Buckingham Fountain

Visitors can enjoy a dazzling music, light and water show at the Clarence F. Buckingham Memorial Fountain, one of the largest fountains in the world. Located at Columbus Drive, shows runs from dusk to 11pm every hour and lasts for 20 minutes. Operates April through mid-October.

CITY: Chicago

Doc’s Soda Fountain

Located on historic Route 66, this was originally a pharmacy built in the 1880’s. The soda fountain was added to the business in the 1950’s. Stop in for an old-fashioned treat or ice-cream. Doc’s is also open for lunch and dinner.

CITY: Girard

Funks Grove Pure Maple Syrup

Guided tours offered during February and March that show syrup making by the "Boiling Down" process. Gift store stocked with syrup as well as Route 66 memorabilia.

CITY: Shirley

Gemini Giant

Located in Wilmington, this converted Muffler Man beckons travelers on historic Route 66 to stop for a burger at the Launching Pad Drive-In. The Launching Pad Drive-in first opened in 1960 as a Dari Delite, and sold only hot dogs and ice cream. Since then, the menu has expanded. In 2000, the Launching Pad Drive-In was inducted into the Route 66 Hall of Fame.

CITY: Wilmington

Henry's Ra66it Ranch

This quirky must-see Route 66 attraction, information center and souvenir gift shop is home to rabbits of all kinds, bunny and VW, as well as Mother Road memorabilia.

CITY: Staunton

Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum

Free admission to the finest collection of memorabilia associated with the history of the Mother Road in Illinois. Featuring Route 66 Artist and Icon, Bob Waldmire's bus and van! Be sure to step around back where you will see the World's Largest Route 66 shield and other great murals.

CITY: Pontiac

Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway

The experiences you’ll find here are as unique, fun and memorable as the road is long. Route 66 defined a remarkable era in our nation’s history - and it lives on today in Illinois Route 66’s many roadside attractions, museums, restaurants - and the shining ribbon of blacktop we call The Mother Road. Illinois’ stretch of this mythic road boasts the highest density of kitschy, interesting things to do you’ll find from here to California. So, join us for the far out journey that never ends on Illinois Route 66.

CITY: Springfield

International Walldog Mural and Sign Art Museum

Free admission to a museum featuring the history of outdoor sign and mural art. Videos, drawings, and artifacts tell the story of advertising art. Art work for sale. The International Walldog Mural & Sign Art Museum is dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of the outdoor wall advertising signs painted in the days before electronic mass media. The painters who created those early signs called themselves "Walldogs." The displays which are found at the museum tell the history of the early sign painters who created their art on the sides of brick buildings, barns, and other structures. Examples of those early signs can still be seen throughout the Midwest and, though faded, peeling, and sometimes barely readable, these "ghost signs" remain an important part of our collective cultural and commercial history.

CITY: Pontiac

Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Welcome Center

Designed to reflect the Route 66 era, the museum houses exhibits which focus on the roles the railroads, Route 66, businesses, agriculture, and the military have played in Litchfield's history.

CITY: Litchfield

Lou Mitchell's

A Chicago tradition for 83 years. Breakfast all day. Homemade pastries, bread and famous omelettes. Fresh squeezed O.J. Outstanding fresh daily lunch specials. Milk Duds for the ladies! One block west of Union Station. Mon.-Sat. 5:30am-3pm; Sun. 7am-3pm.

CITY: Chicago

Original Brick Road

This beautiful 1.4 mile long piece of restored hand-laid brick road is a segment of 66 done in 1931 and placed over a concrete roadbed. Route 66 at its best.

CITY: Auburn

Paul Bunyon Hotdog Statue

Standing 19 feet tall and clutching a giant hot dog, this Paul Bunyon statue, purposely spelled with an “o”, is one of Route 66’s mythic Muffler Man Statues. A few of these giants still proudly grace the roadsides of historic Route 66. This one is located in Atlanta, Illinois, just across the street from the Palms Grill Café, which features fine fare from The Mother Road’s golden age.

CITY: Atlanta

Pierce Harley-Davidson Museum

Over 65 antique and modern motorcycles are on display, along with memorabilia and vintage clothing.

CITY: DeKalb

Polk-a-Dot Drive In

Drive-In founded over 50 years ago has become one of the most memorable attractions along Illinois Route 66. Stop in and see the collection of memorabilia and enjoy a great meal.

CITY: Braidwood

Pontiac-Oakland Automobile Museum & Resource Center

The history of the Oakland and Pontiac car brands as seen through 15 classic cars, dealer artifacts, a complete print library and memorabilia. Free admission-open year round.

CITY: Pontiac

Rialto Theatre

Historic Vaudeville Movie Theatre listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Wide variety of performances.

CITY: Joliet

Route 66 Log Chapel

This hand-built chapel in Lincoln is open for prayer and meditation 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

CITY: Lincoln

Route 66 Park & Tourism Center

This small park is right on Route 66, and it's a great place to check out the town of Atlanta. It is a great park, including flat area to run and playground for the kids to climb and run on, you and your family are sure to enjoy.

CITY: Atlanta

Shea's Gas Station Museum

Take one look at the guest book and you’ll see that this unique spot attracts visitors from all over the globe. A former Texaco gas station owner, Bill Shea has amassed an impressive collection of Route 66 memorabilia during his more than 50 years on the Mother Road. Shea's is closed during the Illinois State Fair, held every August.

CITY: Springfield

The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge

Built in 1927, Old Chain of Rocks was the fifth bridge to cross the Mississippi River, which shortened the distance between St. Louis, Missouri, and Edwardsville, Illinois by 15 miles.

CITY: Edwardsville

The Palms Grill Café

The Palms Grill Cafe was a well-known restaurant during the heyday of Route 66. Recently the cafe was revitalized and reopened, and is serving up delicious nostalgia from the fabled Route 66 era. Conveniently located right across the street is the towering Bunyon’s Statue, another one of Route 66’s famous Muffler Man Statues.

CITY: Atlanta

World's Largest Catsup Bottle

This 170-foot-tall bottle that resembles a Brook's Catsup Bottle served as a water tower for the catsup manufacturer after being constructed in 1949. A popular roadside attraction, it makes for a great photo op.

CITY: Collinsville

World's Largest Covered Wagon

The Railsplitter Covered Wagon, recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest covered wagon in the world, is located on the front lawn of the Best Western Lincoln Inn, near historic Route 66. A statue of Abe Lincoln reading a law book sits in the huge wooden wagon, which stands 24 feet tall.

CITY: Lincoln