Illinois Old Route 66

Illinois

Yankeedom – Second City

1. Chicago (Cook County)

Buckingham Fountain

Chicago: Grant Park (eastern terminus of Historic U.S. Route 66), Berghoff Restaurant, and Lou Mitchell’s

Midlands – Grand Prairie

2. Joliet & Wilmington (Will County)

Joliet Prison

Rialto Square Theatre, Joliet, IL — Rialto Square Theatre, Joliet

Joliet: Joliet Prison (Blues Brothers) and Rialto Square Theatre

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

Gemini Giant at the Launching Pad Drive-In, Wilmington, IL — Gemini Giant at the Launching Pad Drive-In, Wilmington

Wilmington: Gemini Giant at the Launching Pad Drive-In

Polk-A-Dot Drive In, Braidwood, Illinois

Braidwood: Polk-A-Dot Drive In

3. Gardner (Grundy County)

Riviera Restaurant, Gardner

Two Cell Jail, Gardner

Gardner: Riviera Restaurant and Two Cell Jail

4. Dwight, Odell, & Pontiac (Livingston County)

Ambler's Texaco Station, Dwight — Ambler’s Texaco Station, Dwight

Dwight: Old Route 66 Family Restaurant and Ambler’s Texaco Station

Standard Oil Station, Odell

Odell: Odell Pedestrian Tunnel at St Paul Catholic Church and Standard Oil Station

Meramec Caverns Barn Sign, Cayuga

Cayuga: Meramec Caverns Barn Sign

Route 66 Museum, Pontiac — Route 66 Association Hall of Fame and Museum, Pontiac

Livingston County Civil War Memorial, Pontiac, Illinois

Pontiac: Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum

Borderlanders – Land of Lincoln

5. Normal & Bloomington (McLean County)

Selz Royal Blue Shoes Mural (painted over) in Chenoa, Illinois

Chenoa: Selz Royal Blue Shoes Mural (painted over)

Historic Route 66 Trail, Towanda

Towanda: Historic Route 66 Trail (unused old roadway)

Sprague’s Super Service Station

Normal: Sprague’s Super Service Station

Brass Pig Smoke & Alehouse

Bloomington: Brass Pig Smoke & Alehouse

Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup

Funks Grove: Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup

Dixie Truckers Home, McLean

McLean: Dixie Truckers Home

6. Atlanta & Lincoln (Logan County)

Paul Bunyon Hot Dog Statue, Atlanta

Atlanta: Paul Bunyon Hot Dog Statue, Palms Grill Cafe, J.H. Hawes Grain Elevator and Museum, and Route 66 Park

Railsplitter Covered Wagon, Lincoln

Lincoln: Railsplitter Covered Wagon (part of the Land of Lincoln)

7. Springfield (Sangamon County)

Boxcar Museum, Williamsville

Williamsville: Boxcar Museum and Die Cast Motors

Cozy Dog Drive-In, Springfield

Springfield: Cozy Dog Drive-In and Route 66 Hotel, plus Land of Lincoln sites

Brick Route 66, Auburn — Brick section of Route 66, Auburn

Auburn: Brick section of Route 66

8. Litchfield (Montgomery County)

Raymond: Our Lady of the Highways

Ariston Cafe, Litchfield

Litchfield: Ariston Cafe, Jubelt’s Bakery & Restaurant, and the Vic Suhling Gas Station sign at the Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Welcome Center

9. Mount Olive (Macoupin County)

Carlinville: Macoupin County Courthouse

Mother Jones Monument at Union Miners Cemetery

Soulsby Station, Mount Olive

Mount Olive: Mother Jones Monument at Union Miners Cemetery, Soulsby Station, and unused Route 66

Staunton: Henrys Rabbit Ranch

10. Side Trip: Vandalia (Fayette County)

Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site

Vandalia: Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site

11. Livingston & Edwardsville (Madison County)

Pink Elephant Antique Mall, Livingstone

Livingstone: Pink Elephant Antique Mall

Wildey Theatre, Edwardsville, Illinois

Edwardsville: Wildey Theatre

World’s Largest Catsup Bottle, Collinsville, Illinois

Collinsville: World’s Largest Catsup Bottle

Chain of Rocks Bridge

Granite City: Chain of Rocks Bridge

12. Cahokia Mounds

Monks Mound, Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site

Collinsville: Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site

13. New France – Illinois Country

Cahokia Courthouse, Cahokia, Illinois

Holy Family Log Church, Cahokia, Illinois

Jarrot Mansion, Cahokia, Illinois

Cahokia: Cahokia Courthouse, Holy Family Log Church, and Jarrot Mansion

Fort de Chartres State Historic Site

Creole House, Prairie du Rocher, Illinois – French Colonial Illinois Country

Prairie Du Rocher: Fort de Chartres State Historic Site & Creole House

Kaskaskia: Kaskaskia Bell State Memorial

Jean-Baptiste Vallé House, Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park

Thematically linked to Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park in Missouri.

Next state going west: Missouri portion of old Route 66

Old Route 66, heading from east to west:

1. Illinois Old Route 66
2. Missouri Old Route 66
3. Kansas Old Route 66
4. Oklahoma Old Route 66
5. Texas Old Route 66
6. New Mexico Old Route 66
7. Arizona Old Route 66
8. California Old Route 66