Thinking about planning a trip and getting your kicks on Rte. 66 for the 100th Anniversary? You’ve come to the right place. This article has interesting and fun things to do to celebrate the Mother Road. And we’ve even mapped out a sample trip in case you get a crazy idea and decide to drive the Mother Road to it’s end. For that, scroll down to the bottom.
Route 66 crosses eight states and covers more than 2,400 miles. It officially opened on November 11, 1926.
Route 66 passes right through St. Louis and those who live there know that well, as for years Watson Road near where the old Crestwood Plaza was, was called “Highway 66.”
Route 66 got its nickname “The Mother Road” from John Steinbeck in his 1939 novel, “The Grapes of Wrath.”
Route 66 goes across eight states, running from Illinois to California. It begins in Chicago, Illinois, and travels through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and ends in Santa Monica ,California.
The old thoroughfare is celebrating 100 years in 2026, and that’s why the Missouri History Museum is sponsoring a special kick-off event this weekend and other St. Louis venues like the National Museum of Transport have things planned.
This article will be a collection of information and events based on the 100th Anniversary of Route 66.
There’s also information on special products designed to celebrate the once-in-a-lifetime anniversary. If you like the special commemorative tee-shirts, CLICK HERE.
If you have anything to add, please email us at: Rains@STLSportsPage.com
Scroll down for information on the Missouri History Museum’s event this weekend. You still have time to catch Sunday’s activities.
Missouri is the Birthplace of Route 66
“Route 66 has become a symbol of the heritage of travel and the legacy of seeking a better life shared by the people of the United States, and because Route 66 has been enshrined in the popular culture of the United States”
Therefore, Congress enacted the “Route 66 Centennial Commission Act” in late 2020. This established an official body responsible for studying and recommending activities that are fitting and proper to honor Route 66 on its 100th anniversary in 2026.
Public Law No: 116-256 of the 116th congress stipulates that the U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission includes 15 members appointed by the President, based upon recommendations from the Secretary of Transportation, the Governors of the eight Route 66 states, and the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Senate and House.
For more from the Route 66 Commission: CLICK HERE
TRAVEL THE MOTHER ROAD
FOR THE 100th ANNIVERSARY
AAA Route 66 Road Fest
To celebrate Route 66’s 100th Birthday, AAA has created the “AAA Route 66 Road Fest”
June 27 & 28, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma – the Capital of Route 66
Interactive History, Classic Cars, Vendors, Family Activities, and more!
If you do go to Tulsa, there are no Drury Hotels there, but we found a vintage motel– the Desert Hills Motel. It is truly an old-fashioned one-story motel right on the Mother Road.Located at 5220 E 11th St, Tulsa, Oklahoma, it was built in 1953 and is a Route 66 motor inn often recognized for its neon signage and classic, low-rise, retro aesthetic, with rooms offering direct, drive-up access.
We have not stayed there and of course Tulsa has other chain hotels, but nostalgia seekers may want to check it out, especially if attending the Route 66 Road Fest in June. This “Mom and Pop” hotel with only 50 rooms,is so small it doesn’t have a website, so you’ll have to call: 918) 834-3311.
If the outdoor-entrance motels are not your thing, travelers who like to stay at Drury Hotels could stay in Joplin. Missouri with a 100 mile drive to Tulsa. The drive is about one-hour and 45 minutes and could easily be a day-trip.
Lodging on Historic Route 66– There are Drury Hotels all along the way.
Here’s the link to the Drury Hotel discount soyou can stay there as you travel on Route 66: CLICK HERE
Here is the link to use when making reservations. The links to the hotels are listed below, but when you go to making reservations, if you want our discount, either use promocode SPORTS or this link: CLICK HERE
Hotels along the way…
Illinois
Drury Inn & Suites Springfield, IL
Drury Inn & Suites Collinsville
Missouri – St. Louis
Drury Inn & Suites St. Louis Forest Park
Drury Inn & Suites St. Louis Southwest
Drury Inn & Suites St. Louis Union Station
Drury Plaza Hotel St. Louis at the Arch
Pear Tree Inn St. Louis Near Union Station
If you stay at a Drury Hotel, don’t forget to use our special promo code: SPORTS or for the link, CLICK HERE.
KEEP READING FOR THE SAMPLE TRIP…
The Missouri History Museum had kick-off events and will be having others. For Miissouri History Museum website page: CLICK HERE..
Other Exhibits in St. Louis
Explore St. Louis has lots of suggestions for celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Route 66. Check out their website: CLICK HERE.
From the iconic neon glow of Crestwood Bowl to the gravity-defying “concretes” at Ted Drewes, Route 66 unfolds as a living gallery of Americana through the Gateway City. Plan a journey that carries you across the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, along the tracks of the National Museum of Transportation and into the subterranean wonders of Meramec Caverns.
Special Exhibit at the National Museum of Transportation
Celebrates 100 Years of Route 66 with New Exhibit:
“Roads, River, Rooms, and Reels”
St. Louis, MO – The National Museum of Transportation is proud to announce a special exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of historic Route 66. Titled “Roads, River, Rooms, and Reels,” the exhibit will open to the public on March 14, 2026, and will explore the stories, memories, and modes of travel that shaped America’s most iconic highway and the communities connected to it.
Two iconic features anchor the exhibit. Visitors will experience a stunning 26-foot model of the S.S. Admiral, beautifully restored by the skilled craftsmen of Sheet Metal Workers’ Local 36, honoring the legendary riverboat that once defined river travel and entertainment in the Midwest. The exhibit will also spotlight the beloved ’66’ Park-In Theatre on Watson Road, owned by the Wehrenberg Family of St. Louis, Missouri, a treasured symbol of drive-in movie culture and shared community memories along Route 66.
As part of the exhibition, the Museum invites the public to participate in a special storytelling initiative titled, “I Remember…” Community members are encouraged to share personal memories of the S.S. Admiral, the ’66’ Park-In Theatre, or any drive-in theater “back in the day.”
Submissions of 600 words or less may be emailed to museum@tnmot.org with the subject line “I Remember.” Essays must be received by January 25, 2026, and selected submissions may become part of the exhibition.
The National Museum of Transportation, 2933 Barrett Station Road, Kirkwood, MO, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and receives no governmental funding. The Museum relies solely on the generosity of the community to continue its mission of preserving the past for future generations.
The Museum boasts “one of the largest and best collections of transportation vehicles in the country,” according to representatives from the Smithsonian Institution, and has been voted one of the top open-air museums in the nation for the past two years by a USA Today Readers’ Choice poll. For more CLICK HERE.
Other Route 66 Events worth checking out
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- St. Louis Symphony Orchestra: A special “Route 66 Rewind” performance with The Doo Wop Project is scheduled for May 30, 2026. [1]
- Barter Boat (Missouri): A traveling art project by the State Historical Society of Missouri allowing travelers to trade items and share Route 66 stories.
- Red Oak II (Carthage, MO): Tours of a restored 1930s village that represents the nostalgia of the Mother Road.
- Centennial Stamps: The Route 66 Centennial Commission is partnering with the USPS for a series of commemorative stamps.
- Grants for Businesses: The “Extraordinary Women” grant program supports women-owned businesses along the route.
- National Historic Trail: A major push is underway to have Route 66 designated as a National Historic Trail. [1]
Celebrating in St. Louis
Get Your Licks on Route 66: Clementine’s Ice Cream Unveils New Flavors to Commemorate 100th Anniversary of the Mother Road
Available in All Parlors May 5
ST. LOUIS, MO / April 27, 2026 – As Route 66 turns 100, the summer ice cream collection from Clementine’s Ice Cream honors the Mother Road and the way it shaped American road trips and vacation culture.
From spinning gas station slush machines to diner milkshakes and sweet-and-salty snack runs, Clementine’s has taken the classics found along the way and reimagined them under true micro-creamery standards. Fizzy sodas become creamy float-inspired scoops. Chocolate shakes collide with salty chips. Bright cherry slush transforms into vibrant sorbet. These four nostalgic flavors, which launch in all parlors on May 5, capture the glow of neon signs, chrome counters, and the simple thrill of setting out on the open road.
Dr. Dirty Soda folds in the bold spice of a classic soda fountain favorite into velvety sweet cream. Silky, lightly spiced, and lifted with that signature fizz-inspired bite!
Pretzel Cookie Dough is a creamy malted ice cream layered with salty pretzel crunch and tender cookie dough bites striking the perfect balance of sweet and salty!
Milkshake Fries features a luscious chocolate base packed with chocolate-covered potato chips. It’s the ultimate throwback to squeezing into a diner booth and dipping crispy, salty fries into your milkshake.
Cherry Slush is electric cherry in frozen form. Inspired by those whirling red-and-blue slush machines, this sorbet delivers juicy sweetness with a crisp, cooling finish. It’s pure nostalgia in a cup, brain freeze included!
Guests are invited to visit any of the eleven ice cream shops located at 1637 S. 18th Street in historic Lafayette Square, 730 DeMun in Clayton, 4715 Macklind in the Southampton neighborhood, 140 W. Argonne Drive in Kirkwood, 13426 Clayton Road in Town & Country, The Meadows Shopping Center in Lake St. Louis, 308 N. Euclid in the Central West End, Trace on the Parkway in Edwardsville, IL, inside Chicken-n-Pickle in St. Charles, and our newest parlors at 6966 Mission Road in Prairie Village, KS and 1410 SE 8th Street in Bentonville, AR.
As Missouri’s only micro-creamery, all of the dairy used in Clementine’s creations is from local, grass-fed, pasture-raised, hormone and RBST-free cows. Clementine’s combines their all-natural proprietary dairy base with the finest handpicked ingredients to churn up a decadent 16-18% butterfat ice cream. Visit Clementine’s for more information or to order pints online.
Other Route 66 notable must-see stops in St. Louis:
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Ted Drewes Frozen Custard
A legendary custard stand on Chippewa Street (historic Route 66).
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Donut Drive-In
A classic, old-fashioned donut shop on the Chippewa Route 66 corridor.
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Crown Candy Kitchen
While predating the route, it is a 1913 soda fountain deemed a “Route 66 adjacent” treasure by enthusiasts.
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Eat-Rite Diner
A very small, historic diner formerly considered the last stop on 66 in the city.
- Get Your Picks on Route 66
There is an antique mall in St. Louis right in the heart of the old “Highway 66” now called Watson Rd, called “Get Your Picks on Route 66.” It is a great little antique mall with a nostalgic logo.
This vintage mall has more than 90 vendors. It’s an old-fashioned the brick & mortar store which offers a large variety of collectibles and treasures waiting for their new home.
If you are in search of nostalgia for the 100th Anniversary a stop at this family-owned shop that opened in 2022 in the former General Grant Antiques Mall would be a good additoin. The address is: 8400 Watson Rd. St. Louis, Missouri 63119
Check back for more Route 66 suggestions
As the year progresses there will be more celebrations popping up in honor of Route 66. Don’t forget, if you hear of any you think we should add, let us know.
Springfield, Missouri Played a Big Part in the Start of Route 66
Show Me 66: Mother Road through Missouri
According to CelebrateMo66.com: The reason to kick-off the Route 66 Celebration on Aprili 30 is that April 30, 1926 is the anniversary of the telegram that was sent in 1926 from Springfield to Washington, D.C. requesting that a new transcontinental road be named Route 66.
For CelebrateMo66: CLICK HERE
“Route 66 Centennial Traveling Exhibit”
Five Stops, One Iconic Road: Route 66 Exhibit Travels Across Missouri, Starting April 30
In celebration of both the 100th anniversary of Route 66 and America’s 250th birthday, the “Route 66 Centennial Traveling Exhibit” (“Exhibit”) will bring the stories and images of the Mother Road to life across Missouri.
Two stops in Missouri for the Kick-off:
- Springfield, Missouri from April 30–May 2
- Cuba, Missouri from May 3–Sept. 14. Then in the fall the exhibit will travel to Pacific, Carthage and St. Louis. All events are free and family-friendly.
Three stops later in the year:
- Pacific, Mo
- Carthage, Mo.
- St. Louis, Mo.
The Exhibit features nearly two dozen large-scale interpretive panels, audiovisual mini-documentaries, and educational components highlighting the diverse stories of Missourians connected by Route 66.
The Route 66 Centennial Traveling Exhibit is made possible with support from the Missouri Route 66 Centennial Commission, Missouri Humanities, the Missouri Route 66 Association, the Gillioz, and many other institutions. The exhibit will continue to travel to communities along the Mother Road, highlighting local histories while connecting them to the broader national story.
Additional exhibit stops will be in Pacific, Missouri on Sept. 16 and 17, Carthage, Missouri on Sept. 18–20 and the St. Louis County Library.
For more information visit www.route66exhibit.com
Sample 10-Day Trip on Route 66
St. Louis to Santa Monica: 1,842 miles.
This itinerary is a suggestion to help you get you started with your planing—we have not taken it, we have just looked it up to help you get started. Now we’ve got it down to seven days to get there but then you have to come home. Depending on the time you have you may want to expand the trip to more days and make it more leisurely.
DISCLAIMER: This is just for fun, just as a starter, we have not taken the trip, you are on your own, we are merely suggesting how you can see Route 66 and visit the towns mentioned i the song, “Route 66.”
Driving Rte. 66 to the End and Back in 10 Days
Day 1: Springfield, MO (3 hours and 20 minutes from St. Louis) There’s a lot to do in Springfield so allow yourself Day1 and Most of Day 2, arriving late in Joplin)
Day 2: Joplin, MO. (68 miles from Springfield)
Day 3: Amarillo, TX (Almost 7 hours from Joplin)
Day 4: Santa Fe, NM (About 4 hours from Amarillo to Santa Fe)
Day 5: Flagstaff, AZ (383 miles, about 51/2 hours from Santa Fe)
Day 6: Lake Havasu, AZ (A little over 3 hours from Flagstaff to Lake Havasu)
Day 7: Santa Monica, CA (5 hour drive from Lake Havasu)
Days 8, 9, 10: two to three days of heavy driving to get home
Note: According to the internet, when most travelers take a Route 66 trip from St. Louis to Santa Monica they spend two to three weeks to enjoy the scenery and experience. It can be done in a shorter time if you want to take the trip, just to say you did it– and that is the version we are suggesting here. To drive from St. Louis to Santa Monica, CA, on historic Route 66 non-stop drive takes roughly 32–40 hours.
Sample trip, to get you started with your planning,
Leaving from St. Louis
Day 1- Stay in Springfield, Missouri, Drury Hotel.
Some Springfield Route 66 attractions:
- Route 66 Car Museum. https://66carmuseum.com/ It has more than 70 classic, collector, and movie cars, including a Ghostbusters Ecto-1.
- Springfield 66: Centennial Sculpture Series: 16 public art sculptures hidden throughout the city (use a Route 66 Bingo Card to track them). https://www.springfieldmo.org/blog/post/where-to-see-springfields-route-66-centennial-sculptures-full-location-guide/
- History Museum on the Square- Has Route 66 exhibits. https://historymuseumonthesquare.org/birthplace-of-route-66/
- Musical Road: A special road installation on St. Louis Street that plays “America the Beautiful” when you drive at exactly 30 mph. For information: https://www.ky3.com/2026/04/29/route-66-springfield-introduces-musical-road-route-66-corridor-springfield/
- 66 Visitor Center: Located downtown, perfect for getting maps, souvenirs, and information.
Day 2- Joplin, Missouri, Drury Hotel.
- World Street Painting Festival (June 3–7, 2026): Schifferdecker
- Route 66 Mural Park: Located on Main Street, this site features oversized tile murals—including a 1964 Corvette replica—and a large 45-rpm record imprint of the song “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66”.
- Bonnie & Clyde Hideout: There is an apartmebt at 34th Street and Oak Ridge Drive, where the famous outlaws hid in 1933, and it remains a popular, along the route.
- Downtown Murals & Art: Joplin City Hall has a mural by the grandson of Thonas Hart Benton, Anthony Benton Gude depicting Route 66, along with other works detailing the city’s history
- Visitor Center: The Joplin Visitor’s Center offers Route 66 memorabilia, maps, and souvenirs, housed in a restored 1910s building.
Day 3- Kansas, Oklahoma,Texas- Drury Hotel in Amarillo,Texas
After driving only 1hour and 44 minutes from Joplin, you’ll get to Tulsa, Oklahoma.
You will pass through Kansas and then get to Tulsa, which has some things going on for the Anniversary.
The Kansas stretch is only 13.2-mile—the shortest in any state—with major events and restored landmarks in the southeast corner of the state.
From Joplin, it’s six hours and 53 minutes (475 mi) via I-40 W to get to Amarillo, TX
Day 4: Texas and New Mexico- Drury Hotel in Santa Fe, NM
The drive from Amarillo to Santa Fe is only about four hours(278 mi) via I-40 W, so it gives you time to stop in Tulsa and then Tucumcari.
Tucumcari, New Mexico is 1h 40m (112 mi) via I-40 W from Amarillo and is a premier stop for the 2026 Route 66 Centennial, offering a deep dive into mid-century “Mother Road” culture, particularly with its, “Tucumcari Tonight!” nostalgia. As of 2026, the city is celebrating the 100th anniversary with restored neon, numerous murals, and specific 100th-anniversary events. VisitTucumcari.com https://visittucumcarinm.com/
* Tee Pee Curios: This is a gift shop with a concrete teepee. It is circa 1940’s and a photo op. 924 E Route 66 Blvd, Tucumcari, NM 88401-3146
* Route 66 Monument: A chrome-and-rock sculpture located in front of the Tucumcari Convention Center.
* Tucumcari Historical Museum: Housed in a 1903 school building, it features extensive Route 66 memorabilia.
You will pass Gallup, New Mexico on this leg. Gallup is known as the “Heart of Indian Country” and a historic hub for Indigenous trade
Day 5- Arizona- Flagstaff Arizona, Drury Hotel Flagstaff
Flagstaff is about 5 ½ hours from Santa Fe, New Mexico (383 mi) via I-40
When you leave Flagstaff, don’t forget Winona, which is a tiny town about 13 miles east of Flagstaff. Winona is a definite stop on the trip.
Winona, Arizona
It’s a small town but it does have a few phot ops. Key Photo Opportunities in Winona: Old Route 66 Bridge (built in the 1920s-1930s that carried travelers during the Dust Bowl and WWII eras); Winona Trading Post, Views of San Francisco Peaks. Desert in the front, mountains behind.
Day 6- Lake Havasu, Arizona, Drury Hotel Lake Havasu
Lake Havasu is 3 hours 13 minutes (207 miles) via 1-40W from Flagstaff.2
The Lake Havasu area is in interesting area, part desert, part lake.
There are a few interesting tourist attractions in Lake Havasu:
- London Bridge- The 1831 London Bridge was sold, taken apart, and transported to to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, where it was put back together in 1971.
- English Village is at the base of London Bridge and is an outdoor shopping and dining area.
- Lighthouse Displays all around the lake: More than 25 functional, smaller-scale replicas of famous lighthouses decorate the perimeter of the lake. L
Day 7- Arrive in California—Santa Monica
Santa Monica will be your destination—the end of the trail for Route 66. It is 5h 5m (314 mi) via I-10 W from Lake Havasu. There is a sign in front of which you will want to get your photo. You have reached your destination—you drove Route 66.
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If you start from Chicago
- Days 1–3: Illinois & Missouri: Depart Chicago, stop at the Gemini Giant in Wilmington, the Illinois State Fair/Rock & Roll Museum, and cross the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge into St. Louis
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Jump on the Route 66 100th Anniversary Bandwagon! Commemorative ee shirts: CLICK HERE
