St. Robert

St. Robert, a small (population 4,340) city in Central Missouri, is a gateway community to the US Army base at Fort Leonard Wood.

Understand

St. Robert is named for the local Catholic parish, whose patron saint Robert Bellarmine was an important early Jesuit. The community, which largely houses soldiers and their families, is located on the former US Route 66. As a scenic route through the area, Route 66 passes through Devil's Elbow, St. Robert, Waynesville, Buckhorn and Hazelgreen under various names (Teardrop Road, Highway Z, Old Route 66, Historic Route 66 and Highway 17).

Efforts to bypass the original two-lane road date to World War 2, when 66 was re-aligned and widened through Arlington (a former resort on the Gasconade River opposite Jerome, now a ghost town). US66 in Missouri has now been entirely bypassed by I-44; state-posted signs mark most of the alignment of the old road. The beautiful Ozarks landscape is home to numerous recreational opportunities, including swimming, fishing, hunting, hiking, horseback riding, canoeing and spelunking.

• Pulaski County Tourism Bureau, 137 St Robert Blvd. Suite A (North of I-44, Exit 161), ☎ [phone], toll-free: [phone]. 8-5 Mon-Fri. Visitors Center with information on Pulaski County (Fort Leonard Wood, St. Robert, Waynesville, Dixon, Crocker, Richland, Laquey and Swedeborg) and free brochures on attractions across the state of Missouri. 

Get in

• Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport, Bldg 5002, Iowa Avenue (located on-base at Fort Leonard Wood), ☎ [phone]. Municipally-operated joint use airport served by Cape Air, a carrier which mostly operates small (9-35 passenger) scheduled aircraft a few times daily to provide Essential Air Service to communities which would have otherwise lost service due to airline deregulation. The airport offers long term parking and a rental car concession at the terminal. 

Get around

• Harrison Rentals & Investments, 617 Old Route 66, ☎ [phone]. Car, truck and van rentals; closed Sundays. 

See

Do

• Old Stagecoach Stop, ☎ [phone]. 10AM-4PM Sat, Apr-Sep. Nine of the ten rooms in this two-story structure are restored to various periods in the building's history (1854-now). A guide in period costume leads a 45 minute tour. 

Buy

• The Craftbox (Scrapbooking), 360 Old Rte 66 Suite 2 (Copperfield Center), ☎ [phone]. Learn a new craft or hang out with other crafty people. 
• 🌍 Uranus General Store, 14400 Highway Z, Saint Robert 65584, ☎ [phone]. 8AM - 9PM. A cluster of small, kitschy store fronts established around the turn of the millennium include a Uranus Fudge Factory packed with double entendres, a tattoo shop, the Chicken Bones Party Bar & Grill, Big Louie's Saloon, Mission Outpost Outdoor Outfitters and The FunkYard on Route 66. (updated May 2017)

Eat

• El Sombrero, 385 Highway Z, ☎ [phone]. Alcohol available 
• Sweetwater BBQ, 14076 Hwy Z, ☎ [phone]. Catering available 
• Adonia's Steak and Seafood, 819 Highway Z (South Outer Rd. Z Hwy about 1/2 mile), ☎ [phone]. Choices include fresh seafood and pasta, Veal Marsala, Breast of Lemon Chicken, Poivrade, Chateau Briand (for two), Steak Dian, and Fettuccini Primavera. Vegetables are served crisp and all soups, dressings and desserts are made in-house. 

Drink

Sleep

• Comfort Inn ([e-mail]), 103 St. Robert Blvd, ☎ [phone]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. $80-130 (Doubles). 
• DeVille Motor Inn (Relax Inn), 461 Old Route 66, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone]. Doubles $40. 
• Fairfield Inn, 130 St Robert Blvd, ☎ [phone]. 
• Holiday Inn Express, 114 Vickie Lynn Ln, ☎ [phone]. $94 (Doubles). 
• MainStay Suites an Extended Stay hotel ([e-mail]), 227 St. Robert Blvd, ☎ [phone]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 12PM. Exercise room, seasonal outdoor pool. 
• Microtel Inn and Suites, 562 Old Route 66, ☎ [phone]. $55-85 (Doubles). 
• Motel 6, 545 Highway Z, ☎ [phone]. $45-55 (Doubles). 
• Red Roof Inn, 129 St Robert Blvd, ☎ [phone]. 
• Super 8, 107 McKinnon St, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. 
• Star Motel, 1057 Old Route 66, ☎ [phone], toll-free: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. $35+. 

Nearby

Devil's Elbow

A tiny community near a particularly awkward bend in the Big Piney River. A once-common stop for Route 66 voyagers and canoeists, the buildings were listed on the national historic register in early 2017. Later that year, spring flooding pushed water levels eight feet beyond previous record levels, with substantial property damage. Attractions were a small store (the market housed the local post office) and the Elbow Inn, which has reopened.

• Elbow Inn, 21050 Teardrop Rd, Devils Elbow 65457, ☎ [phone]. 11AM-1:30AM. Quirky local eatery (beer, sandwiches, BBQ) established in the 1930s as the Munger-Moss Sandwich Shop. The original owners left for Lebanon (Missouri) at the end of World War 2, expecting this location to die once Route 66 was bypassed by I-44. Oddly, it's still here, with the ceiling supported by a collection of bras tacked up by passing voyagers on US 66 - now a destination for nostalgia tourism. (updated Oct 2017)

Go next

Routes through St. Robert

Springfield ← Lebanon ←	W  E	→ Rolla → St. Louis
Springfield ← Lebanon ←	W  E	→ Rolla → St. Louis