The Route 66 Road Trip Checklist: 66 Must-See Stops

The official starting point of the journey located at Adams Street and Michigan Avenue.

A historic restaurant serving hungry travelers since the road's earliest days.

A classic roadhouse famous for its fried chicken and neon charm.

A vintage ice cream stand topped with iconic Blues Brothers statues.

A 30-foot-tall Muffler Man holding a rocket, a true icon of roadside kitsch.

A retro diner famous for its checkered exterior and celebrity statues.

A beautifully restored cottage-style service station dating back to 1933.

A preserved 1932 gas station that looks exactly as it did in the golden age.

A museum housing thousands of artifacts from the road's storied history.

A unique Tudor-style building that served as both a gas station and cafe.

The legendary home of the original hot dog on a stick.

A giant fiberglass giant guarding a local tire and service shop.

One of the most authentic and best-preserved gas stations on the route.

One of the oldest continuously operating restaurants on Route 66.

A quirky stop featuring actual rabbits and a 'VW Rabbit' buried in the ground.

The historic bridge over the Mississippi with a famous 22-degree bend.

The iconic symbol of the westward expansion through which the road passes.

A beloved tradition serving 'concretes' so thick they can be turned upside down.

Famous underground caves marketed by thousands of yellow barn signs.

A massive 42-foot-tall chair that once held a Guinness World Record.

The oldest continuously operating motel on the route since the 1930s.

Known for its classic 1940s neon sign and themed roadside rooms.

A reconstruction of a 1930s gas station full of memorabilia.

One of the few remaining original outdoor cinemas on the route.

A former station that inspired the 'Tow Mater' character in the movie Cars.

The last remaining Marsh Arch bridge of its kind on Route 66.

A stunning vaudeville theater built in 1929 with an opulent interior.

A drive-in known for its giant cuckoo clock exterior and classic burgers.

A giant iron and cement whale built in a pond for a family anniversary.

Home of the 21-foot tall Buck Atom space cowboy muffler man.

A restaurant built from local sandstone excavated during the road's construction.

A restored 1898 wooden barn built to withstand Oklahoma tornadoes.

Modern landmark featuring a 66-foot tall soda bottle and 700+ soda varieties.

A tiny brick building with a massive milk bottle on the roof.

A classic gas station once run by the legendary 'Mother of the Mother Road'.

The largest museum dedicated to the people and culture of the route.

Masterpiece of Art Deco architecture that appeared in the movie Cars.

An intentional roadside visual gag created to lure drivers to a truck stop.

Famous home of the 72-ounce steak challenge.

Public art installation featuring ten Cadillacs buried nose-first in the dirt.

The geographically centered diner halfway between Chicago and Los Angeles.

A historic district straddling the Texas and New Mexico state line.

Famed for its stunning neon sign and individual garage bays.

A souvenir shop with a unique wigwam-shaped concrete entryway.

A crystal clear, sapphire-blue artesian spring in the middle of the desert.

A vibrant stretch of Albuquerque featuring classic theatre and motel signs.

A 1940s-themed diner known for its immense milkshake selection.

The hotel where movie stars stayed while filming Westerns in the desert.

The only national park that contains a segment of historic Route 66.

Sleep in a concrete teepee at one of the road's most famous motels.

Famous for its 'HERE IT IS' billboard and rideable giant rabbit.

A park dedicated to the town mentioned in the Eagles' song 'Take It Easy'.

The world's best-preserved meteorite impact site, just off the highway.

A historic dance hall and taxidermy museum housed in a massive log cabin.

A historic train taking passengers from the route to the Grand Canyon South Rim.

A quirky eatery famous for its humor, neon, and 'dead chicken' burgers.

A visual treasure trove of vintage cars, gas pumps, and memorabilia.

A 14-foot tall Tiki-style head statue located at a desert fuel stop.

A pink and turquoise diner serving homemade root beer and classic floats.

Wild burros roam the streets of this former mining town turned tourist stop.

Iconic mid-century modern oasis in the middle of the Mojave Desert.

The setting for the famous indie film of the same name, located in the desert.

A forest of hundreds of 'trees' made from colorful bottles and scrap metal.

The final Wigwam village of the road, perfectly preserved in the California sun.

The location where the global fast-food giant first began its journey.

The official western terminus of Route 66 where the road meets the Pacific.