Hall of Fame Museum: Pontiac, Illinois
Let’s start at the beginning. Route 66 begins in the Land Of Lincoln, Illinois. There are quite a few museums along Historic Route 66 dedicated to “America’s Main Street.” But the Route 66 Hall of Fame Museum is one of our favorite ones.
Located in Pontiac, IL, this is a big museum that highlights the route’s heritage. The museum was built in a former firehouse, and some of the key attractions are the exhibits about Bob Waldmire, the famed artist known for his work on the route.
He created remarkably intricate maps and murals, which can be seen in the museum today. It also has his converted school bus where he lived.
Exhibitions are displayed across multiple floors, and you’ll see lots of vintage signs, memorabilia, and many other artifacts of the past.
6 thoughts on “Route 66: 8 Incredible Sights You Can’t Miss”
You missed the Wigwams in Holbrook,Az. And Meteor Crater out of Winslow.
Very interesting, and well worth the time and detours, to see some of older historic America.
ive been on every mile of old route 66 as my family moved to california from northern indiana well before I55 on I40 were started
I traveled Route 66 every summer of my life from age 12 (1949) with my Mom, Viola, and brother Tom Roberts and our dog Bootsie. We slept in inexpensive motels and an old hotel in Albuquerque, price $10 per night! What a great learning experience for us all!! We had a great fun 3 month trip, stayed in Los Cruses at the bottom of New Mexico, drove up to Santa Fe and stayed in Adobe huts. We called my Dad everynight to tell him where we landed.
We went to Indian festivals and had some very interesting experiences. One day we visited a Pueblo reservation, many Indians lived there. My Mom pointed her little Brownie Hawkeye at the old Indian chief to take his picture and he started chasing us, yelling at all the other Indians to chase us. We RAN for our 1949 Pontiac!! jumped in and took off. We found out he thought the camera would steal his soul! He was probably born in the 1890’s!
We drove over that bridge in our 1949 Pontiac, in 1949! We drove Route 66 every summer for 4 years. What fabulous memories.
My mom, grandma, sister and I traveled route 66 from Chicago to Monrovia, CA in 1943 when my dad was in the Army, stationed at Santa Anita race track in Pasadena, at that time an Army supply depot. My fondest memories of that trip are of lunches in little Route 66 cafes, where I would always eat a hamburger, along with a chocolate milk shake. Great memories still (at 87).