The World Famous California Route 66 Museum in San Bernardino, California houses the mysteries and nostalgia of ‘America’s Main Street.’ Experience life on the road as part of an epic Route 66 Tours adventure.
Experience American history on Route 66
The world’s most famous highway, known to Californians in the area as County Route 66 (CR 66), snakes from east to west through San Bernardino County. Nestled in the city of Victorville, the California Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum is a focal point and beloved tourist destination.
Encapsulating the wonder of ‘America’s Mother Road,’ the museum contains answers to the questions that have been embedded in the minds of wanderlust enthusiasts for decades. Whether having travelled the Route or simply learned of it via the various movies, television shows and songs that have championed its splendour, visitors from all corners of the globe have graced the California Route 66 Museum to learn more about what makes this historic run of asphalt so special.
Deemed ‘the giant of American letters,’ author John Steinbeck, dubbed Route 66 ‘America’s Mother Road’ in his classic novel The Grapes of Wrath. The die-hard dream of a better life saw migrants fleeing the Great Plains’ drought in the 1930s. This drove many west, along the stretch of road that would later become synonymous with freedom.
Also known as ‘Main Street America,’ Route 66 has gone on to attain somewhat mythic status, and the California Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum is the place that centralises and celebrates this designation.
Visitors to the museum will find answers to questions regarding the origins of the route, insights into the spectacular events that cemented its reputation and one-of-a-kind offerings that ensure a trip through San Bernardino creates memories that endure like the historic route itself.
Old routes, new memories
Inside the Route 66 museum in San Bernardino County, patrons will discover artefacts, guidebooks and exhibits that showcase the stories embedded in the pavement that runs from Chicago to Santa Monica.
Since opening its doors in November of 1995, this crown jewel of the Mojave desert houses 4,500 sq. ft. dedicated to the history of this famous 2,400 mile stretch of road. Thousands of visitors have enjoyed the ambiance of the museum in old town Victorville, which features a display of a ‘50’s style diner, after perusing aisles full of licence plates, historic maps and memorabilia.
The maps, paintings and artwork of celebrated American artist Bob Waldmire line the walls of the California Route 66 museum, chronicling his famous journey down US66 in a Volkswagen Minibus. Waldmire’s hand-drawn sketches and detailed maps captured the sense of wonder he experienced as he made his way from Arizona to Illinois along the road after a fateful detour landed him on the path he would grow to love. His claims of a Route 66 ‘revival’ were punctuated by his works during the late eighties and early nineties.
The front end of a VW minibus, resplendently emblazoned with a ‘60’s inspired flower paint job, rests in the middle of the museum as a nod to Waldmire’s famous journey.
The sights of Route 66
Route 66 Tours showcases the wonders of Route 66 as part of an adventure-packed ride down the Mother Road. With 20 night packages set for the spring, summer and fall of 2022, travellers looking to experience the wonder of the open highway can join a guided tour that rides Route 66 the way it was traversed in the ‘good old days.’
Since the official route designation hasn’t appeared on a map since being decommissioned in 1985, the fun-loving, informative guides of the Route 66 Tours experience offer insight into the journey that shaped a nation in ways that simply can’t be replicated. Learn to ride ‘the wrong side of the road’ along a stretch of hot pavement on tours that begin in Chicago and head west.
Each of the seasonal Route 66 Tours offers unique sensory experiences. Meandering through the ghost towns and villages across the eight states that comprise the journey will feel different depending on the time of year.
Highlighted by the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona’s ‘3 Day Fun Run,’ the spring tour concludes with a ride that includes over 800 classic cars, hot rods and bikes roaring down the longest stretch of Route 66 left in the U.S.
The Mojave desert reveals all of its splendour in the summer. Meanwhile, stops to see the Grand Canyon National Park in the fall will showcase vistas and peaks that have attracted wanderlust enthusiasts for decades. Some say that October is the best time of year to make the journey, with the Northern portions of the adventure showcasing the full array of autumn colours along the way.
But regardless of the season, rest assured that stops at historic sites ensure you’ll experience the wonders of Main Street America in ways that simply can’t be replicated.
Route 66: LA dreaming
With Route 66 Tours, you’ll see majestic landmarks directly from America’s mother road. As part of an eight-state, twenty-night adventure, the end of the road captures the whimsy of the sunny west coast.
Main Street America officially ends in Santa Monica (the iconic road officially part of the Los Angeles folklore associated with famed destinations like Beverly Hills, the Sunset Strip and Hollywood). The association with Hollywood glamour, combined with representation in classic songs like Chuck Berry’s Route 66, and Waylon Jennings’ I’m a Ramblin’ Man, have embedded a sense of wanderlust in travellers the world over.
Your adventure awaits
Hit the road and experience Route 66 the way it was – and the way it could be again. Join Route 66 Tours and hundreds of thrilled adventurers in a rumble down the Mother Road. With several of our fellow enthusiasts booking multiple times over, you’ll be part of a community of thrill-seekers, nostalgia chasers and expert guides who know how to tap into the nostalgia that made Route 66 famous.
Spring, summer or fall, there’s no wrong time of the year to take in the sights of the Mojave desert, enjoy the sights of the Chicago skyline, and marvel at the frenzy of Vegas nights.
Contact us today and come be a part of history in the making, running down the revitalised Route 66 on the journey of a lifetime.
