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 and trails are sprinkled throughout the park.