Route 66 in the News
Route 66 Exhibit Wins Award
2007-12-05 09:26:09
The Joliet Area Historical Museum has received a superior achievement award from the Illinois Association of Museums for its newest exhibit, The Route 66 Experience.
This permanent exhibit, The Route 66 Experience, curated by guest curator Elizabeth Carlson and the museum's Collections and Exhibits Manager Heather Bigeck, gives a new look to the Museum's Route 66 Visitor Center, adding hands-on and interactive components to the Route 66-themed space, a representative said.
The exhibit was part of an effort by the Joliet City Center Partnership, in cooperation with the Joliet Visitors Bureau and city of Joliet to heighten awareness of Joliet's significance as a Route 66 tourist attraction. This effort was partially supported by state grant funding.
In addition to the museum's new exhibit, several new Route 66 themed elements have been installed throughout Joliet. Broadway Greenway Park has been transformed into a "Route 66 Park," where motorists driving along Route 53, part of Route 66's current alignment in the Joliet area, can see "Blues Brothers" characters Joliet Jake and Elwood Blues dancing on top of the vintage Rich & Creamy ice cream stand, which has been updated with glowing neon and a giant ice-cream cone sign.
The "Route 66 Park" also features an informational kiosk and a gargantuan "Joliet Kicks" sign for photo opportunities. Additional signage directs people to the Museum's Route 66 Visitor Center and other places of interest in downtown Joliet. In Joliet's downtown, large gas pump replicas are located at historically significant sites and feature additional information for travelers.
The award was announced at the awards luncheon at the Hoogland Center for the Arts in Springfield as part of the Illinois Association of Museums' Annual Conference.
The Joliet Area Historical Museum phone is 815-723-5201; the Web site is www.jolietmuseum.org.
~MyWebTimes.com
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