Photo by Nick Fox at Shutterstock
Driving down Route 66 from Chicago to LA is a bucket-list-worthy experience for many traveling enthusiasts.
Crossing eight states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, this trip is more about the journey than the destination itself. And you’ll find many famous attractions along the way.
This road was built in 1926 as a way to create the shortest possible route connecting the West Coast and Midwest. Unfortunately, due to modern advancements in highways, it was deemed ineffective in 1985.
But the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program was designed to save its historical and cultural significance. You can now travel on this historic route to explore charming small towns and roadside attractions.
You’ll see incredible landmarks, statues, restaurants, and neon signs in every state. But a disclaimer before we get to our list: Since Route 66 has been officially decommissioned, the highway won’t appear on any modern GPS systems.
So you’ll have to use an old-fashioned map or a guidebook. With that in mind, here are 8 Route 66 attractions worth visiting TODAY!
Side Note: We’ve included just a few of our favorites, but this route has MANY more attractions just waiting to be explored!
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.
Up next, we’ve got a picturesque stop at The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. It spans the Mississippi River, starting in Illinois and ending in Missouri. The bridge was initially a motor route and was constructed as a means to cross the Mississippi River.
But today, it’s one of the world’s longest pedestrian/ bicycle-only bridges. Trees surround the first part of the bridge, so it’ll take you a few minutes to walk out over the actual river. The most noteworthy feature of this bridge is its 22-degree bend in the middle of the crossing.
You’ll need to walk about two-thirds of the bridge to get to this distinctive bend in the bridge, but trust us, the view will be worth it. From there, you’ll have a fantastic unobstructed view of St. Louis and the Gateway Arch, all while the river flows beneath you.
And if you’re visiting in the morning, you’ll get a great glimpse of the water birds in the area. Note: If you’re visiting during summer, bring lots of water with you to stay hydrated because there isn’t any shelter on the bridge.
You may be wondering why we’re sending you to a gas station. Well, even though the length of Route 66 in Kansas is only about 13 miles, it has many unique attractions.
The road passes through the state’s southeastern corner, and one of the can’t-miss attractions includes the Baxter Springs Kansas Route 66 Visitor Center. This Visitor Center is located inside of a vintage Phillips gas station and is iconic in the area.
The gas station was constructed in the 1930s and has striking Tudor cottage-style architecture with a lively red roof. It’s still exceptionally well-preserved and a charming place to visit.
You’ll even find it on the National Register of Historic Places, which has been converted into a museum. Visitors can see two vintage-style Phillips 66 gas pumps outside the historic building.
It’s fun to see their unique design and bright colors, and inside you’ll be greeted by messages and signatures of thousands of Route 66 travelers. There’s also a gift shop where you can buy many souvenirs.
Driving a bit east of Catoosa, you’ll discover the Blue Whale of Catoosa, one of the most famous attractions of Route 66. The Blue Whale was built in the 1970s and quickly rose in popularity among travelers. It was constructed in a pond that was a favored swimming spot at the time.
Unfortunately, swimming is now prohibited, but visitors can still enjoy the sights. Stroll into the whale’s mouth or climb on top of the tail and snap a few pics.
If you’re traveling with kids, it’s a fun place for them to climb around. But it’s an excellent place for picnics, as well. There are whale-themed picnic tables right next to the pond, and you’ll also find a gift shop.
Found right off the highway in Amarillo, the Big Texan Steak Ranch is one of those popular Route 66 attractions that’s impossible to miss. It’s bright yellow and decorated with everything from a cow statue, windmills, and a dinosaur statue to cars decorated with longhorns.
The Big Texan Steak Ranch has been a hot spot since 1960. In other words, it has been a main attraction for road trippers for years. This restaurant is best known for its 72oz steak challenge.
If you accept the challenge, you’ll need to attempt to eat an entire 72 oz steak and a shrimp cocktail, roll with butter, salad, and baked potato in an hour or less. Succeed, and the gut-busting meal is free. Fail, and you’ll need to pay $72.
If food challenges aren’t your thing, the food joint serves up plenty of human-sized cuts of meat and other Texan specialties like chicken fried steak.
As one of the most quirky things to see and do in Amarillo, a visit to the Big Texan Steak Ranch, at least for photos out front, is a must-see when road-tripping through the US.
On a different note, if you’re already in Amarillo, you should include the Cadillac Ranch in your travel plans. This iconic stop consists of 10 spray-painted Cadillacs from 1949 to 1963 buried nose-down in the desert.
Created in 1974, the Cadillac Ranch was a pet project of three buddies who got the idea of creating this unique installation after reading a children’s book.
The western pioneer version of graffiti can still be found in El Morro National Monument. It’s an easy stop on the New Mexico segment of Route 66 and is an hour south of Gallup.
El Morro sits amid a stunning dusty landscape, and it became a famous destination on Route 66 because of its working watering hole. It was initially used by the Zuni, who built pueblos in the area during the later part of the 13th century.
There are even some rock art inscriptions that are visible from that time. A Spanish expedition came through around 1583, followed by even more explorers searching for riches. The first Spanish inscription dates back to 1605 from Don Juan de Onate.
By the mid-1800s, the pioneer wagon trains bound for California stopped at El Morro, leaving their mark on the stones. The primary thing to do at El Morro is a loop walk of the bluff, where you can see all the inscriptions.
This monument even has a campground and ranger-led talks.
This public park and statue, which is dedicated to a popular song that embraces Americana was opened in 1999. The song that inspired the construction of the park was ‘Take it Easy’ by the Eagles, which dates back to 1972.
There is a lyric in the song above that says, “Standin’ on the Corner in Winslow, Arizona,” and the unassuming town became famous overnight. The park, which took years to create, wasn’t built without purpose, though.
Winslow used to be the most populated town in north Arizona and a top-rated stop for travelers going on Route 66. However, once I-40 was built north of Winslow, tourism took a hit, and the town fell into a somewhat dire state.
In 1999, “Standin’ on the Corner Park” solved that problem by attracting some of the tourism dollars back that had swiftly drifted out of the town. You’ll be greeted by a bronze statue’s 70s garb and a mural on a brick wall behind him.
The song seems to have breathed new life into this forgotten town.
The town of Calico was founded in 1881 in the Calico Mountains during the California Silver Rush. It used to be a thriving town with over 1,200 people. But it was quickly deserted after the fall in the price of silver.
Nowadays, it remains a famous Route 66 attraction to discover the ghost town and learn about our past. Calico has been restored to its original glory, allowing tourists to walk through an authentic Old West town.
You’ll see unique buildings like the saloon, post office, homes, and schoolhouse. The whole town of Calico is designated as a historical landmark and also an official county park.
The experience requires an entrance fee and has quite a few fun attractions, including going on a mine tour or seeing some of the live event reenactments right in the town’s streets.
If you genuinely want to complete this adventure, you can drive a bit further to find the end of historical Route 66 at the Santa Monica Pier in California. It’s instantly recognizable to any Baywatch fans.
You can visit the pier, take a stroll along the beach, or check out the boardwalk once you’ve reached the western end of this famous route. And once you’ve done all this, all that’s left…is for you to leave us a comment and let us know about your many adventures!
And if you’re looking for a different kind of experience, we’ve got just the thing. Check out: 5 Incredible US Places That Don’t Feel Like the US
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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).