Travel through history on The Mother Road at Route 66 State Park. Route 66 captured Americans’ imagination and exposed millions of citizens to small towns and different cultures across the country. Sample a slice of that at Route 66 State Park’s visitor center, which has displays showcasing the road. The visitor center is the former Bridgehead Inn, a 1935 roadhouse that sat on the original Route 66. The park’s location, close to metro St. Louis provides visitors with a quick getaway to nature. More than 40 types of birds have been identified in the park and picnic sites are sprinkled throughout the park.