Cuba, Missouri: The Route 66 Stop With Better Murals Than You’d Expect

If you’re driving through central Missouri and need a place to stop that feels like an actual town—not a gas station wearing a cowboy hat—pull into Cuba on historic Route 66.

Park along Main Street, where the spaces are free and you can leave the car while you wander. Cuba’s downtown is compact enough to explore on foot, with brick storefronts, old signs, and just enough road-trip kitsch to keep things interesting without turning the whole place into a theme park.

Start at Missouri Hick Bar-B-Que, just west of downtown on Route 66. Order the pulled pork platter or the ribs, and get the baked beans. The portions are generous in the way that makes you quietly reconsider ordering dessert, even though you absolutely will. This is not delicate food. It is the kind of lunch that requires a nap strategy.

Then walk the town’s mural trail. The walls are painted with scenes from local history, Route 66 travel, railroad life, and the surrounding Ozarks. My favorite kind of roadside art is the sort that gives you a reason to stop the car, and Cuba has turned that into a full-blown outdoor gallery.

The surprise is the sheer number of murals. You expect one or two cute paintings and maybe a weathered gas-pump display. Instead, the town keeps producing another giant wall around the next corner. It feels like Cuba quietly decided that every blank surface was a personal challenge.

If you have another half-day, drive east to Meramec State Park for forest roads, limestone bluffs, and short hikes along the river. Pack water, especially in summer, and check park conditions before you go. The roads around here are part of the appeal: rolling, curving, and much more interesting than a straight sprint to the next interstate exit.

Go on a weekday or arrive before lunch for the easiest parking and a calmer walk. Cuba is best when you let it be a pause, not a checklist: barbecue, murals, a slow drive through the Ozarks, and maybe one more coffee before you point the car home.