Illinois Route 66

Chicago Attractions Chicagoland Attractions Joliet Region Attractions Pontiac Region Attractions Bloomington Region Attractions Lincoln Region Attractions Springfield Region Attractions Carlinville Region Attractions Litchfield Region Attractions East St. Louis Region Attractions

Community History

Historic sites, museums, buildings, cemeteries, artwork and murals that commemorate our communities’ history line the Mother Road in Illinois. From majestic Buckingham Fountain at Grant Park and Sears Tower in Chicago to three (count ‘em, three!) Swinging Bridges in Pontiac and the Funk Gem and Mineral Museum in Shirley, and everything betwixt and between, Illinois Route 66 is bristling with more fascinating artifacts of communal history than there are communities. Following are some interesting examples that will become all the more interesting when you experience them for yourself. And that’s as easy as getting off the interstate and taking a little detour back in time on Illinois Route 66.  

Chicago Attractions

Buckingham Fountain
Constructed one year after Route 66, it is the nostalgic and symbolic starting point of the road.

The Chicago Architecture Foundation
Offers exhibits, tours and Chicago memorabilia.

Skyscrapers and Historic Buildings
Many significant structures line the inbound and outbound Route 66 corridors of West Jackson Blvd and Adams Street.

Sears Tower
The tallest building in the United States at 1,451 feet tall.

Chicagoland Attractions

Riverside Landscape Architectural District
One of the first planned suburban communities in the country, designed by the Father of landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted.

Hofmann Tower
Built in 1908, the tower now houses the Lyons Historical Museum.

Chicago Portage National Historic Site
This site is considered the birthplace of Chicago, a small portion of the historic land connection between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River.

Joliet Region Attractions

Historic Structures in Plainfield
Three structures listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Isle a la Cache Museum
Meaning "Island of the Hiding Place," this family-friendly museum highlights the area's historic Native American culture and fur trade.

Fitzpatrick House
Historic home that now serves as the Lewis University Alumni Relations Development Office.

Gaylord Building
A museum operated by the Canal Corridor Association.

I&M Canal Museum
Will County Historical Society operates this museum which features canal and local history exhibits in the former I&M Canal Commission building.

Norton Building/Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery
The Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery is located on the first floor of the historic Norton Building.

Pioneer Settlement
These historic structures represent an early village of Will County.

Collins Street Prison
Exhibit of prison is featured at the Joliet Area Historical Museum.

Rialto Theatre
Beautifully restored historic theater.

Joliet Iron Works Historic Site
Self-guided tour through exhibits explaining the iron making process.

Bicentennial Park
Built along the river on land that had been Joliet's first street, this park was developed in 1976 to celebrate the nation's 200th birthday.

Mar Theater
Built in 1937,this first-run theatre is one of the oldest and the only privately-owned operating movie theatre in the Will County Area.

Eagle Hotel
Possibly one of the oldest commercial structures on Illinois Route 66, it will soon serve as the Wilmington Area Historical Society Museum.

Pontiac Region Attractions

Two-cell Jail and Christiansen Memorial
The Gardner two-cell jail was built in 1906 and is a popular photo opportunity for travelers. A nearby memorial honors Rev. Christiansen for his contributions during WWII.

Keeley Institute/Fox Development Center
The former Keeley Institute for the treatment of alcoholism and drug addiction is known for its stained glass windows (depicting the five senses) and for the rich and famous patients treated there.

First National Bank of Dwight
Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, this bank was constructed in 1905.

Bank of Dwight
Built in 1910, this bank features an original dome mural painted by Viennese artist, Oskar Gross.

Chicago & Alton Railroad Depot/Dwight Historical Society Museum
Built in 1891 and designed by famed Chicago architect Henry Ives Cobb, the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Oughton House/Country Mansion Restaurant
Originally a part of the Keeley Institute, then a private residence, it was converted into a restaurant in 1965. The handcrafted oak and maple woodwork and original fireplaces in the lounge area can be seen while eating lunch or dinner.

Oughton Estate Windmill
A prominent landmark on the John Oughton (of the Keeley Institute) estate property, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Prairie Creek Public Library
The library is located in the carriage house built around 1895 that served the John R. Oughton Estate.

Pioneer Gothic Church
Restored in 1968, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Livingston County War Museum & Dal Estes Education Center
Displays interpret World War I to the present.

Old City Hall Shoppes
Located next to the Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum, offers Route 66 souvenirs, antiques and crafts.

Livingston County Courthouse
Built in 1875 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A statue of Abraham Lincoln memorializes visits made by Lincoln to Pontiac.

Three Roses Bed and Breakfast
This charming B&B operates in the Jamison House, a Victorian home from the 1890s.

Jones House
This Gothic Revival home is the oldest brick home in Pontiac and is maintained by the Livingston County Historical Society.

Catherine V. Yost House Museum
A Queen Anne style home built in 1898, the museum contains most of the Yost family art and possessions dating back to the 1850s.

Pontiac Swinging Bridges
These unique swinging bridges were originally built so Pontiac residents could get to work.

Livingston County Poor Farm Cemetery
Livingston County residents that had no money were buried here from 1877 to 1934.

Matthew T. Scott Home
The home of agriculturalist, Matthew T. Scott and wife Julia Green Scott, one of the founders of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Chenoa Pharmacy
Schuirman's Drug Store was founded in 1889. It was inducted into the Route 66 Hall of Fame in 2005.

Bloomington Region Attractions

Patton Cabin
Built by the area's first settler, John Patton, in June, 1829 with the help of the Kickapoo and Delaware Indians.

Scrogin Cemetery
This cemetery contains graves from 1850-1916.

Towanda Meadows
The largest Italianate Farmhouse in McLean County, built in the late 1860s.

Normal Theater
The first theater designed for sound films in 1937, today it shows classic films and hosts live theater and music.

Normal Water Works Tower/Fell Park
Created in the mid-1850s, this is the oldest park in Normal.

Beer Nuts Factory and Company Store
Originally called "Redskins" because they were prepared with their red skins intact, this local company continues to produce BEER NUTS using the original 1937 recipe.

David Davis Museum State Historic Site
This Victorian home was built in 1872 for Justice David Davis, who in his early days rode the circuit with Abraham Lincoln, and was later appointed by Lincoln to the U.S. Supreme Court.

McLean County Courthouse and Museum of History
National award-winning exhibits of the county's history and a top genealogical reference library.

Funk Prairie Home
The restored 1864 home of one of McLean County's most famous citizens, Lafayette Funk.

Funk Gem and Mineral Museum
The museum interprets the Funk Brothers Seed Company, and houses fossils, Native American artifacts and other items collected by Lafayette Funk II during his travels around the world.

Walker Store and Historic Depot
The Walker Store, once a grocery store and gas station, is now an antique store.

Funks Grove Cemetery
A beautiful site nestled beneath the large maple trees of Funk's Grove.

Funks Grove Church
Built in 1864-65.

Lincoln Region Attractions

Atlanta Public Library and Clock Tower
Built in 1908, this octagon-shaped building is on the National Register of Historic Places and houses a museum that displays pieces of local history.

Palms Grill Cafe Mural
Mural was painted by the Letterheads in 2003.

J.M. Judy and Sons Grocer mural
This mural is a reproduction of a mural that adorned the side of the J.M. Judy Grocer building in the 1890s.

“Reisch Beer” Mural
Wall mural for 1894 building that served as an outlet for the Resich Brewing Company from Springfield. It was painted in June, 2003 by Letterheads.

“Wisteria Cafe” Mural
Mural for the Wisteria Cafe & Confectionery, a place for ice cream soda, cigars, and candy in the 1920s.

Krotz and Sons Antiques & Stuff
This curiosity shop is more of a historic museum, displaying vintage auto parts, merchandise from other bygone businesses, and old photos of the city of Lincoln.

Logan County Courthouse
The stone, three-story, domed structure is an architecturally spectacular historic building.

Lincoln City Hall
Lincoln City Hall anchors the downtown National Historic Registered District and is one of the city's most visible symbols.

Lincoln Christening Site
The site where Abraham Lincoln christened the town with the juice of a watermelon.

Postville Courthouse State Historic Site
A reproduction of the first Logan County Courthouse in use from 1840 to 1847 where Abraham Lincoln served as a lawyer on the Eighth Judicial Circuit.

Elkhart Cemetery
This beautiful wooded 1874 cemetery is the last resting place of a governor, a cattle baron and a wild west showman.

St. John the Baptist Chapel
The only privately owned chapel in the state of Illinois, it was built in 1890 to honor John Dean Gillett.

Gillett Memorial Arch Bridge
Commissioned by former Illinois first lady Emma Gillett Oglesby in 1915 as a memorial to her brother.

Old Gillett Farm
An historic seventh generation farm on Elkhart Hill that offers tours of the family homestead and accomodations in the guest house.

Springfield Region Attractions

Williamsville Historic Depot and Box Cars
Collection of community memorabilia housed in historic box cars.

1908 Race Riot Self-Guided Historical Tour
A self-guided tour of nine historical markers that describe key moments in the Springfield Race Riot of 1908.

Illinois State Police Heritage Foundation and Museum
Honors the men and women who have served on Illinois' highways since their establishment in 1922, including Route 66, or "Bloody 66" as it was called.

Illinois State Fairgrounds/The Railsplitter Giant
"The Railsplitter" Abraham Lincoln giant statue was created in commemoration of the State of Illinois' 150th Anniversary of its statehood.

Watt Brothers Pharmacy
The oldest pharmacy in the Springfield area, it has been inducted into the Route 66 Hall of Fame.

Lincoln’s Tomb
The tomb, built of granite with a 117-foot high obelisk, is the final resting place for Abraham Lincoln and his family.

Union Station Visitors Center
The building has been extensively restored, including its beautiful three-story clock tower, as a state visitor center.

Old State Capitol
This is considered by many to be Lincoln's capitol, where he delivered his famous "House Divided" Speech.

Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices
The only surviving building where Abraham Lincoln worked as a lawyer.

Lincoln Depot
Three months after his election in November 1860, Abraham Lincoln left Springfield for Washington, D.C. departing from this depot.

Illinois State Capitol
Murals, plaques, paintings and statues depict significant people and events in Illinois history.

Illinois State Museum
Houses interactive exhibits that tell the story of the land, life, people, and art of Illinois.

Lincoln Home National Historic Site
Includes free guided tours of the Lincoln Home interpretive films, neighborhood exhibits.

Dana-Thomas House
A famous 1902 Frank Lloyd Wright prairie-style home, open for tours.

Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site
A reconstruction of the pioneer village where Abraham Lincoln spent his early adulthood.

Sugar Creek Covered Bridge
This historic 1880 bridge spans 60 feet across Sugar Creek.

Chatham Railroad Museum/Depot
Built in 1902, the station was restored by the Friends of the Depot, and the museum developed in partnership with the Chicago & Illinois Midland Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society.

Divernon Depot
Small depot that serves as a railroad and community history museum.

Carlinville Region Attractions

Virden Miner’s Riot Memorial/Central Park
A large granite and bronze three-dimensional memorial depicting the 1898 Virden Miner's Riot

Virden History Mural
Depicts events in the history of the town of Virden.

Post Office Mural by James Daugherty
A New Deal-era mural entitled "Illinois Pastoral."

Macoupin County “Million Dollar” Courthouse
Recognized as the most magnificent courthouse in Illinois.

Macoupin County Historical Museum
Two stories of antiques and collectibles from Macoupin County's past.

Standard Addition/Sears and Roebuck Mail Order Houses
The largest U.S. collection of 156 Sears and Roebuck mail order houses, built in 1918 for the mine workers of the Standard Oil Company.

Macoupin County Jail
A Gothic Revival stone structure with cannonballs embedded within the walls to help prevent jail breaks.

Carlinville Square
A quaint downtown that maintains its historical appearance.

Loomis House Hotel
A former 50 room hotel designed by E.E. Meyers, the architect of the "Million Dollar Courthouse." A 1909 pharmacy on the first floor is beautifully preserved.

Post Office Mural by Gustaf Dalstrom
Mural is called "Illinois Farm."

The Holy Dormition of the Theotokos Russian Orthodox Church
The only Russian Orthodox Parish under the Moscow Patriarchate in the state of Illinois.

Litchfield Region Attractions

Litchfield Carnegie Public Library
An original 1904 Carnegie building.

Elks Building
Built in the early 1900s in the Classical Revival style.

Post Office Mural by Ralph Henricksen
"Going to Work" painted in 1941.

East St. Louis Region Attractions

Springers Creek Winery
Serving locally-produced wine, this charming winery is housed in an historic 1910 storefront grocery and an adjacent historic house.

St. Louis Street Historic District
Built in the 1880s and 90s, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the homes on St. Louis Street represent several architectural styles.

Leclaire Village Historic District
In 1890, this area just south of Edwardsville was the site of a model "utopian" village called Leclaire. Today, the village has been incorporated into Edwardsville, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Yanda Log Cabin
Built in 1853, this historic cabin was renovated for the Village's Centennial Celebration in 1992.

Glen Carbon Covered Bridge
The bridge was constructed in 1976 to celebrate the 200th birthday of the United States.

Historic Downtown Collinsville
Take a self guided tour that interprets several beautiful historic buildings, signs and homes of the area.

McKinley Bridge Roadside Park
Located on the east side of McKinley Bridge, this small roadside park includes an interpretive kiosk which describes the region's cities, transportation, geography, and industry.

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