Museum of Route 66

Museum of Route 66
Name	Museum of Route 66
Established	1990s
Location	Springfield, Illinois
Type	Transportation museum
Director	John Doe
Website	Official website

Museum of Route 66 is a museum dedicated to the preservation, interpretation, and celebration of the historic U.S. Highway U.S. Route 66 and the cultural phenomena associated with it. Located in Springfield, Illinois, the institution documents the highway's role in American migration to the West, automobile culture, and popular culture through vehicles, artifacts, multimedia, and archives. The museum engages with communities, scholars, and enthusiasts connected to Chicago, Illinois, Los Angeles, California, St. Louis, Missouri, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and other locales along Route 66.

History

The museum was founded in the wake of renewed interest sparked by works such as John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath and the television series Route 66 (TV series), and by advocacy from preservationists associated with organizations like the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Route 66 Association of Illinois, and the Historic Route 66 Federation. Early support came from municipal leaders in Springfield, Illinois, state officials in the Illinois General Assembly, and private benefactors linked to the Automobile Club of America and the Society of Automotive Historians. Over time the museum has collaborated with archives including the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Archives and Records Administration, and university special collections at University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign and Northwestern University.

Founding exhibitions referenced materials from the Works Progress Administration, the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, and corporate archives of companies such as General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Studebaker Corporation, and Chrysler. Major expansion projects were funded through grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, and philanthropic gifts from families linked to the Rockefeller Foundation and the Ford Foundation. The museum's programs have been shaped by curators formerly associated with institutions like the Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago), the Newseum, and the California State Railroad Museum.

Collections and Exhibits

Permanent galleries include restored vehicles from manufacturers such as Ford Motor Company, Chevrolet, Dodge, Packard, Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, and Mercury. The collection contains neon signage from historic businesses tied to families noted in the Historic Route 66 Federation, memorabilia from diners connected to the National Restaurant Association, and motel artifacts related to chains like Howard Johnson's and independent proprietors. Exhibits highlight themes drawn from literature and media including John Steinbeck, Jack Kerouac, André Malraux, the television series Route 66 (TV series), and music by Bobby Troup, Woody Guthrie, B.B. King, Bruce Springsteen, and Chuck Berry.

Rotating exhibits have featured partnerships with institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Modern Art, the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Autry Museum of the American West, and regional museums including the Arizona Route 66 Museum and the California Route 66 Museum. Special displays have showcased archival material from the Library of Congress, advertising from agencies like J. Walter Thompson, and photography by artists associated with the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information including Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans. Oral histories in the collection involve contributors connected to the Farm Security Administration, the Civilian Conservation Corps, and labor archives at Cornell University.

Facilities and Architecture

Housed in a refurbished Art Deco structure originally built during the Great Depression, the museum's architecture reflects influences from designers linked to projects like the Works Progress Administration and firms such as Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The building renovation was overseen by preservation architects with prior projects at the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh and the Field Museum of Natural History. Facilities include climate-controlled archives meeting standards advocated by the American Alliance of Museums, conservation labs equipped per guidelines of the International Council of Museums, and audiovisual theaters outfitted with technology from companies like Sony and Panasonic.

The campus features an outdoor exhibit plaza with replica neon signs reminiscent of Las Vegas Boulevard and historic facades inspired by commercial districts in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Amarillo, Texas, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Flagstaff, Arizona. Accessibility upgrades follow the Americans with Disabilities Act standards and collaborate with advocacy groups including the National Federation of the Blind and American Council of the Blind.

Education and Programs

Educational programming partners include university programs at University of Illinois Springfield, the State University of New York, the University of California, Los Angeles, and community colleges across Illinois, Missouri, Texas, and California. Curriculum resources align with standards developed by the National Council for the Social Studies and teacher training has involved consultants from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Youth outreach includes camps, internships, and fellowships funded by foundations such as the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Public programs host speakers from fields represented by the Society of Automotive Historians, Society of American Archivists, and the Organization of American Historians, and have included appearances by authors and scholars associated with University of Chicago Press and Oxford University Press. Community events coincide with Route 66 festivals in cities like Chicago, St. Louis, Oklahoma City, Amarillo, and Los Angeles and collaborate with tourism bureaus including Visit California and the Illinois Office of Tourism.

Visitor Information

The museum offers guided tours, self-guided audio tours narrated by historians from institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution and the Library of Congress, and bilingual materials in partnership with cultural organizations like the Mexican Cultural Institute and the National Museum of Mexican Art. Hours, admission rates, membership tiers, and event calendars are managed by staff trained to museum standards outlined by the American Alliance of Museums. Onsite amenities include a museum store carrying publications from Taschen, Rizzoli, and scholarly presses, plus a café serving regional cuisine inspired by eateries along Route 66 and staffed with chefs trained at institutions like the Culinary Institute of America.

Transportation options to the museum connect with regional hubs including Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, Amtrak stations in Springfield, Illinois, and bus services provided by providers linked to networks such as Greyhound Lines and Peter Pan Bus Lines. Visitor services coordinate with local hotels affiliated with chains like Hilton, Marriott International, and Choice Hotels International.

Cultural Impact and Legacy

The museum has contributed to scholarship on mobility studies published by presses including Cambridge University Press and Routledge and has been cited in documentaries produced by PBS, BBC, National Geographic, and History (TV channel). Its preservation efforts informed designation proposals submitted to the National Register of Historic Places and collaborations with the National Park Service on heritage corridors and interpretive planning. The museum's activities intersect with nonprofit advocacy by groups like the Historic Route 66 Association and international dialogues with cultural organizations such as the International Council on Monuments and Sites.

Through exhibitions, publications, and partnerships the museum has shaped public memory of migration narratives linked to The Grapes of Wrath, the Dust Bowl migration chronicled in collections at the Library of Congress, and the broader storylines of American travel culture celebrated in media by Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, and independent filmmakers. Its legacy continues via digital archives modeled after repositories at the Smithsonian Institution and collaborative networks including the European Route 66 Association and the Route 66 International Festival.

Category:Transportation museums in the United States Category:Historic preservation in the United States Category:Road transport museums