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Fun Fact

A neon sign at the History Museum on the Square in Springfield, Missouri
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Springfield is known as the Birthplace of Route 66 because it’s where the legendary highway got its name. In 1926, a group of local entrepreneurs met at the Colonial Hotel to discuss the soon-to-be-built highway from Chicago to Los Angeles. They sent a telegram to Washington, D.C., proposing that the road be named Route 66, and the rest is history.

Photo: Rhianon Brown

A plate of Springfield-style cashew chicken in Springfield, Missouri
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Springfield’s signature dish is Springfield-Style Cashew Chicken. Created by David Leong in 1963, Springfield-Style Cashew Chicken can be found on menus around the world. The Leong family still has a restaurant in Springfield – Leong’s Asian Diner.

Touring Fantastic Caverns in Springfield, Missouri
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Fantastic Caverns features the only ride-through cave tour in the USA.

Park Central Square in Springfield, Missouri
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Experience Springfield

Upcoming events

Vendor booths at ArtsFest in Springfield, Missouri
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Downtown Springfield Association

Event

ArtsFest

May

Visiting the Ozark Empire Fair in Springfield, Missouri
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Rhiannon Brown

Event

Ozark Empire Fair

July - August

Event

Cider Days

September