The Ultimate Guide to Route 66: Kansas

Today, as you drive along Route 66, you’ll come across attractions that create postcard-worthy photo opportunities, like the giant drive-thru shield in Galena. Pull your vehicle right under the sign for a one-of-a-kind picture on this road trip. This sign stands at an impressive 16 feet tall, with a center cutout measuring 10 feet by 10 feet, allowing most cars, small trucks, and motorcycles to fit through it with ease. And while the size is impressive, so are the gorgeous details. The sign was painted by Sandra Dawn and David Mason, and features a sunflower field (fitting for the Sunflower State) and a tow truck driving off in the distance.

Galena is not only one of the first towns in Kansas you’ll come to if traveling east to west, but it also has a special claim to fame. It is one of the towns that inspired Disney’s movie "Cars." If you look closely at the tow truck on the large drive-thru sign in Galena, it resembles Tow Mater from the movie, driving off into the sunflower field.

As you drive through Galena, Kansas, on historic Route 66, you may come across a few landmarks and landscapes that remind you of the movie "Cars." Cars on the Route, an old Kan-O-Tex service station, is one of them. This restored gas station is not only where you can learn more about the Mother Road and its connection to the Disney movie, but outside, you can walk around and snap pictures of vehicles that inspired characters in the movie like “Tow Mater.”

Several vehicles and characters are set up to capture that perfect photo and to celebrate what makes Route 66 so special—why it inspired the movie in the first place. Of course, you’ll also want to spend a few minutes inside, as this restored Kan-O-Tex service station is now a souvenir shop and café.

Fun fact: This historic building is depicted on one of the U.S. Postal Service Forever Stamps honoring the Centennial year of Route 66.

Years ago, travelers would stretch their legs, refuel, and grab a quick snack at a Texaco station in Galena. The station, built in 1939, served motorists for decades before closing its doors in the early 2000s. However, it didn’t remain closed forever, as renovations to the building began in 2018. In the spring of 2021, a neon lighting celebration was followed by an official ribbon-cutting ceremony, welcoming travelers back to the station.

Today, this station is known as Gearhead Curios and will immediately make you feel like you’ve just stepped back in time. Inside, you’ll be met with a strong nostalgic vibe as you step on an air bell hose, admire the neon signs, and stare at a ceiling covered in hundreds of license plates from around the world.

Gearhead Curios is no longer a popular gas station, but it’s a souvenir shop and information center, a place where you can find some of your favorite Route 66 merchandise. Just make sure that during your visit, you take a look inside the restroom that’s designed from various car parts. It may be one of the most photographed bathrooms in Kansas and along the Mother Road.  

When Route 66 was a busy highway, travelers and locals alike would stop at the Old Riverton General Store to enjoy good food, shop for unique gifts, and visit with others. Built in 1925, the shop was owned by Leo Williams and was known as the “Williams Store” by locals. It was unique because it was split into two main areas: a commercial area and the home of Leo, his wife, and his daughter. There was also a small gas station located out front. Inside, you could find everything from fresh meat and milk to shoes and clothes.

You can still stop in and enjoy some delicious food and shop for one-of-a-kind gifts today. The Old Riverton General Store is home to delicious sandwiches and a few grocery items. It’s also where you’ll find all types of unique gifts and merchandise. And, it still has much of that nostalgic charm—there’s a little bit of something for everyone here.

Approximately 3.5 miles north of Baxter Springs is one of our favorite landmarks along Route 66 in Kansas—Bush Creek Bridge. Better known as the Historic Rainbow Bridge, this unique structure was built in 1923 to connect the small mining towns of Galena, Riverton, and Baxter Springs. However, the bridge dates back even further to the 1910s, when James Barney Marsh patented the concrete and steel design of the structure. The bridge is 130 feet long and was how motorists would cross Bush Creek on Route 66 until the interstate was completed in the 1960s. In 1983, the Brush Creek Bridge was officially placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Since then, a new bridge has been built east of the historic bridge to better accommodate local traffic. While traffic is rerouted to the newer bridge, it is still possible to drive or walk across the existing bridge. If you find the bridge is empty and you have it all to yourself, park your vehicle for a few moments and snap some pictures. This is a terrific photo opp—one that you’ll cherish for years to come.