“Route 66: The Main Street of America,” a documentary by award-winning filmmaker John Paget, begins its roadshow on Sept. 1 in Chicago, the starting point of Route 66.
This rolling premiere will travel more than 2,400 miles through all eight of Route 66’s states, concluding in Los Angeles on Nov. 7.
The Main Street of America Roadshow will bring the film directly to the communities that define Route 66. Each stop will center around a screening followed by live conversations with Paget and people featured in the film, offering audiences an opportunity to connect with the stories shaping Route 66 today.
Here is the trailer:
The Roadshow will feature more than 40 screening events. Confirmed premiere events include:
- Sept. 1 — Global premiere at The Art Institute of Chicago
- Sept. 11 — Missouri premiere at Hi-Pointe Theatre in St. Louis
- Sept. 18 — Oklahoma premiere at Circle Cinema in Tulsa
- Sept. 25 — Texas premiere at Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts in Amarillo
- Oct. 1 — New Mexico premiere at KiMo Theatre in Albuquerque
- Oct. 10 — Arizona premiere at The Orpheum Theater in Flagstaff
- Oct. 23 — California premiere at California Theater in San Bernardino
- Nov. 7 — Centennial Roadshow finale at Los Angeles Theatre
Additional community screenings will take place throughout the Route 66 corridor. For complete screening schedule and ticket information, go to MainStreetofAmerica.com.
“Route 66: The Main Street of America” is a centennial portrait of the Mother Road, revealing its revival. From unexpected roadside attractions to revitalized main streets, each encounter reveals communities finding new life and purpose — and making new history — proving the most meaningful journeys often unfold on the road less traveled.
Explore the depths with deep-sea divers in a desert oasis.
Meet a family in Luther, Oklahoma, restoring one of America’s earliest Black-owned gas stations.
Mix with a couple who decided it was high time someone made bourbon in a town called Bourbon.
Find trees made from bottles.
And a ghost town that somehow became a flower farm.
Whether you’ve driven Route 66 or only imagined it, this film takes you there to meet the everyday people who are bringing motels, diners, theaters, souvenir shops, filling stations, a prison and a steam train back to life. It’s an immersive, heartfelt portrait of this American icon that emerges full of humor, warmth, and discovery.
“Route 66 has always been about more than pavement — it’s about people,” said John Paget, director of “Route 66: The Main Street of America.”
“Route 66 is not simply about what has been preserved. It’s about what people are still building. In every town, we met people who believe history is more than something to remember — it’s something that inspires what comes next.”
As Route 66 celebrates its centennial, the film looks beyond nostalgia to explore the resilience, creativity and determination of the people carrying America’s Main Street forward.
“My hope is that this film inspires people to see Route 66 as a story still being written,” Paget said. “The next chapter will be shaped by the people who believe these places — and these stories — still matter.”
Designated an official project of the U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission, the film has garnered support from national and community partners committed to preserving, celebrating and promoting The Main Street of America.
Paget directed the award-winning “Route 66: An American Odyssey” film over 30 years ago. He also directed “Route 66: Return to the Road with Martin Milner” a few years later.
Bill Thomas, chairman of the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership and Commissioner for the Route 66 Centennial Commission, said, “One of the greatest challenges facing Route 66 isn’t preserving its past — it’s inspiring the people who will protect its future. This documentary does both.”
Rhys Martin, Preserve Route 66 Manager for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said, “Route 66 has always connected people and communities, so it’s fitting that this documentary will be experienced the same way — one town at a time. Following every screening, filmmaker John Paget and folks featured in the film will hold live Q&A sessions where people can share their own memories, perspectives, and hopes for the future.
“When the road celebrates 200 years, people won’t just want to know the road’s origin story — they’ll want to know how people engaged with it at this historic moment. The roadshow will capture that living history while reminding audiences that every generation has a role to play in the future of Route 66. That’s what makes this such a special project; it’s not just preserving what’s come before but inviting the public to become stewards of the road’s ongoing story.”