Soulsby Gas Station

Here is something we have learned travelling across America - gas stations can be adorable - who knew!? They can be modern day Buc-ees style adorable, and they can be retro and vintage style adorable - who knew we would look forward to visiting a gas station!?

The Soulsby Shell service Station in Mt Olive Illinois is a perfect example - ADORABLE!!

This circa 1926 “house with canopy” style of service station was designed by the original owner, Henry Soulsby. He designed it hoping it would blend in and compliment with the houses around it, rather than standing out like a garish eyesore - and he succeeded. Did we mention it’s adorable?

The gas station, along old Route 66 stayed in the family until 1993. When Russell Soulsby, the last in the family to run the station, passed away, his funeral procession took him under the gas station canopy one last time. Even in death those Soulsbys are adorable.

In 2003 the Soulsby Preservation Society began rehabiltation and preservation efforts at the historic gas station. The original doors and windows were restored and the building was painted. The shell oil sign proudly stands beside the canopy above the bright yellow vintage gas pumps. Inside you’ll find a little museum full of vintage ephemera, coke memorabilia, and gas station history. It’s free to visit, but if you leave a donation you can take away a souvenir pen!

The Soulsby Gas Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. Today it operates as a visitor center and museum. It is one of the oldest and most original gas stations along Route 66.

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Midwest USA No. 35 - last visited October 2023