Colonial Hotel / Birthplace Plaza

The Colonial Hotel / Birthplace Plaza

The Colonial Hotel
213 S Jefferson Ave, Springfield MO

Built and furnished in 1907 for a cost exceeding $300,000 (Well over $10,000,000 in today's dollars), the Colonial Hotel in Downtown Springfield was regarded as, "one of the most modern hotels in the world", and was a source of pride for the city. Although now world famous as the birthplace of Route 66, and despite many attempts to revive, repurpose, or save it, the Colonial Hotel was demolished in late November 1997, following its closure in late 1978. All that remains of the Colonial Hotel are four columns from the entrance, now located in near the Springfield Art Museum's Outdoor Amphitheater.

Birthplace Plaza

After the Colonial Hotel's demolition in 1997, it was converted into a parking lot for SMS (now MSU). To celebrate the Route 66 Centennial, this parking lot was converted again, now into the Birthplace Plaza, an outdoor space meant to serve as an museum, educating travelers about the famous telegram that officially gave Route 66 its name. The plaza features a large sculpture titled, "The Ghost of the Colonial Hotel" by Juan Garaizabal, a large mosaic titled, "The Route 66 Mosaic Map" by Christine Kreamer-Schilling, a 6-story high mural titled, "Hitchhikers" by Osiris Rain and Emily Ding, and an educational kiosk (Or rather, a keyosk!)

For more information:

The Birthplace Plaza Official Website:
https://birthplaceplaza.org/

The Colonial Hotel is extinct in the wild. Currently, the columns are still on display at the Springfield Art Museum Amphitheater, which I believe is the only existing portion of the hotel in existence. Although the loss of the Colonial Hotel was a preventable tragedy, at least it is now honored at the new Birthplace Plaza.