SHSMO Springfield Research Center

Join SHSMO archivist Ashley Weaver, along with host Kathleen Seale, as we learn about Stony Dell Resort, the Prewett family, who expanded their enterprise to include a park with a picnic area, a rock garden, and a zoo looking to stand out from other roadside stops. Register online, https://shsmo.org/events/2026/asphalt-archives-telling-missouri-route-66-story-disneyland-ozarks-stony-dell-swimming.

On Stony Dell’s opening day, the Rolla Herald reported that the pool in Arlington, Mo., attracted over 1,000 visitors; it quickly became a popular entertainment spot for locals, travelers along Route 66, construction workers, and military personnel at nearby Fort Leonard Wood during the 1930s, ‘40s, and ‘50s. the amenities at the Stony Dell complex included a spring-fed swimming pool with a slide and diving board, a stone bathhouse, a restaurant, rustic cabins, a souvenir shop, a filling station, and a park with a picnic area. Stony Dell like many of its Route 66 counterparts, continuously looked for ways to appeal to travelers.