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Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station in Kansas

Dad gum! The Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station in Baxter Springs, Kansas has been a Route 66 attraction since 1930. It not serves as a Kansas Route 66 visitor Center where you can learn about the past, plan your future travels, and maybe even meet a local celebrity.

Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station in Baxter Springs, Kansas Route 66 Visitor Center

The Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station dates back to 1930. It opened as an Independent Oil and Gas on Route 66 that year but, after a company merger, quickly changed to hold a Phillips Petroleum Company label that same year.

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book - Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip! By Valerie Bromann

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book

Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip!

Enjoy fun games and challenges to pass the time on your next road trip and have a keepsake to look back on for years to come with this entertaining must-have for your next vacation.

The tudor revival cottage-style gas station resembled a house, with a quaint brick design. It was later modified in the 1940s to the L-shaped structure seen today.

Since the business stopped fueling gasoline in the 1970s, the property had been used for a variety of businesses: from a gift store to a dog-groomer’s shop to a chiropractor’s office.

In 2003 the building was both added to the National Register of Historic Places and was later acquired by the Baxter Springs Heritage Society. A series of grants along with volunteer labor allowed them to refurbish the building and reopen as a Kansas Route 66 Visitor Center in 2007.

Stop outside to see the structure and head inside to check out the memorabilia on display, pick up some brochures for the rest of your Route 66 road trip, and maybe even meet one of the most famous characters on Route 66. Dean “Crazy Legs” Walker. Crazy legs is known for two things: his ability to turn his legs completely backward and being partial inspiration for the character of Tow Matter in the Pixar movie Cars (the other inspiration can be found nearby at Cars on the Route in Galena, Kansas).

Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station in Baxter Springs, Kansas Route 66 Visitor Center
Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station in Baxter Springs, Kansas Route 66 Visitor Center
Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station in Baxter Springs, Kansas Route 66 Visitor Center
Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station in Baxter Springs, Kansas Route 66 Visitor Center
Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station in Baxter Springs, Kansas Route 66 Visitor Center
Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station in Baxter Springs, Kansas Route 66 Visitor Center
Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station in Baxter Springs, Kansas Route 66 Visitor Center
Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station in Baxter Springs, Kansas Route 66 Visitor Center
Crazy Legs Dean Walker at Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station in Baxter Springs, Kansas Route 66 Visitor Center
Dean “Crazy Legs” Walker

Looking for more Kansas Route 66 attractions? Be sure to also visit the Rainbow Bridge in Baxter Springs, the Dueling Pepsi and Coca-Cola Murals, Gearhead Curios Restored Texaco Station, and Nelson’s Old Riverton Store.

Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station/Kansas Route 66 Visitors Center

Address: 940 Military Ave, Baxter Springs, KS 66713
Cost: Free to See
Hours: Always visible, visitor center hours vary

Pin this Kansas Route 66 roadside attraction:

Dad gum! The Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station in Baxter Springs, Kansas has been a Route 66 attraction since 1930. It not serves as a Kansas Route 66 visitor Center where you can learn about the past, plan your future travels, and maybe even meet a local celebrity.  #RoadTrips #RoadTripStop #Route66 #Route66RoadTrip #KansasRoute66 #Kansas #KansasRoadTrip #KansasRoadsideAttractions #RoadsideAttractions #RoadsideAttraction #RoadsideAmerica #RoadTrip
Dad gum! The Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station in Baxter Springs, Kansas has been a Route 66 attraction since 1930. It not serves as a Kansas Route 66 visitor Center where you can learn about the past, plan your future travels, and maybe even meet a local celebrity.  #RoadTrips #RoadTripStop #Route66 #Route66RoadTrip #KansasRoute66 #Kansas #KansasRoadTrip #KansasRoadsideAttractions #RoadsideAttractions #RoadsideAttraction #RoadsideAmerica #RoadTrip

VALerie BROMANN

Founder & Head Road Tripper

Val is the founder and head road tripper at Silly America. Having grown up near Berwyn's famed car kabob, The Spindle, and a restaurant with a cow on its roof, her fascination with roadside attractions started early. Today, Val has visited hundreds roadside attractions across the United States and is constantly on the lookout for the next BIG thing!

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book - Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip! By Valerie Bromann

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book

Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip!

BY Valerie Bromann

Enjoy fun games and challenges to pass the time on your next road trip and have a keepsake to look back on for years to come with this entertaining must-have for your next vacation.

The road trip you’ve been dreaming of starts here! Journal about your stops and get to know your fellow passengers with activities and exercises designed to pass the time and bring you closer together. Instead of “Are we there yet?” you’ll find yourself asking, “We’re there already?”. Complete with prompts you can turn to while driving between locations, this journal will one day be a memento of your life-changing trip.