The “Miles of Memories: Stories of Route 66” exhibit at the Illinois State Museum in Springfield is scheduled to open to the public on May 23.
According to the Springfield State Journal-Register, it will show “what it was like to live, work and travel along U.S. Route 66 during its peak years, drawing on personal recollections and historic artifacts tied to the iconic highway.”
A central feature of the exhibition is the museum’s Route 66 Oral History Project, which includes 100 recorded interviews with people who experienced the highway when it served as the primary route between Chicago and Los Angeles. Visitors can listen to selected excerpts from those interviews throughout the gallery, according to the announcement.
The exhibit also features a wide range of memorabilia, including vintage souvenirs, neon signage, fiberglass advertising figures and classic Burma‑Shave signs that once dotted the roadside.
“This exhibit is a must-see for any fan of Route 66,” the museum’s curator of history, Erika Holst, said in a news release. “What sets it apart is the opportunity to hear memories of the Mother Road in the voices of the people who lived it.”
“Some of the stories featured in the exhibit cover topics that even seasoned Route 66 travelers may not have heard before,” said museum registrar of history Amanda Bryden. “There is something for everyone, regardless of familiarity with the road.”
The museum is at 502 S. Spring St. in Springfield (map here), about a half-mile west of the Sixth Street alignment of Route 66 and adjacent to the Illinois State Capitol building.
The project was made possible through support from the Illinois State Museum Society, the Hanson family, Jane and Paul Ford, and the Loken Family funds at the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln, in partnership with the Lumpkin Foundation, Stifel and, especially notable, the Cozy Dog Drive In, a Route 66 landmark in Springfield.
The exhibit will run through April 4, 2027. Admission is free.
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