our public library, browsed a fantastic indie bookshop, and explored primary sources related to Hickman history. #LibraryforLife #KewpsRead #KewpsCreate @maslonline

Check out these 1900s-era images of Kansas City from the Martin Eichenlaub Postcard Collection. Even in drawings, doesn’t our city look beautiful at night? 🌠 #DarkSkyWeek 📷: @shsofmo

The segment we filmed on the SHSMO Center for Missouri Studies will air this Saturday at 9AM on CBS News, NY Livestream! Watch how the SHSMO supports a "confluence" of history and the future of Missouri. The Producer's Cut Preview is available on the AIA.org website. America ByDesign, Season 5, Episode 8 Owner: @shsofmo Architect: @multistudio