Illinois

Historic Route 66 runs 2,238 miles between Chicago and Los Angeles and around 300 of those miles run through Illinois. At every turn you’ll find something new and fun to see. Whether it’s a piece of original road, a classic diner, a weird roadside attraction, or an informative museum, Illinois Route 66 attractions abound on … Read more

The Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame & Museum in Pontiac, Illinois tells the story of the Mother Road from inception to present day with thousands of artifacts, memorabilia, articles, and more. Stop in to learn about all of the famed stops, places, and people who have been inducted into the Illinois Route 66 Hall … Read more

Soulsby Service Station in Mount Olive, Illinois is a historic gas station that served Route 66 travelers for decades. In fact this site is one of the oldest and longest running service stations on all of Route 66 and the oldest usable service station on the highway in Illinois. Henry Soulsby built the Shell station … Read more

The Standard Oil Filling Station in Odell, Illinois was built in 1932 by Patrick O’Donnell. Built a few years after Route 66 was routed through town, it was a popular spot for fueling vehicles on the Mother Road. The Odell service station was built in a “House and Canopy” or “Domestic” style that resembled a … Read more

Ernie Edwards ran the Pig Hip restaurant in Broadwell, Illinois, a popular Route 66 stop, from 1937 to 1991. The shop was known for pig hip sandwiches topped with a special sauce and made from fresh ham claimed to come only from the left hip of the pig. After the restaurant closed in 1991 Edwards … Read more

If you’re “seeing pink elephants” on a road trip, you should probably pull your car over and sober up. But you should also definitely pull over if you are seeing this particular pink elephant ahead: Pinky, the Pink Elephant with a Martini Glass and Glasses in Springfield, Illinois. Because you don’t want to miss this … Read more

Joliet kicks on 66, and so can you. Stop at Route 66 Park in Joliet, Illinois to stretch your legs, get some ice cream, admire a historic prison, and maybe sing the blues. Joliet Route 66 Park is a small roadside park with big ties to the Mother Road. First stop at the Rich and … Read more

You might say that this Route 66 road trip stop is pretty super: Sprague’s Super Service Station in Normal, Illinois. Sprague’s Super Service Station opened in 1931. The two-story Tudor Revival building was constructed by William Sprague and housed a gas station, a garage, a café, and two second-floor apartments. Unlike most service stations of … Read more

They say go big or go home. And this Route 66 stop is BIG: the Route 66 Shield Mural in Pontiac, Illinois is one of the most photographed murals on the Mother Road. The first, the biggest, and the most well-known Route 66 mural in Pontiac, Illinois, and perhaps on the entire Route, is the … Read more