Launching Pad Along Route 66 For Sale, Could Joliet Museum Be A Buyer?

launching pad/MD

The Launching Pad restaurant that features the Gemini Giant Statue along Route 66 in Wilmington is for sale.

The Joliet Area Historical Museum was in line to become owners of the iconic Route 66 Launching Pad in Wilmington. An agreement with the owners had been discussed for several months but the purchase hit a snag when the Museum didn’t get a grant in time from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO).

The museum asked for a financing extension after the grant didn’t come through but the owners didn’t agree to it and now the owners listed the property. The property is being list for $1.4 million.

The museum was hoping to operate a Route 66 Welcome Center and Museum at the site. The grant has since been awarded to the Museum.