Phelps County

PHELPS COUNTY is located in the central portion of the state of Missouri, and is home to the energetic town of Rolla, the largest town in the county. Other smaller towns that play host to the Mother Road include Rosati, St. James, Doolittle, and Arlington.

Totem Pole Trading Post, Rolla

Jax Welborn

The county boasts dozens of fun and interesting attractions for visitors, like the Vacuum Cleaner Museum in Rolla and the St. James Winery in St. James, the Totem Pole Trading Post, and

Stonehenge Monument

in Rolla, and the remnants of John’s Modern Cabins near Newburg.

John’s Modern Cabins

Nestled in the heart of Missouri on a dead-end stretch of old Route 66 is John’s Modern Cabins— an abandoned ghost tourist court that had an impactful history not only on Route 66, but also on the state of Missouri as a whole. Today, the decaying remains of the wooden cabins and the faded neon sign are all that remain of John’s Modern Cabins, once a proud staple of the area.

Vacuum Cleaner Museum, Rolla

Stonehenge Monument, Rolla

John’s Modern Cabins, Newburg

Rosati

ROUTE 66 CHALLENGE

Rolla to Waynesville This event is a strategy driving game with eight adventures. Points are given out with the completion of each adventure, and extra points will be awarded based on time. Solve trivia and complete given tasks to win. Held annually in October. For more info: Route66Challenge.com

GOOD TO KNOW: Currently located on private property, John’s Modern Cabins has attained sacred status among Route 66 fans and travelers. A preservation group is working on preserving the lone surviving log cabin and the neon sign, safeguarding a piece of a Phelps County gem that once was.

MY PHELPS COUNTY CHECKLIST

• Vacuum Cleaner

Museum • St. James Winery and

Public House Brewing

Company • Meramec Vineyards

Winery • Kokomo Joe’s Family

Fun Center • Soda & Scoops on

Route 66 • Frisco Steam Engine,

Schuman Park • Rolla’s Stonehenge • Totem Pole Trading Post • John’s Modern Cabins, on private property • Vernelle’s Motel, now a private residence ROUTE 66 KICKS

St. James Winery in St. James opened in 1970 and has grown to be Missouri’s largest and mostawarded winery. Next door is the Public House Brewing Company, offering craft beer and locally sourced foods.

Visit Rolla!

EVERY TOWN STARTS with a single house. For Rolla, Missouri, the county seat for Phelps County, that first house was built by John Webber in 1844. EuropeanAmerican settlers were making their way to the area to work as farmers and iron workers along the nearby rivers, and the town began to grow. Railroad contractor Edmund Ward Bishop is considered to be the founder of Rolla, and the community officially became a town in 1858.

Since then, Rolla has flourished into an enjoyable Missouri destination with exciting stops throughout the town offering plenty of recreational fun. Rolla is home to a partial replica of the famous Stonehenge Monument and the headquarters for the Mark Twain National Forest. The town also houses the National Bank of Rolla Building, today occupied by the Phelps County Bank, and the Phelps County Courthouse, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For theater enthusiasts, catch a show or two at the Ozark Actors Theatre, one of only two professional theaters in rural Missouri that showcase the performing arts through orchestra, comedy, and play. For the outdoorsy traveler, Rolla has you covered with a selection of recreational fun: golfing, fishing, go-karting, and more. And if you are artistically inclined, Rolla is home to several galleries and art exhibits where local artists and artisans are sure to inspire you.

So, circle Rolla on your travel map and head over to VisitRolla.com to begin to plan your adventure in Rolla and enjoy it to the fullest.

Notley Hawkins

SEE & DO

Veterans Memorial Park

Stretch your legs and learn some military history. The eleven-acre park features a ¼- mile Freedom Walk and seventeen monuments.

Frisco 1501 Engine

Experience Rolla’s fascinating railroad history with a visit to see a 1500 series engine that was built in 1923 for Frisco Railroad. Only thirty were built.

PLAY

Fugitive Beach

The Fugitive Beach offers over an acre of water, sand beach, sixty-inch water slide, pavilions, and more. A family-friendly summer destination, it is open May – September. Also available on site is the Fugitive Beach Bar & Grill.

Audubon Trails Nature

Center – This unique seventy-acre reserve features five distinct ecosystems. Run, walk, hike, or bike — you will enjoy being in the Ozark outdoors.

SplashZone Waterpark

The state-of-the-art outdoor family aquatic center includes the world’s largest fifty-eight-foot diameter vortex, water slides, a lazy river, underwater benches, and lots more. It’s the perfect place for kids, and adults, to blow off some road-travel steam.

Ozark Actors Theatre, Rolla

Fugitve Beach, Rolla

Frisco 1501, Rolla