Clinton, OK — The Friends of the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton were recently awarded a $71,505 grant from the Route 66 Revitalization Grant Program to help restore and display the iconic Glancy Motor Hotel neon sign. The sign is a significant part of Route 66 history as a popular rest stop that was well known to motorists across the country.
“The Glancy Motor Hotel sign needs significant repairs before it can be permanently installed outside the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton,” said Chantry Banks, director of the Museums and Historic Sites division for the Oklahoma Historical Society. “We hope to have the sign placed at the museum in the spring of 2026, just a few months before the centennial of Route 66 in November.”
The Glancy Motor Hotel was opened in 1950 by Chester and Gladys Glancy. The property in Clinton saw hundreds of thousands of visitors during the heyday of Route 66. With the construction of the interstate and subsequent loss of traffic along Route 66, the Glancy Motor Hotel would face the same fate as many other businesses along the highway. It eventually closed during the 1970s. Despite joint public and private efforts to keep the hotel preserved as a historic property, the building was demolished in 2023. The only remaining piece of the Glancy Motor Hotel is the neon sign that once stood outside it, preserved by the City of Clinton in the hopes of a future relighting.
In a joint effort to save it, the City of Clinton, the Friends of the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum and the Oklahoma Historical Society established a partnership to restore the sign and install it in Clinton with working neon light. The sign has already been removed from the former motel site. The Friends of the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum will pay for the new monument base and commemorative plaque. The grant will cover the restoration and installation of the sign once it is restored. By preserving the neon sign, the only remaining original piece of the Glancy Motor Hotel, the state is preserving a vital landmark that embodies Clinton’s connection to Route 66 history.
“We are honored to play a vital role in ensuring this iconic sign remains part of our community,” said Brian Aneshansley, president of the Friends of the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum. “Installing the sign on the grounds of the museum next year will be an exciting day for the community and Route 66 enthusiasts.”
Reinstallation of the Glancy sign will take place once the Oklahoma Highway Patrol building on West Gary Boulevard is vacated and demolished.
The Oklahoma Route 66 Museum is located at 2229 W. Gary Blvd. in Clinton. The museum galleries present the history and legends of Route 66 through the decades.
The Oklahoma Route 66 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.
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