1930 Gas Station Visitor Center

Baxter Springs, Kansas

In what has become a common sight along the Mother Road, an old gas station has been restored to an approximation of its former appearance -- but, like a cruel mirage, the gas pumps provide no gas. Perhaps this won't matter in the future when we're all driving solar-powered electric cars, but for now it can be a little frustrating.

This particular former fuel stop was once the Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station, built in 1930 in the then-popular style of a small house. It was restored in 2020 and now serves as the Baxter Springs Visitor Center, one of the Route 66 stops along its brief mileage in Kansas. When you visit, someone there can point you to the nearest real gas station, which is just up the road.