The Best Route 66 Attractions By State, According To Research

There is no American roadway more iconic than Route 66. Stretching nearly 3,000 miles from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, "The Mother Road" gained its early reputation as the primary route of Americans seeking refuge from the Dust Bowl and Great Depression during the 1930s. In the decades since, Route 66 has become synonymous with western adventures, neon signs, and quirky Americana. Each of the eight states Route 66 crosses maintains a unique identity; identities that can be experienced firsthand by those willing to stop and look around. 

Route 66 has countless attractions spread across its length. However, there are just some spots that are simply the best; those attractions so wonderfully quirky and legendary that they continue to draw in visitors year after year after year. This list of locations has been collected via research from travel forums, newspapers, and government websites. Each location represents the essence of the Mother Road in their respective states. If you happen to be motoring west, "From Chicago to L.A.," as the old Chuck Berry song says, these are the best Route 66 attractions by state that you need to see. 

The starting point of this famed roadway is Chicago, Illinois, a city known for its sports, pizza, and neighborhoods — including a particularly lively "Mexico of the Midwest" filled with excellent restaurants and vibrant murals. Checking that out would actually be a great primer for what to expect on the road ahead. However, if you want to do Route 66 properly, there is only one place to start your journey: Lou Mitchell's Diner.

Considered by many to be the "first stop" on Route 66, Lou's is loaded with the kind of vintage American charm synonymous with the iconic roadway. Just a few blocks from the Lake Michigan shoreline, Lou's offers up a hearty breakfast that will set your journey off right. Homemade donuts, pancakes, eggs, hash, and strong coffee are the name of the game at Lou's, which has been in business for over 100 years.

While the food is excellent, it is the atmosphere of Lou's that really makes it worth the stop. The original neon signage installed in 1949 still works. The sleek aluminum surfaces of the diner counter and tables and original wood stools really make you feel like you've stepped back in time. And that is what traveling Route 66 is all about. 

Our second stop takes us to the Route 66 Association Hall of Fame Museum in Pontiac, Illinois. The Route 66 Association is a nonprofit whose mission is to collect and preserve important items pertaining to Route 66 history. If you are a history buff fascinated by mid-20th century Americana, then you need to check out this museum. It comes highly rated on Tripadvisor as one of the top places to visit on Route 66.

Inside the museum holds relics from multiple eras in The Mother Road's history. Everything from retired neon signs to famous cars that drove the route can be found here. It's like a time capsule of the Route 66 of yesteryear, and an amazing place to learn exactly why the route is one of the most stunning and storied road trips you can take.

If there was ever something you wanted to know about Route 66, you'll find it here. Most reviewers recommend planning at least an hour for your visit in order to get the most bang for your buck, though they cram so much into this museum that you could easily spend a whole day here. And that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. 

The Gateway Arch in St. Louis is one of the most recognizable monuments in the entire country. Designed in 1947 and completed in 1965, the Arch was part of a larger effort to expand the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. The Arch — and other areas of the park — are meant to symbolize the westward expansion of the U.S., made possible by the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the Louisiana Purchase, both occurring under Thomas Jefferson's tenure as President. Maintained by the National Park Service, it remains the only National Park that is totally manmade and contained completely within city limits. 

The Arch still represents this westward-bound spirit as a popular stopping point on Route 66. Standing over 600 feet tall, the Gateway Arch is the tallest of its kind in the entire world. Joplin, Missouri, might be more trendy and artsy, but the Gateway Arch has it beat as a place tourists love to stop, take photos, and enjoy the surrounding parks and scenery.

However, the best way to experience the Arch is to actually go inside of it. Two trams running in opposite directions climb the Arch to its peak. From there, you have unparalleled views of St. Louis proper, the roiling Missouri hills, and even out into neighboring Kansas, which, as it happens, is where we are headed next!

Kansas contains some of the more forgotten and underrated attractions on Route 66. We think that's a shame because the state has so much to offer. The small town of Galena, Kansas, was the inspiration for Radiator Springs in the 2006 Disney-Pixar movie "Cars." It's a cool place to visit, for sure, but it is not the best place to stop the state. That honor goes to Somewhere in Time Antiques in the charming town of Baxter Springs.

Unassuming from the outside, Somewhere in Time appears to be a simple storefront in an average strip mall. Inside, however, proves that it is far from average. Loaded with fun antiques and oddities, Somewhere in Time offers tons of Route 66 memorabilia from every decade of the roadway's existence. Yet, it's for those with a sweet tooth that will really feel like they've hit the jackpot.

On top of all the antiques and travel accessories, Somewhere in Time offers 60 different types of root beer and over 300 different types of craft soda. They have everything, including colas, ginger ale and beer, cream sodas, birch soda, and so many more. If there is a flavor you are particularly fond of, chances are they have it. So, stock up on your favorite soft drinks here, because you won't find a wider selection anywhere else on the Mother Road.

It may seem strange that a giant milk bottle would be an iconic stopping point on Route 66, but The Milk Bottle Grocery keeps wholly in step with the wacky reputation the famous roadway has garnered over the years. Yes, an enormous milk bottle sits atop this classic brick-and-mortar storefront in Oklahoma City. It's impossible to miss, and it serves as a beloved landmark on Route 66, one that many people stop at to take photos.

Originally a grocery built in the 1930s, the Milk Bottle Grocery was set up along the city's old tram line, which was later reconfigured to be part of Route 66. The iconic milk bottle that sits atop the roof was built out of steel in 1948 and utilized for marketing different milk brands. While no longer a grocery store, the milk bottle itself is emblematic of the history of the roadway and Oklahoma City itself. Over the years, the building has served several other purposes, including a run as a Vietnamese sandwich store. A stop in front for a photo op is a quick way to stretch your legs and enjoy this iconic Oklahoma landmark.

Route 66 runs through a lot of history. Some of it is grand national history, while some of it is smaller and more personal. Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park in Foyil, Oklahoma, is an example of the latter. The park sits just 3 miles off the Route and is a fantastic place to stretch your legs, look at some truly amazing structures, and learn about the life of an eccentric and extraordinary American. 

Born in 1880 in Missouri, Nathan "Ed" Galloway was a blacksmith, woodworker, and homesteader who taught trade skills to orphaned boys before retiring to Oklahoma in 1937. Fascinated by Native American art and history, he began to construct his own series of totem poles on his homestead, one of which stands over 90 feet tall. The park is a terrific art installation and contains a number of other items from Galloway's life, including the violins and furniture he constructed to finance his art projects.

Operated today by the Roger's County Historical Society, tourists enjoy the park's strangeness and the preservation efforts that have kept it alive. It should be noted that, if you are traveling with canines, this is a no-dogs-allowed location. And though it sits a little ways off Route 66, it is still a great place to come if you want to experience the personal history of a true American original.

This is one of the big ones, the place that pops up immediately whenever someone searches for "Top Attractions on Route 66" on their chosen search engine. Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, like almost every other location on this list, is a perfect example of the kind of weirdness you can find along Route 66, thanks to an odd art installation that keeps people coming back for more.

The reason the location is called Cadillac Ranch is because it is, quite literally, filled with Cadillac cars. Nearly a dozen psychedelically-painted vintage iconic cars sit in a straight line, face down, and half buried in the dirt. Installed in 1974 by an eccentric Amarillo millionaire who made his fortune selling helium, the shrine stands as a testament to the open road and the traveling spirit of Route 66.

The Cadillacs stand to this day and are a delightful spot for photos or a quick picnic lunch. The nearby Palo Duro Canyon State Park offers more trails and nature walks for those who feel like the quick stop at Cadillac Ranch was not enough. However, it's a must for anyone who wants to see the spirit of the road captured in a modern art installation.

While Cadillac Ranch captures the spirit of Route 66 in artistic form, no town on the Mother Road better captures the essence of Route 66 than Tucumcari, New Mexico. Set deep in the desert, surrounded by tumbleweeds and cactuses, the very geography of the town screams "retro Route 66." Galena may have inspired "Cars," but Tucumcari is Radiator Springs in physical form.

The town is filled to the brim with exactly the kind of Route 66 vintage that people love to see. Museums, neon signs, diners, interesting monuments, and wacky souvenir stands are all the norm in Tucumcari. Historic locations like The Blue Swallow Motel and Tee Pee Curios maintain their original neon signage, offering plenty of Route 66 nostalgia for any traveler.

For those less interested in the commercial side of Route 66, the surrounding landscape offers plenty of outdoor excursions. Nearby Ute and Conchas Lakes State Parks offer hiking, fishing, and paddling opportunities to counter the time spent indoors at stores and museums. If you're looking for a condensed version of Route 66 in one location, this is it.

The capital of New Mexico offers a lot in the way of old American history combined with Route 66 eccentricity. As America's oldest capital city, Santa Fe is an artsy cultural paradise filled to the brim with galleries, street art, vendors, and a whole assortment of craftspeople. If you are looking for a handmade treasure to bring home on your journey, Santa Fe would be the place to find it. There are also loads of fantastic restaurants that offer high-quality cuisine for affordable prices.

Santa Fe is the oldest established settlement along Route 66. Many of the buildings in the city are among the oldest in the nation, dating back to the 1500s when Spanish settlers came to this area. The Palace of Governors, for example, is the oldest continuously used public building in America, having been used as a seat of government since 1610.

Other places worth visiting in Santa Fe include the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, a seasonal festival that takes place in the summer at some of the city's most historic buildings. It's not as wild as Tucumcari, but Santa Fe still offers a great deal of Route 66 bang for its buck.

While Arizona has its fair share of ghost towns and neon-lit motels, it is perhaps the best state on all of Route 66 to appreciate the desert landscape. And there is no better desert landscape in Arizona than The Painted Desert, one of the Grand Canyon State's most unique and spectacular lesser-known gems.

Part of Petrified Forest National Park (itself a natural utopia that welcomes both nature and history lovers), the Painted Desert is best experienced when driven through at a slow pace. For the ultimate experience, take a two-hour loop drive that begins and ends in the Old West town of Holbrook. Driving along the winding roadways brings you past a typical desert landscape until you come upon the cliffs.

The cliffs of The Painted Desert are the clearest representation of the passage of time to be found anywhere in the country. Their mottled colors show ages upon ages of time passing between the layers of rock. It's a beautiful collage, one that almost seems to shimmer as you drive past it. The Painted Desert is not 100% on Route 66, but it's a great side journey that combines the driving spirit with the natural world. It's a perfect combination, in our opinion.

Crossing over the border from Arizona to California brings us into the final stretch of our journey along Route 66. We've seen the landscape change from cornfields and forests to deserts and mountains. Now, we're yearning to see the coast. However, there is one more stop we need to make before we get there: Joshua Tree National Park.

Not only is this place one of the best national parks to visit if you've got kids, but it is also one of the best side trips you can make off the Mother Road. It offers a pure National Parks experience off one of the most commercialized routes in the entire country. It's a great place to camp, explore, and slow down a little on the last leg of your journey.

The Joshua trees themselves are bent, knurled, and yield prickly fruit. They are an interesting sight to behold for anyone who has not experienced them before. Apart from the trees, the cliffs make for great exploring and offer views of Route 66 that really allow you to soak in the journey you are about to finish up. And soak in all the nature you can while you're here, because our next stop is Los Angeles.

What better way to end your road trip than by getting to the literal end of the country? We're talking, of course, about the iconic Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles. The pier not only represents the far western border of the United States but also the end of the Mother Road. Your journey all the way from Chicago brought you here, and what fun you are about to have!

The Santa Monica Pier is filled with fun attractions that provide endless amounts of entertainment. Carnival games, food stands, roller coasters, and an enormous Ferris wheel that provides the best views of L.A. are just a few of the things that make this pier so wonderfully iconic. Be sure to visit at night when the neon lights are blazing, and the cool air is coming in off the Pacific; it's a truly magical way to end your journey.

There are so many attractions on Route 66 that it is almost impossible to say which are truly the best of the bunch. However, our research and the testimony of travelers have allowed us to pick out these spots as the best attractions by state that you could visit. Still, if there is one thing that's true about Route 66, it is this: take your time and enjoy the road. Stop anywhere and see what you'll find. It will likely be something quirky and with a ton of character. 

To create this list of the best spots by state along Route 66, we gathered information from several primary sources, including the National Park Service, government websites, location websites, newspapers, and testimonies from travelers who have visited these locations. We also consulted secondary sources like travel blogs and news sites.