Route 66 at 100: The best things to do ahead of the Mother Road centenary

This is a landmark year for the USA, as 2026 sees the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence (America’s Semiquincentennial), alongside the FIFA World Cup, hosted across 11 US cities. It’s also a huge year for road trippers, as it marks the 100th anniversary of the legendary Route 66.

Dubbed the “Mother Road” by author John Steinbeck, Route 66 was established in 1926 to link Chicago, Illinois with Santa Monica, California, spanning more than 3,900km (2,400 miles) across eight states. A lifeline for Dust Bowl migrants and post-war travellers heading west, it soon became a symbol of freedom, reinvention and the open road.

With time to plan before the official centenary on 11 November, we’ve selected some of the top things to do on a Route 66 road trip.

You’ll find fascinating museums right the way along the route, from the memorabilia-filled Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum in Pontiac, Illinois to Santa Rosa, New Mexico’s Route 66 Auto Museum, which showcases vintage cars popular during the Mother Road’s heyday. Other options include the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma, which tells the story of the road’s founding, as well as the Route 66 Electric Vehicle Museum in Kingman, Arizona.

Albuquerque’s West Central Route 66 Visitor Center opened ahead of the centenary. Inside, you’ll find a neon sign collection, a museum and an amphitheatre, while outside there will be a makeshift drive-in theatre and car shows.

No road trip would be complete without a motel stay and there are plenty of options along the Mother Road.

Highlights include Flagstaff’s Americana Motor Hotel, a revived 1960s motor lodge where Route 66 nostalgia meets cool, mid-century design – fresh from renovations, it’s decked out with disco balls, vintage art and 1970s-style furniture. Alternatively, California’s Route 66 Motel offers a collection of vintage cars and memorabilia in quirky Barstow, in the heart of the Mojave Desert.

Fuel up for your road trip at an all-American diner. Starting in Illinois, you can try a restaurant that actually predates Route 66 (Lou Mitchell’s, in Chicago, which serves breakfast all day), or head to an old-fashioned soda fountain (Docs Just Off 66, in Girard). If you’re seriously hungry, take on the Mother Road Burger Challenge at Route 66 Creamery in Hamel, which involves a cheeseburger tower of six patties, fries and a large shake. For something a little different, the Mother Road Market in Tulsa, Oklahoma has vendors offering African, Japanese, Brazilian and Cajun food.

As a treat for conquering Route 66, grab a bite at Mel’s Drive-In at Lincoln and Olympic Boulevards, just a short hop from the official “End of the Trail” sign on Santa Monica Pier in California.

The historic Mother Road runs right through Petrified Forest National Park – the only national park on the entire Route 66, so no detour required. The park’s name comes from its Triassic fossils, but there are also more than 400 species of plants, and you may spot animals such as coyotes and bobcats too.

There are plenty of quirky sculptures to keep an eye out for along the way, including a water tower painted to look like a Catsup Bottle in Collinsville; giant rabbits at Henry’s Rabbit Ranch in Staunton; and an enormous pink elephant at the aptly named Pink Elephant Antique Mall in Livingston – all in Illinois. You can also spot the world’s second largest fork in Springfield, Missouri; the Blue Whale of Catoosa, Oklahoma; and, finally, the famous “End of the Trail” sign on Santa Monica Pier.

More information: americathebeautiful.com/road-trips