California Route 66 Museum marks 20th year

California Route 66 Museum mural, Victorville

The California Route 66 Museum in Victorville marked its 20th year of operation Saturday with a car show and hundreds of visitors — and lots of anticipation for Route 66’s 90th anniversary next year, reported the Daily Dispatch newspaper.

The museum is open from Wednesday through Monday, with the other two days open by appointment only.

The mission of the California Route 66 Museum in Old Town Victorville is to “preserve and increase” interest in “all aspects of history and heritage related to the road,” which it has been doing since it opened its doors in 1995. With three display rooms and a gift shop, the 5,000-square-foot former Red Rooster Cafe location remains entirely free for admission, accepting contributions from patrons and donors.
Museum President Susan Bridges said it’s unfortunate that “all the locals don’t know this place at all.”
Bridges said that about 75 percent of the museum’s business comes from visitors from all around the world.

Los Angeles Route 66 researcher Scott Piotrowski also attended the event to pitch the 2016 International Route 66 Festival, which is slated to be anchored in downtown Los Angeles.

The big buzz for the association is the Route 66 90-year anniversary national festival planned to take place in Los Angeles next year. Piotrowski said they expect at least 50,000 attendees at the festival, but are hoping for more than 100,000.

I like the museum a lot. Unlike many other places, it invites plenty of levity amid its serious quest for historical preservation.

(Image of a mural on the California Route 66 Museum in Victorville by Joël° via Flickr)

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