Cars on the Route

Kansas gets only 13.2 miles of Route 66, and this restored filling station makes them count. The 1934 Kan-O-Tex station in Galena returned to life in 2007 as Four Women on the Route and later became Cars on the Route, pairing a small shop and café with vintage vehicles gathered outside. The celebrity is an old International boom truck nicknamed Tow Tater, widely linked to the visual development of Mater after Pixar researchers traveled the road. Treat that connection as part documented production history, part local storytelling; the station’s deeper value is a surviving business built for the original stream of motorists. The outdoor vehicles and facade are the dependable photograph. Interior service, food, souvenirs, and character displays vary with the season and staffing, so check the business or Kansas Route 66 Association before planning to enter. Use the lot, keep clear of Main Street, do not climb on the vehicles, and respect ropes or closed doors. This is a short stop with an outsized role in the modern mythology of the Mother Road. More

Kansas gets only 13.2 miles of Route 66, and this restored filling station makes them count. The 1934 Kan-O-Tex station in Galena returned to life in 2007 as Four Women on the Route and later became Cars on the Route, pairing a small shop and café with vintage vehicles gathered outside. The celebrity is an old International boom truck nicknamed Tow Tater, widely linked to the visual development of Mater after Pixar researchers traveled the road. Treat that connection as part documented production history, part local storytelling; the station’s deeper value is a surviving business built for the original stream of motorists. The outdoor vehicles and facade are the dependable photograph. Interior service, food, souvenirs, and character displays vary with the season and staffing, so check the business or Kansas Route 66 Association before planning to enter. Use the lot, keep clear of Main Street, do not climb on the vehicles, and respect ropes or closed doors. This is a short stop with an outsized role in the modern mythology of the Mother Road. More