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Photo: Bubba73, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A 1936 art deco café and filling station which served Route 66. Closed in the 1990s, it was restored to its former glory in 2004 as a local visitor center; fountain drinks, coffee and floats returned in 2014 after many years with no food or beverage service. Photographed by many, this iconic building appears as "Ramone's" in Radiator Springs in 2006 Pixar film Cars.
The U-Drop Inn, also known as Tower Station and U-Drop Inn and Tower Café, was built in 1936 in Shamrock, Texas along the historic Route 66 highway in Wheeler County. Inspired by the image of a nail stuck in soil, the building was designed by J. C. Berry. An unusual example of art deco architecture applied to a gas station and restaurant, the building features two flared towers with geometric detailing, curvilinear massing, glazed ceramic tile walls, and neon light accents. It has traditionally held two separate business: "Tower Station," a gas station on the western side, and the "U-Drop Inn," a café on the eastern side. Though it has passed hands several times in its history, the building has consistently housed the same types of businesses it was originally constructed for.
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