The Illinois State Museum in Springfield announced the launch of the online Route 66 Oral History Project, which gathered 100 stories about the history of the Mother Road before its centennial in 2026. The database includes video-recorded interviews, as well as world-searchable written transcriptions. Contributors include people who lived, worked and traveled along Route 66 … Continue reading Illinois State Museum unveils 100 oral histories about Route 66
Category: Highways
Route 66 designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark
The American Society of Civil Engineers recently designated Route 66 as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. ASCE's board approved the designation on July 10 in recognition of the highway's centennial and its lasting contributions to American infrastructure and civil engineering. Initially established in 1926, Route 66 was the first paved, all-weather highway to connect the Midwest with … Continue reading Route 66 designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark
Museum of Northern Arizona soon will open an exhibit on the history of Route 66 in state
The Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff will open a Route 66 exhibit that runs from Nov. 16 to Oct. 26, 2026. The Arizona Daily Sun reported: Called “Wagon Road to Mother Road,” the exhibit looks at the way travel has affected landscapes and communities in northern Arizona, from the Beale Wagon Road to Route … Continue reading Museum of Northern Arizona soon will open an exhibit on the history of Route 66 in state
National Cowboy Museum to open Route 66 exhibition in February
The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City will open the "Route 66: From Trails to Truck Stops" exhibition starting in early February. The exhibition will run from Feb. 6 to May 4, during Route 66's centennial year. Cowgirl Magazine had more details: Visitors will see artifacts, maps, photographs and multimedia displays tracing … Continue reading National Cowboy Museum to open Route 66 exhibition in February
State grant will complete Route 66 bike trail near Bloomington after feds yanked funds
Nine miles of a Route 66 bicycle trail in McLean County, Illinois, will be completed with a state transportation grant, at the request of Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The $1.875 million grant will help pay for engineering and environmental reviews, along with design plans and specifications for the trail, reported WMBD. The grant replaces $675,000 in … Continue reading State grant will complete Route 66 bike trail near Bloomington after feds yanked funds
Old promotional video for Will Rogers Highway Memorials is uploaded
A couple of weeks ago, the Oklahoma Route 66 Association uploaded a 25-year-old promotional video about the Will Rogers Highway Memorials that are sprinkled along Route 66 and the memorials' namesake. The association wrote: In the 1990s, Darrell Ray of Joplin had an idea to help promote the revitalization of Historic Route 66 by reviving … Continue reading Old promotional video for Will Rogers Highway Memorials is uploaded
NMDOT receives national award for preservation of original Route 66 near Los Lunas
The New Mexico Department of Transportation received the 2025 Perpetual Pavement Award from the Asphalt Pavement Alliance, recognizing exceptional long-term performance and preservation of a historic section of New Mexico Route 6, part of the original Route 66 alignment. The recognized segment is a nine-mile portion of Route 6 west of Los Lunas, originally opened … Continue reading NMDOT receives national award for preservation of original Route 66 near Los Lunas
Five senators introduce bill to designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail
Five U.S. senators on Thursday introduced bipartisan legislation to designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail. According to the Amarillo Globe-News, the senators are Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Alex Padilla, D-Calif.; Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.; Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.; and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill. -- all from states where historic Route 66 traverses. Similar legislation is being brought … Continue reading Five senators introduce bill to designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail
Crews at forthcoming Sapulpa park try to uncover sections of original Route 66 roadway
While the Route 66-themed View Stop Park is being built on the west side of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, workers are seeking to find the original Route 66 roadway that went through there. The park will include a Route 66 centennial marker, a bridge overlook plaza, parking, wildflower gardens, a boulder playground, a “Get Your Kicks” photo-op … Continue reading Crews at forthcoming Sapulpa park try to uncover sections of original Route 66 roadway
“Singing highway” also coming to Route 66 in Winslow
Winslow, Arizona, will be another Route 66 town that will receive a so-called "singing highway." According to the September newsletter of the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, the city hired ROADTUNES to install rumble strips on Route 66 that will emit a melody when tires go over them at a certain speed. The association … Continue reading “Singing highway” also coming to Route 66 in Winslow