Route 66 Joliet Stadium Is New Name For Joliet Slammers Sports Complex

JOLIET, IL - Over the past several months, city of Joliet officials have embraced Joliet's historic tie to America's beloved Route 66. And why not? Practically every day, people from all over the country, and many from Europe, visit downtown's Joliet Area Historical Museum as part of their Route 66 cross-country vacation. On Friday, Joliet was taking a major step forward in hopes of generating more positive marketing and visibility for the state's third-largest city. Joliet's downtown baseball stadium, formerly known as Silver Cross Field, is getting a new name. From now on, the minor league ballpark used by the Joliet Slammers will be called Route 66 Joliet Stadium.

Why the name change now? From the city's perspective, now is the perfect time. This fall, the grass field has been torn out as crews install a new field turf that will be ready for the 2018 season. It's all part of Joliet's long-range vision to convert its downtown baseball park into a year-round multi-purpose attraction.

Watch: Joliet's Silver Cross Field Gets New Name

Joliet has lofty plans for Route 66 Joliet Stadium. The city intends to host outdoor music concerts, soccer tournaments, youth baseball tournaments, as well as corporate outings and perhaps community festivals here. The city also realizes it makes sense to capitalize on the fact that thousands of people are already coming to Joliet to visit the downtown museum and to pose for a keepsake photograph at places like the old Joliet Prison on Collins Street from the famous "The Blues Brothers" movie.

Joliet's downtown stadium opened in 2002 and currently has a capacity of about 6,000 spectators.

RELATED: Joliet Slammers Stadium Will Never Look The Same

RELATED: Joliet May Reject Low Bid On Slammers Field Turf

Friday's big announcement of the Route 66 Joliet Stadium was being formally unveiled during the annual Route 66 Miles of Possibility Conference, a three-day event taking place in Joliet. The event included sessions at the nearby Renaissance Center on North Ottawa Street.

According to the conference's website, "The Miles of Possibility Conference offers high-level, detailed coverage of the key issues, strategies, challenges, tools, and opportunities facing Route 66 municipalities, counties, and businesses. The conference focuses on historic preservation, economic development, history, and marketing with practical solutions presented by an outstanding line-up of nationally known experts on Route 66." The keynote speaker is Cory Jobe, the state's director of travel and tourism.

Main image supplied to Joliet Patch, secondary image via Joliet Patch Editor John Ferak