It’s practically a place of pilgrimage. A Mecca for food historians. Tourists flock there, not just from Illinois, but from all across America and around the globe, by motorcycle, car and by the busload.

It’s the Cozy Dog on South Sixth Street.

The story of Cozy Dogs — the original hot dogs on a stick, deep-fried in cornmeal batter — is almost as familiar as Lincoln lore to anyone knowledgable about Springfield history.

Cozy Dogs’ creator, Ed Waldmire, had eaten an unusual sandwich on a trip to Muskogee, Okla., during his youth: a weiner baked in cornbread. Returning to Illinois, Waldmire told a fellow student at Knox College about it, saying he wished he could make something similar that would cook faster.

A few years later Waldmire, now in the Air Force stationed at Amarillo, Texas, had forgotten the conversation. But unbeknownst to him, it was on the mind of his college buddy, Don Strand, whose father owned a bakery. Strand developed a cornmeal mix that would stick on a weiner and could be deep-fried. Strand sent his mix to Texas, and Waldmire experimenting in the U.S.O. kitchen with hot dogs stuck on cocktail forks, communicating back and forth until the recipe for their “Crusty Curs” was perfected. Waldmire sold “thousands” at the U.S.O. and P.X. as well as in the town of Amarillo until he returned to Springfield at the end of his military service in 1946.

Waldmire wanted to introduce his creation to his hometown, but his wife, Virginia, thought the moniker “Crusty Cur” was a bit too crusty. The couple came up with the name “Cozy Dog,” and Virginia designed the logo of two corn dogs in a “cozy” embrace.

Cozy Dogs were “officially launched” at the Lake Springfield Beach House on June 16, 1946, and later that year sold at the Illinois State Fair. The first Cozy Dog House opened on the corner of Sixth and South Grand, followed by a second location at Ash and MacArthur.

In 1949, The Cozy Dog Drive In — what would become the flagship — was born and took root on South Sixth Street, then also part of Route 66. When Ed retired, son Buzz and Buzz’s wife, Sue, took over. In 1996 the Cozy Dog was transplanted one door to the north. It not only survived the transplant, but flourished; these days Sue and her sons are in charge: Josh and Tony work in the restaurant; Nick maintains the Web site.

The Cozy Dog was an integral part of my Springfield childhood, along with the Dairy Queen in the same building. Not only did I pass it every time I went into town, eating there was one of my ultimate treats.

Because my husband’s dental office is just a few doors south, I still drive past the cuddling Cozy Dogs frequently. And eating there is still a treat, though I have to admit that entering the new location gives me a pang of nostalgia. But I also admit that the “new” place has done an outstanding job of preserving the original’s ambience.

In some ways, it’s a museum of memorabilia: original Cozy Dog artifacts, including a table whose top was signed by regulars at the time of the move, then sealed in clear plastic. There are local and interstate historic Route 66 items, and a gift shop stocked with Route 66 souvenirs. It’s that association with Route 66 that draws in many of the tourists, foreign and domestic, and keeps things busy, especially in summer months.

Sitting around the signature table with Sue, Josh, Tony, and regular customers Mel and Claude (no last names at their request) and listening to their stories makes it clear that just being there can be an adventure — as often as not, an international one.

“D’you remember those guys from Spain that came in here with the cameras?” asks Josh. “The ones with the skin-tight red hot pants?” Everyone raises their eyebrows and gives each other knowing looks. I ask them to elaborate, but can’t get much other than,