Route 66

The city is undertaking environmental and historical reviews of West College Street as it plans for revitalizing the area just off the downtown core.

A new “Musical Road” on Springfield’s Route 66 corridor now plays “America the Beautiful” as drivers travel across specially engineered rumble strips on St. Louis Street.

The new center is for both visitors and area residents, according to Visit Springfield President/CEO Mark Hecquet.

April 30, Governor Mike Kehoe and other state and federal leaders met at Crossway Baptist Church for a press conference covering the legacy of the Mother Road, community growth and improvements along I-44.

Historian John Sellars talks about a meeting at the Colonial Hotel in Springfield during which the iconic highway was named.

The Route 66 Musical Experience is a Visit Springfield project.

Host and archivist Haley Frizzle-Green shares the story of the building that helped make Springfield the Birthplace of Route 66.

With a new gallery, husband and wife Randy Bacon and Heidi Herrman-Bacon team up to celebrate the centennial of Route 66 and a shared love for the Mother Road.

Tim Phillips and Phyllis Ferguson rehabbed the West College Street cottages and opened them to guests in late 2019.

Route 66 turns 100 in April 2026, and it was born in Springfield. The famed Mother Road has had a significant impact — from the past to today — on culture, both local and beyond.