Press Release
June 9, 2025
Contact: Jessica Brogdon
Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-0780
[email protected]
okhistory.org
Neon Sign From Historic Glancy Motor Hotel in Clinton Will Have New Home at Oklahoma Route 66 Museum
OKLAHOMA CITY — It’s been more than a year since demolition wrapped up at the Glancy Motor Hotel in Clinton, Oklahoma. Today, the only visible remnant of what used to sit on that property is a vintage neon sign in its original spot on Route 66. This week, the decades-old sign will also come down; however, it won’t meet the same fate as the motel itself. Instead, the sign will undergo extensive restoration.
The City of Clinton is giving the sign to the Oklahoma Historical Society, with the move happening during the week of June 9. The OHS, in partnership with the Friends of the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, has plans to restore the sign in Oklahoma City. Once restored, the sign will shine brightly at the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, less than two miles from the original site of the 1950s motel.
“The OHS is proud to do its part to save the sign that once stood tall at a motel that welcomed hundreds of thousands of travelers during the heyday of Route 66,” said Trait Thompson, executive director of the OHS. “I am grateful to city leaders in Clinton for recognizing the historic importance of the sign and working with us to ensure future generations will be able to enjoy this icon of the Mother Road.”
The Friends of the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum has agreed to assist in raising funds for the cost of the restoration.
“The Glancy Hotel was a Clinton institution, opened by Chester and Gladys Glancy in 1950,” said Brian Aneshansley, president of the Friends of the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum. “Our group recognizes the importance of preserving this important piece of our community’s history, and we are thrilled it will be fully restored and placed on the grounds of the finest Route 66 museum in the nation, right here in our hometown.”
In 2024, the City of Clinton signed a memorandum of understanding to transfer ownership of the Glancy sign to the OHS for its preservation.
“The City of Clinton is proud to be a Route 66 community and looks forward to the centennial celebration, and beyond in partnership with the Oklahoma Historical Society, the Friends of the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum and other affiliated groups,” said Robert Johnston, city manager for Clinton.
Reinstallation of the Glancy sign will take place once the Oklahoma Highway Patrol building on West Gary Boulevard is vacated and demolished.
The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications, the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit okhistory.org.
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