List of landmarks on U.S. Route 66 explained

The landmarks on U.S. Route 66 include roadside attractions, notable establishments, and buildings of historical significance along U.S. Route 66 (US 66, Route 66).

The increase of tourist traffic to California in the 1950s prompted the creation of motels and roadside attractions^[1] as an attempt of businesses along the route to get the attention of motorists passing by.^[2] With the decommissioning of Route 66 many of these sites fell into disrepair, but some still exist and have been the focus of preservation efforts.^[3]

Illinois

See also: U.S. Route 66 in Illinois.

• Lou Mitchell's (Chicago) – A restaurant listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and nicknamed "the first stop on the Mother Road".
• Gemini Giant (Wilmington) – A 30-ft tall Muffler Man fiberglass statue of a spaceman with a rocket.^[4]
• Cozy Dog Drive In (Springfield) – A hot dog restaurant with Route 66 memorabilia and a gift shop.
• Maid-Rite Sandwich Shop (Springfield) – Maid-Rite franchise built in 1921 and housed in a listed building.^[5]
• Shea's Gas Station Museum (Springfield) – Former gas station and museum. Closed in 2015.^[6]
• Dixie Travel Plaza (McLean) – Large trucker and travel plaza.

Missouri

See also: U.S. Route 66 in Missouri.

• World's second largest rocking chair, Fanning – Large statue of a rocking chair.^[7]
• Red's Giant Hamburg (Springfield) – The world's first drive-through restaurant.^[8]
• 66 Drive-In (Carthage) – Historic drive-in theater.
• Ted Drewes (St. Louis) – A frozen custard company.

Kansas

See also: U.S. Route 66 in Kansas.

• Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station (Baxter Springs) – Historic gas station.
• Rainbow Bridge (Riverton) – Historic bridge.
• Williams' Store (Riverton) – Historic store.
• Kan-O-Tex Service Station (Galena) – Former service station and souvenir shop.

Oklahoma

See also: U.S. Route 66 in Oklahoma.

• Blue whale of Catoosa (Catoosa) – A waterfront structure in the shape of a blue whale.
• Pops restaurant (Arcadia) – A soda pop themed restaurant with a neon sign in the shape of a soda pop bottle.
• Round barn (Arcadia) – A round barn built in 1898.
• Milk Bottle Grocery (Oklahoma City) – Historic grocery store with a large metal Braum's milk bottle atop its roof.^[9]
• Rock Café (Stroud) – Restored historic restaurant. Owner Dawn Welch inspired the character of Sally Carrera in the movie Cars.^[10]
• Foyil Filling Station (Foyil) – Historic filling station.

Texas

See also: U.S. Route 66 in Texas.

• Leaning Tower of Britten (Groom) – A leaning water tower.
• Cadillac ranch (Amarillo) – Public art installation created in 1974 by Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez and Doug Michels.^[11]
• The Big Texan Steak Ranch (Amarillo) – A steakhouse restaurant best known for its 72-ounce (4.5 pounds or 2.04 kg) steak challenge.^[12]
• U-Drop Inn (Shamrock) – A listed art deco gas station and restaurant, used as inspiration for one of the buildings in the cartoon village of Radiator Springs, in the movie Cars.^[13]

New Mexico

See also: U.S. Route 66 in New Mexico.

• Blue swallow motel (Tucumcari) – Motel listed on the National Register of Historic Places in New Mexico.
• El Rancho Hotel & Motel (Gallup) – Historic hotel used as a base for several movie productions in the 40s, 50s and early 60s.
• Aztec Motel (Albuquerque) – Historic motel demolished in 2011.
• Maisel's Indian Trading Post (Albuquerque) – Native crafts store opened in 1939 in a Pueblo Revival building featuring murals designed by Olive Rush.

Arizona

See also: U.S. Route 66 in Arizona.

• Wigwam Motel (Holbrook) – A motel with rooms built in the form of tipis.
• Standin' on the Corner Park (Winslow) – A public park commemorating the song "Take It Easy", recorded by the Eagles.
• Jack Rabbit Trading Post (Joseph City) – Convenience store and curio shop featuring a large fiberglass jackrabbit.
• Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In (Seligman) – Restaurant built in 1953 by Juan Delgadillo, brother of Angel Delgadillo, the "guardian angel" of U.S. Route 66.^[14]
• Meteor City, Arizona (Coconino County) – Historic trading post.
• Valentine Diner (Valentine) – Prefabricated diner.

California

See also: U.S. Route 66 in California.

• Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch (Oro Grande, California) – Unique pitstop featuring many tree-shaped sculptures made from glass bottles & vintage items.
• Wigwam Village #7 (San Bernardino) – Another location of the Wigwam Motel chain.
• Bagdad Cafe (Newberry Springs) – Formerly the Sidewinder Cafe, renamed for the Bagdad Cafe movie, which was filmed there.
• 66 Motel (Needles) – Former motel.
• Cucamonga Service Station (Rancho Cucamonga, California) – Restored service station built in 1915 & now housing a museum of Route 66 & the local area.
• Bono's Historic Orange (Fontana, California) – one of the last extant giant orange-shaped fruit stands once common to the region. This stand was built in 1936 and moved to its present location in 1997.
• Old Trails Bridge (Needles) – Bridge over the Colorado river.
• Aztec Hotel (Monrovia, California) – A 44-room hotel opened in 1925 (one year before the creation of Route 66) and built in "Mayan style" though it was named "Aztec" because its designer, architect Robert B. Stacy believed that the general public was more familiar with the Aztecs than the Mayans.
• Chicken Boy (Los Angeles) – A Muffler Man statue with a chicken head.
• Roy's Motel and Café (Amboy) – A restored service station with Googie architecture features.^[15]
• Summit Inn – Historic roadside diner located at the summit of el Cajon Pass in San Bernardino County, California.
• Barstow Harvey House (Barstow) – Historic building, formerly a hotel and railroad depot.

See also

• List of Route 66 museums
• Novelty architecture

External links

• Roadside America: The Decline Of Kitsch? by NPR
• Society for Commercial Archeology

Notes and References

1. Web site: Route 66 History. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200823215839/http://www.route66world.com/66_history/. 23 August 2020. 23 August 2020. Route 66 World.
2. Web site: Wickman . Forrest . A Mini History of Mega Tourist Traps . Slate . 23 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200823232531/https://slate.com/human-interest/2015/08/worlds-biggest-roadside-attractions-a-history-of-worlds-largest-tourist-traps.html . 23 August 2020.
3. Web site: History and Significance of US Route 66. live. https://archive.today/20200825143404/https://ncptt.nps.gov/rt66/history-and-significance-of-us-route-66/. 2020-08-25. 2020-08-25. National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. National Park Service. en-US.
4. Web site: Weiser. Kathy. February 2020. Wilmington, Illinois & the Gemini Giant. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200826160816/https://www.legendsofamerica.com/il-wilmington/. 2020-08-26. 2020-08-26. Legends of America.
5. Web site: Dettro. Chris. 30 August 2015. 66 Things on Route 66: Maid-Rite Sandwich Shop. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200825140522/https://www.sj-r.com/article/20150829/NEWS/150829458. 2020-08-25. 2020-08-25. The State Journal-Register. en.
6. Web site: Shea’s Gas Station Museum . Route 66 Association of Illinois.
7. Web site: Prater. Tonya. 2014-03-06. Route 66 Rocker: Former World's Largest Rocking Chair along Historic Route 66. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200826161155/https://travelinspiredliving.com/worlds-largest-rocking-chair/. 2020-08-26. 2020-08-26. Travel Inspired Living. en-US.
8. Web site: Jean. Neuberger. 26 May 2007. CBS Sports – News, Live Scores, Schedules, Fantasy Games, Video and more.. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110708212028/http://slog.cstv.com/touchingthebases/2007/05/mvc_no_chickfila_cows_here.html. 8 July 2011. CBS Sports. en.
9. Web site: Bailey. Brianna. 2014-08-19. Oklahoma City's Milk Bottle building is being restored to its original appearance. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200827132603/https://oklahoman.com/article/5297789/oklahoma-citys-milk-bottle-building-is-being-restored-to-its-original-appearance?page=1. 2020-08-27. 2020-08-27. The Oklahoman. en-US.
10. Web site: Smith . Casey . Stroud's Rock Café on Route 66 is international draw for tourists . Tulsa World . 27 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200827133907/https://tulsaworld.com/business/strouds-rock-caf-on-route-66-is-international-draw-for-tourists/article_745a1d7f-ce0e-574b-94e7-d5fc2635a2dd.html . 27 August 2020 . 3 April 2017.
11. Web site: Beilue. Jon Mark. 29 June 2014. Cadillac Ranch turns 40. live. https://archive.today/20200824143414/https://www.amarillo.com/news/local-news/2014-06-29/cadillac-ranch-turns-40. 2020-08-24. 2020-08-24. Amarillo Globe News. en.
12. Book: Moore . Bob . Grauwels . Patrick . The illustrated guide to the Mother Road . 1998 . Roadbook International . Williams, AZ . 0-9641457-0-7 . 51.
13. Web site: 2008-04-03. Shamrock Texas U-Drop Inn. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080403025356/http://www.legendsofamerica.com/PicturePages/66ShamrockUDropInn-2.html. 3 April 2008. 2020-08-25. Legends of America.
14. Web site: Naylor. Roger. 1 May 2009. Seligman still getting kicks from Route 66. live. https://archive.today/20200823235252/http://archive.azcentral.com/travel/arizona/northwest/articles/2009/05/01/20090501seligman0503.html. 2020-08-23. 2020-08-23. AZ Central.
15. News: Chamberlain. Lisa. 2007-06-10. New Kicks on Route 66 for Commercial Builders. en-US. The New York Times. live. 2020-08-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20200825134218/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/10/realestate/commercial/10sqft.html. 2020-08-25. 0362-4331.