The Ultimate Guide to Route 66: Illinois

The Ohio House Motel is an improbable survivor. In a city where real estate is ruthless, this diamond-roofed, mid-century inn has held its ground since 1960. It feels like a movie set dropped into the middle of the River North bustle—retro, defiant, surprisingly cool, and one of the very few motor inns left in downtown Chicago. It represents the era when you could drive your family sedan right into the heart of the metropolis and park outside your door. The architecture is pure Googie style, promising a jet-age future. As a site in the starting point city—historically, Route 66 travelers usually only traveled away from Chicago—expect the Ohio House to be a base camp for many Centennial rallies. It’s the perfect place to rest up before officially hitting the road at the "Begin Route 66" sign on Adams Street. Ask for a room facing the street for the full neon experience.

Joliet is a town of stone and steel that has shed its once-rough reputation to embrace its role in pop culture and along the Mother Road: It’s the first major city stop outside Chicago. The Old Joliet Prison is legendary, and standing outside its limestone walls feels like stepping into the opening scene of The Blues Brothers. The Rialto Square Theatre is one of the most beautiful old vaudeville palaces in the U.S. The prison is planning Centennial "Jailhouse Rocks" concerts and expanded Guard Tours for 2026. The Rialto often hosts Route 66 film festivals. Don't pass up a stop at the Rich and Creamy ice cream stand on Broadway Street, with statues of the Blues Brothers dancing on its roof.

At 30 feet of pure, towering kitsch, the Gemini Giant stands tall in his silver space helmet, holding a rocket ship, king of the iconic Muffler Men. The giant is, essentially, the cover model for Illinois Route 66. These fiberglass giants were advertising tools in the 1960s, and the Gemini Giant is one of the best-preserved examples of the Space Age obsession that gripped the country during that decade. He formerly watched over the Launching Pad Drive-In, greeting travelers with a stoic, fiberglass gaze.

It is a mandatory photo stop for the 2026 passport. The Giant has been relocated to a refurbished site in Wilmington for the centennial, and an interpretive site has been erected to give you the story of Wilimington's place in Route 66 history. You can find Mother Road memorabilia at the recently-opened Landing Pad, a seasonal souvenir shop near the giant. 

Ambler's Texaco Gas Station in Dwight offers a nostalgic step back to 1933. This cottage-style station was designed to fit into a residential neighborhood, looking more like a dollhouse than a garage. It’s quiet, pristine, and evocative of a time when gas station attendants wore bow ties. It was the longest-operating gas station on the entire route (until 1999), and it dispels the myth that Route 66 was all neon and noise; this is the domestic, small-town side of the Mother Road. 

The station serves as a visitor center now. In 2026, volunteer "attendants" will likely be dressed in period uniform, enacting vintage car service for photo ops. Be sure to go inside if you visit when it's open. The interior is set up with vintage oil cans, maps, and a guest book that people from all over the world sign. It’s a great spot to stretch your legs and chat with the local volunteers.

A bright, joyful tribute to advertising history, the new American Giants Museum feels like a shrine to the fiberglass era. It's the only museum in the country dedicated solely to Muffler Men. The museum's colorful, well-curated dedication to preserving these lumbering commercial relics is oddly touching. It explains why we are collectively obsessed with icons like the Gemini Giant and the Paul Bunyan statue across the street. (It is literally across the street from the Bunyon statue, making Atlanta a twofer stop on Mother Road.)

This year, expect "Meet the Collector" events and workshops on fiberglass restoration. It will be the headquarters for the Giant Hunters community during the Centennial. The museum is small but densely packed with its exhibits. The gift shop is an excellent stop for finding unique 66 merchandise.

Paul Bunyon (intentionally misspelled) Hot Dog Muffler Man is a 19-foot giant that used to live in Cicero, Illinois... at a hot dog stand, of course. Now, he stands tall in downtown Atlanta, still clutching a giant hot dog. Although he looks slightly out of place (less so with the opening of the new American Giants Museum), the giant has been fully embraced as an icon of the town. He is one of the original Muffler Men giants, and moving him here saved him from obscurity. In turn, he has helped to revitalize the tiny town of Atlanta and a burgeoning interest in Route 66: an inspiring success story of preservation. 

He will be fresh off a restoration for the 2026 season. The town of Atlanta closes the streets for "Cruise-Ins" right at his feet. The statue is accessible 24/7. After your photo, but if you arrive during the day, walk a few doors down to the Palms Grill Cafe for a slice of pie to complete the small-town experience.

The Route History Museum in Springfield is sobering, educational, and vital. While much of Route 66 celebrates the "freedom of the road," this museum documents the experience of Black travelers who faced segregation, sundown towns, and danger along the route. Its exhibits highlight businesses, such as Green Book sites, that served as safe havens for African American travelers. The museum challenges the romanticized narrative of Route 66, including the resilience of Black entrepreneurs and families.

While the museum focuses on the Black experience, Springfield itself is a site of intersectionality. The museum is located in a city that saw the forced removal of Indigenous tribes just decades before it became a hub for Black migration and travel, highlighting a recurring theme of displacement and movement in this region. In 2026, the museum plans to have immersive exhibits recreating the experience of a Green Book hotel and a 1940s gas station that served Black customers. The Route History Museum is a must-stop to broaden your perspective on the Mother Road.

This 1.4-mile stretch of hand-laid red brick is a visceral experience along the Illinois stretch of Route 66. Surrounded by cornfields, offering a rare window into the route's 1931 alignment, tires hum a different tune here. Most of the route was paved over with asphalt; this brick segment survived. It represents the labor-intensive infrastructure projects of the early 20th century and is arguably the most photogenic stretch of "pavement" in the state. A Brick Road Preservation Walk is planned for 2026, where visitors can walk the 1.4 miles without traffic to appreciate the craftsmanship. When you reach this stretch, drive slowly—not just for safety, but to hear the sound. Turn off your radio. There's a pull-off for photos; don't stop in the middle of the lane, as it is still a public road.

The warm, historic, and surprisingly elegant Ariston Cafe doesn't feel like a roadside diner; it feels more like a supper club (and I love a supper club). With its acoustic tiles, original booths, and neon sign, it exudes a sense of culinary permanence. Opened in 1935, it is believed to be the oldest restaurant on Route 66 to have been continuously operated by the same family. It survived the Depression, World War II, and the advent of the Interstate highway system. It is the "grand dame" of Illinois dining on the Mother Road.

The cafe is preparing a "Decades Menu" for 2026 featuring dishes popular in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Reservations will be essential during the summer peak, so plan ahead. Ariston Cafe is famous for its desserts. Even if you just stopped for lunch, get a piece of pie. Dine with patience, though: the table service here is old-school in the best way.

Livingston's Pink Elephant Antique Mall feels like roadside sensory overload: a giant pink elephant with a martini glass, a UFO, a generic Muffler Man in a swimsuit, and an ice cream shop shaped like a giant twist cone. Inside, it’s a sprawling antique mall in an old high school. The mall represents the roadside attraction in its ultimate, chaotic form—using its sheer volume of weirdness to get you to hit the brakes. It's, frankly, impossible to drive past without asking, "What was that?"

As you've likely surmised, the owners are collectors of the weird and wonderful. For 2026, expect the outdoor statue garden to grow even larger. Go for the photo ops outside, but stay for the Twistee Treat diner on site. The nachos and ice cream are great road fuel. The antique mall itself is vast, so watch your time if you have miles to cover.