Greetings from Gary’s Gay Parita on Route 66 in Ash Grove, Missouri.
This Missouri tourist attraction is a replica of a 1934 Sinclair service station complete with original pumps, Route 66 memorabilia, and one of the largest road shields on Route 66. It’s one of the most recognizable roadside attractions on The Mother Road (and it even had a new claim to fame in 2023 when it served as a backdrop for Chappell Roan’s HOT TO GO! music video).
The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book
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In 1930 Fred and Gay Mason established Gay Parita Sinclair Service here in Missouri. In 2006 the site was restored by Lena and Gary Turner, a Route 66 ambassador who loved preserving and telling history and giving tips to travelers who stopped in. Sadly, Gary died in 2015 but his legacy lives on at this iconic Mother Road attraction. It is now run by Gary’s daughter and her partner who keep his, and Route 66’s, legacy alive.
While you won’t be able to fill up your tank here, you certainly will get your fill of nostalgia. Look for a Sinclair Dinosaur (among other Sinclair memorabilia), vintage gas pumps, antique signs, old cars, and more. If they’re open, come inside to get a closer look and stop in the gift shop for Route 66 souvenirs or a drink or snack for the road.
Photos of Gary’s Gay Parita in Ash Grove, Missouri
I’ve stopped at Gary’s Gay Parita several times over the years, but it has always been closed when I got there. It’s my fault, really, as I’m usually starting just a short distance away in Springfield, Missouri, andk, as an early bird, tend to leave around sunrise. On a 2025 road trip, I started my day in St. Robert and got on the road a bit later, making it the perfect opportunity to finally make it here when the doors were open!
