If you’re driving through Illinois on a great American road trip, there’s only one must-see place to stop for gas, snacks, souvenirs, and a leg stretch: Wally’s, the Home of the Great American Road Trip, in Pontiac, Illinois. The gas station and convenience store offers a convenient stop for all your road trip needs, from food to fuel.
Wally’s was founded by cousins Michael Rubenstein and Chad Wallis who came up with the idea on a drive home from Colorado. They wanted to open their own gas station and store that would also attract visitors as a tourist attraction. What they came up with was Wally’s, a concept similar to Buc-ee’s but with a theme concentrating on the Great American Road Trip.
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The Pontiac Wally’s was the first location of the growing chain, opening its doors in September 2020 (a second location in Fenton, Missouri opened in 2022). Located right on Route 66 it’s the perfect place to stop if your tank (or stomach) is nearing empty.
Wally’s is a gas station where you can use one of their more than 70 fuel pumps (or four electric vehicle charging stations) to gas up (or charge) your car, but it is also so much more. Before or after filling up your tank head inside to check out the large souvenir shop full of fun merchandise. Find Wally’s-branded everything, including hats, t-shirts, koozies, air fresheners, stickers, water bottles, toys, keychains, and magnets. You can also find a variety of other road-trip necessities, from coolers to camping gear.
You can also grab a meal or snack for the road with a variety of fresh-made and pre-packaged options. Grab some fun-flavored chips, freshly-popped popcorn, beef jerky, or a BBQ sandwich and top it all of with a swig from one of the more than 60 flavors from the soda fountains.
I couldn’t resist leaving with a bag full of stuff, including a retro-looking Route 66 t-shirt, a fridge magnet for my collection, a hot dog (I hadn’t eaten anything but donuts all day), a bag of chili cheese hot dog ripple potato chips (they just tasted like chili cheese), and a soda-fountain mix of strawberry and cream soda.
Wally’s in Pontiac, Illinois is a must-stop for anyone traveling through Illinois who wants to celebrate the Great American Road Trip (or just get gas). I can’t wait to go back on my next road trip to see what else I can try!
Photos of Wally’s in Pontiac, Illinois: Home of the Great American Road Trip
