Missouri’s first neon park lights up St. Robert
by Paul Newton | pnewton@ruralmissouri.coop
As the sun sets over St. Robert, the roadside park begins to glow. Bright hues of red, blue and green illuminate the darkening sky over Route 66. Almost immediately, the empty parking lot fills. Some visitors come for a leisurely stroll among the lights, others come to take photos and some just want a memorable spot to eat their ice cream. But they’re all there to take in these glowing pieces of Route 66 history.
After years of planning, St. Robert leaders unveiled the Route 66 Neon Park at the George M. Reed Roadside Park in May. The park sits in the median of Route 66 and features nine fully restored neon signs that once shined brightly along the Mother Road in Missouri.
The idea began more than a decade ago with Beth Wiles, executive director of the Pulaski County Tourism Bureau. “One of the speakers was talking about neon sign preservation and just casually made a comment of how cool it would be to have a neon park along Route 66,” she says. “I about jumped out of my chair and immediately thought about how cool it would be for St. Robert.”
Beth eventually created a nonprofit and recruited helpers to turn the park from an idea into reality. They began raising funds and looking for signs. “We specifically wanted signs that were once along the road in Missouri,” the Laclede Electric Cooperative member says. “We didn’t want to replicate signs — we wanted to restore the originals. And we didn’t want to take signs from their original locations that were still up. All the signs we’ve gotten were kind of forgotten about in fields or garages and restored.”
When COVID-19 hit in 2020, Wiles shifted her focus to tourism, and the city of St. Robert took over the project to bring it across the finish line. Eventually, concrete pads and walking paths were installed. All the signs were fully restored by companies out of Springfield and St. Louis and a brand new sign was made welcoming visitors to the park. After the last sign was installed this spring, there was just one thing left to do on May 9: flip the switch.
St. Robert’s newly elected mayor, James Breckinridge, was tasked with flipping the ceremonial switch to light up the roadside park. “As we got started, I knew I wasn’t the one who should be doing this,” he says. “It had to be the person who started this project years ago.”
It was the culmination of lots of hard work and late nights for Beth. “After having the vision for the park during that meeting on Nov. 21, 2013, getting to flip the switch and see all the colors come on was truly an honor I won’t forget,” she says. “It meant the world to me.”
Just months later, the roadside park is full with people every night. “The park is truly a park for everyone,” says James. “Whether you’re an old-timer, history buff or former Route 66 traveler wanting to take it all in, or you’re a young family looking for a fun outing, it’s a destination.”
Beth says the park is beautiful during the day, but to do it justice you have to see it lit up at night. That timing has already led to a boost in tourism. “We’re seeing an increase in overnight stays because of the neon park,” says Beth. “Then when those people are staying here, they also have to eat so our restaurants are benefiting as well.”
James says the park has been a popular photo spot every evening. “The amount of pictures I see of the park on social media is incredible,” he says. “There have been homecoming photos, graduation photos, selfies and just nighttime adventures. It’s the perfect backdrop and an Instagram-worthy stop.”
Even more improvements are coming to the park in the near future according to the mayor. These include new picnic tables, a Route 66 selfie sign and interpretive markers at each neon sign with information about its original location and business.
For James, St. Robert’s newest park is just another reason that his city will be a must-stop destination for travelers along Route 66 as the old road celebrates its centennial in 2026. “To have all these signs that were actively lit up at some point, this is Route 66 history,” the mayor says. “So for us, this is far more than just a park. It’s a living tribute to the nostalgia, energy and heritage of America’s Mother Road.”
The Route 66 Neon Park is located near the intersection of Route 66 and Missouri Avenue in St. Robert. The neon signs light up nightly from sunset until midnight.