MOP 2026 - SPRINGFIELD
October 8-11, 2026
President Abraham Lincoln Hotel
Rooms: Lincoln on 1st Floor (Registration & Breakfast), Ottawa on 2nd Floor West (Sessions), Freeport on 2nd Floor East (Sessions & Exhibit Hall)
Exhibit Hall will be open on Friday and Saturday from 9 to 4.
Evan Stern as emcee.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8
10:00am RECOMMENDED VISIT
Tour the Ace Sign Company workshop and sign collection. Ace has a suggested donation of $10 per person.
1:00-5:00pm EXCURSION
Meet for lunch at Motorheads (pay for your own lunch) beforehand. The Original Segments Excursion begins at 1:00pm. Departing from Motorheads, this guided bus tour will include nearby Route 66 segments on the south side of Sangamon County before transitioning to Lake Springfield for a boat tour regarding the submerged segment. $25 per person.
6:00pm OPENING RECEPTION
Opening event at The Pharmacy Art Gallery, location of the Bob Waldmire art exhibition. The event will include hors d'oeuvres, drinks, music, and featured guests.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9
7:30-8:45am BREAKFAST (Lincoln)
Included in registration cost.
8:30-11:00am REGISTRATION (Lincoln)
9:00-9:15am WELCOME (Freeport)
Speakers: MOP Conference Committee (IL)
9:15-10:15am KEYNOTE (Freeport)
To the Centennial, and Beyond!
Speaker: Jerry McClanahan (OK)
Route 66 is the "Zombie Road"... the "Road That Wouldn’t Die!" Jerry McClanahan became fascinated with western Route 66 while trapped in the back seat of a speeding car, during family vacations in the 1960s. The Mother Road's roadside wonders left their lingering mark on his young mind, leading Jerry to rediscover the attractions of Route 66 as an adult. Since 1981, Jerry has been documenting, researching and depicting the history and reality of Route 66 through maps, books, articles and artwork. Jerry speaks from his personal perspective, having witnessed the slow replacement of western US 66 via I-40 during the 1960s, and the Route’s resurgence as "Historic Route 66," after it’s supposed "death" in 1985."
10:15-10:30am BREAK
10:30-11:30am SESSION 2 (Ottawa)
Stories from the Road: An Oral History Panel Discussion Panel
Speakers: Evan Stern (Vanishing Postcards, NY) and Amanda Bryden & Erika Holst (Illinois State Museum)
The panel will discuss their Route 66 oral history projects, diving into the stories they heard and how they have been impacted by the people they met along the way.
11:30am-12:50pm LUNCH (Lincoln)
Included in registration cost.
12:55-1:00pm VIDEO MESSAGE (Freeport)
Prerecorded message from Jim Hinckley (AZ).
1:00-2:00pm SESSION 3 (Freeport)
Ace Sign Company and the Making of the Route 66 Experience
Speakers: Scott and Todd Bringuet (IL)
Brothers Scott and Todd will discuss the history of their family’s sign business, how they got connected with Route 66, and their road to the Route 66 Experience exhibit at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
2:15-3:15pm SESSION 4 (Ottawa)
Aprons Away: Women’s Work on Route 66
Speaker: Cheryl Eichar Jett (IL)
Author and MOP Founder Cheryl Eichar Jett presents on her new book, Aprons Away: Women’s Work on Route 66, delving into the fascinating stories of women who helped shape the Mother Road.
3:15-3:30pm BREAK
3:30-4:30pm SESSION 5 (Freeport)
Route 66 In Perspective: A Conversation with Ken Busby
Speakers: Ken Busby (OK), featuring Cheryl Eichar Jett (IL)
Cheryl Eichar Jett and Ken Busby will have a conversation about Route 66 with an Oklahoma twist; the state's history with the road, the importance of the road in America today, and a look at what's to come as we launch the next 100 years of this historic highway.
4:30-5:45pm FREE TIME
6:00-8:00pm ENTERTAINMENT
Group excursion to the annual Candlelight Walks event at Lincoln's New Salem Historic Site. Free admission. Shuttle will depart from the hotel, with shuttle sign-up at the registration table. Food is available at the historic site.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11
7:30-8:45am BREAKFAST (Lincoln)
Included in registration cost.
8:30-11:00am REGISTRATION (Lincoln)
9:15-10:15am SESSION 1 (Freeport)
Voices of Route 66
Speaker: Anthony Arno (PA)
Lifelong educator, Anthony Arno, shares curated clips covering many decades of Route 66 stories. This presentation and his podcast, The Route 66 Podcast, were inspired by a classroom project he developed for his fifth-grade class that included the students bicycling the equivalent distance of Route 66 aboard an exercise bicycle in his classroom while learning about America’s Main Street in real-time.
10:15-11:15am SESSION 2 (Freeport)
Stopping for the Night Along Route 66: From Motor Camps to Motel Chains
Speaker: Daniel Herschberger (MI)
Daniel Herschberger’s presentation will discuss the early roadside lodging found along “America’s Main Street” from Chicago to Los Angeles. Even before the route was officially designated in 1926, travelers were pulling off into motor camps for the night. Roadside lodging would soon evolve into quaint cabin courts in the 1930s, offering more substantial lodgings, and eventually into more modern motels in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s. This highly visual talk is filled with period postcards as well as vintage and contemporary photography. And as it will highlight many of the classic tourist courts and motels still in operation along the route, it is a must-see for anyone planning a road trip to get their kicks on 66!
11:15-11:30am BREAK
11:30am-12:30pm SESSION 3 (Freeport)
Neon, Nostalgia, and New Life: Hi-Way Cafe & Western Motel
Speaker: Beth Hilburn (OK)
Beth Hilburn, owner and operator of two Route 66 icons Hi-Way Cafe and Western Motel, speaks on her journey improving both properties while elevating Route 66 experiences in Northeastern Oklahoma.
12:30-12:35pm VIDEO MESSAGE (Freeport)
Prerecorded message from Rhys Martin (OK).
12:40-2:00pm LUNCH(Lincoln)
Route 66 Trivia Game during second half of lunch, presented by Anthony Arno.
2:00-3:00pm SESSION 4 (Freeport)
"Route 66 Without Borders: How International Travelers Help Keep the Mother Road Alive"
Speaker: Marian Pavel (Slovakia)
Route 66 may be America’s most famous road, but much of its energy, influence, and economic impact reaches far beyond the United States. Its story is carried around the world by travelers, guides, creators, and entrepreneurs who not only experience the Mother Road, but actively help shape its future. Drawing on 21 journeys along Route 66, Marian Pavel will explore how international tourism, overseas Route 66 projects, and passionate ambassadors contribute to the culture and economy of the road — and how the balance between domestic and international visitors has evolved over the past decade.
3:00-4:00pm SESSION 5 (Freeport)
Future of the Road
Speaker: Evan Stern (NY)
Storyteller Evan Stern speaks on the importance of preserving the stories of Route 66.
4:00-4:30pm CLOSING (Freeport)
Speakers: MOP Conference Committee (IL)
The final session of the day brings a joyful conclusion to the gathering, with giveaways, a “passing of the mop,” and final words.
4:30-5:45pm FREE TIME
6:00-7:30pm ENTERTAINMENT
Meetup at the Route 66 Experience at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, including Cozy Dog food truck, and a local car club.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12
Until 11:00am Hotel Checkout
9:00-10:30am BREAKFAST
Group meets up for breakfast. Pay for your own meal.
Noon-1pm FIELD TRIP
Group field trip to the Illinois State Museum's Route 66 exhibit, Miles of Memories: Stories of Route 66. Free, but RSVP is required at the registration table.
Rest of day POST-CONFERENCE OPTIONS
Explore all the sites around Springfield! Suggestions include the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Lincoln’s Home National Historic Site, Dana-Thomas House, Old State Capitol, and the Carpenter Park Original Route 66 Alignment.