Route 66 Experience

The Route 66 Experience inside the Illinois State Fairgrounds is a must see, especially for Route 66 travelers and vintage sign and neon lovers. It’s open every day of the year, just inside Gate 2 of the fairgrounds, so we suggest visiting outside of fair time when you might get the whole place to yourselves, like we did. (if you visit outside of fair time, enter via the fairgrounds main gate - we were able to drive in and park inside the fairgrounds)

The Route 66 Experience is a self-guided tour which highlights the history, agriculture, and roadside attractions of Route 66 from Chicago to the Chain of Rocks Bridge in Madison Illinois. The whole thing is a fever dream for photographers, Instagrammers and selfie lovers. There are recreations of vintage billboards, Burma shave roadside advertising, a mini drive-in movie theatre showing vintage commercials, and a fabulous sculpture honoring Muffler Men. The self-guided tour leads you along a mini winding mother road, dotted with structures full of information, murals, ephemera, maps and photographs. Our eyes nearly bugged out of our heads with joy.

And if that isn't enough, within the Route 66 experience you will find the Legends Neon Sign park - restored and re-lit neon signs from Route 66’s heyday. Try to visit at dusk so you can bask in the glorious neon glow of the Bel Air Drive In sign, or that of the Chain of Rocks Motel. This mini neon museum, co-habitating with the Route 66 Experience, is one of the greatest we have visited.

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Mid-West USA No. 20 - Last visited October 2023