“Will Rogers Highway: Route 66” Exhibit Opening in February

CLAREMORE, Okla. – A dynamic new exhibit on US Route 66 opens on Friday, February 27, at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore. Visitors will be immersed in the highway’s unique history and cultural legacy, told through vibrant imagery and storytelling. Special guests Michael Wallis, voice of the sheriff in “Cars,” and Ken Busby, executive director of the Route 66 Alliance, will be on hand to discuss the highway and the making of the film.

In the 1930s, people wanted to rename the highway after Will Rogers, who enjoyed national fame. After he died in 1935, efforts to honor him increased, and the US Highway Association later that year designated Route 66 as “Will Rogers Highway.”

The exhibit explores the various dedications of the highway in memory of Will Rogers from the 1930s to the 1950s and discusses the Will Rogers Highway in pop culture, from a cameo appearance in “The Grapes of Wrath” to Woody Guthrie’s folk music.

The opening begins at 5 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting, followed by a Q&A session at 6 p.m. with Busby and Wallis to discuss current efforts to celebrate the route and the creative process that went into the making of the film “Cars.” At 7 p.m., there will be a screening of the Disney/Pixar film “Cars.” Admission is free to the public.

The Will Rogers Memorial Museum is located at 1720 W. Will Rogers Blvd. in Claremore. Call 918-341-0719 for more information.

The Will Rogers Memorial Museum is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications, the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit okhistory.org.