The Illinois State Museum Society is bringing music, crafts, and Route 66 history together for Rhythm on Route 66, a fundraiser supporting the museum’s Miles of Memories exhibit. Development Coordinator Kate Suits and McLean Educator Gabby Antonacci join Co-host Melissa Snider on Community Voices to discuss the event, the exhibit, and the stories behind the historic highway.
The fundraiser takes place Friday, Oct. 16, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Illinois State Museum in Springfield. St. Louis musician Royce Martin will perform ragtime music with a modern twist he calls “swag time.” Guests can also enjoy food, make braided rag coasters, and decorate tote bags. Tickets are available at the door or in advance at bit.ly/ISMSRhythm66. Each ticket includes one complimentary beverage. The event is designed to give adults a relaxed evening to enjoy music, get creative, and spend time with friends and family.
Suits and Antonacci also discuss the Miles of Memories exhibit, which grew out of an oral history project conducted in partnership with the National Park Service. The project collected video and audio interviews with 100 people who lived and worked along Route 66. Their memories helped shape an exhibit exploring the highway’s influence on family life, travel, technology, work, and recreation.
Among the exhibit’s highlights are the fiberglass American Giants that once served as roadside attractions, including a half-sized display of the iconic figures, and a historic child seat illustrating how families traveled before modern child passenger safety regulations. Visitors can also see a Crosley Town Car and hear firsthand accounts of life along the highway, including stories connected to Springfield.
Transcript pending.
