Own it
Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway promotes Mother Road now, beyond
By Tamara “Tammie” Browning
Casey Claypool owns Route 66.
Claypool’s daughter told her fourth-grade teacher that “truth” years ago. The teacher couldn’t believe it, so she checked it out.
The teacher discovered Claypool “owns” Route 66 in the way she promotes the Mother Road by preserving its heritage as the executive director of the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway.
Claypool does that through communication and education, particularly with young people, as Route 66 celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2026.
Officially commissioned on Nov. 11, 1926, Route 66 is a highway that originally went about 2,400 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles. It went through eight states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
Three alignments (1926-1930; 1930-1940; 1940-1977) and over 400 miles of Route 66 are in Illinois.
“We need to educate these kids on what Route 66 is,” Claypool said during the Mid-Illinois Communications Association’s “Lunch & Learn” event on Jan. 28, 2026, at The Horace Mann Companies, downtown Springfield, Illinois.
The program discussed “The Centennial Celebration of Route 66.”
“We need to show these kids the Gemini Giant (in Wilmington),” Claypool said. “We need to show them the big catsup bottle (in Collinsville) so they can go home and tell their parents, ‘Hey, we want to go see that.’ ”
Celebrate 100 years
Route 66’s centennial is creating a legacy.
The Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway is promoting the road’s heritage through communication and education. The Byway serves 90 communities in Illinois, from Chicago to the Chain of Rocks Bridge near Madison, by enhancing and promoting economic opportunities for each Illinois Route 66 community.
“Route 66 is a living, breathing road. People get on the route. People take the day trips, the week trips, three-week trips,” Claypool said.
And now that Route 66 is 100, people want to know how its birthday is being celebrated.
Five centennial celebrations will be held in five cities across Route 66 on April 30, 2026.
April 30, 2026, is the 100th anniversary of the telegram that was sent in 1926 from Springfield, Missouri, to Washington, D.C., requesting that a new transcontinental road be named Route 66.
“April 30th, the kickoff event will be in Springfield, Missouri,” Claypool said. “It is going to be a simulcast … they’re going to simulcast the other locations with this one large location.”
Five communities, including Joliet, are “Designated Official Satellite Cities” for the Route 66 centennial kickoff on April 30, 2026.
The five Official Satellite Cities are Joliet, Illinois; St. Louis, Missouri; Amarillo, Texas; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Santa Monica, California. Details about how each city will celebrate are on the website of the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway.
For example, Joliet will host its satellite city celebration at the historic 1858 Old Joliet Prison Site.
Illinois’ large event will be on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, the 100th anniversary of the official commissioning of U.S. Route 66.
On Nov. 11, a conference and celebration will be held at Route 66 Motorheads Bar & Grill, Museum & Entertainment Complex at 600 Toronto Road in Springfield, Illinois. A Veterans Day presentation also will take place. More details are here.
Beyond the 100th year
For kids, Route 66-character Simon the Sputnik will be launched later in 2026, a partnership between Ace Sign Co. in Springfield, Illinois, and the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway.
Simon the Sputnik’s home is at the Ace Sign Co. Sign Museum at 2540 S. 1st St., Springfield, Illinois. (The museum, which has historic signs from Springfield and Route 66, is free and open to public tours Monday-Friday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.)
“Inspired by real events, Simon the Sputnik, a beloved sign that once sparkled above the Bel-Aire Motel along the world-famous Route 66, invites you to learn about the Mother Road,” Simon the Sputnik’s Facebook page says.
Simon the Sputnik, who has curriculum, will be placed around Illinois. Information about Simon the Sputnik will be on the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway’s mobile app. (Search for “Explore Illinois Route 66” in the App Store and Google Play.)
“Simon will start taking travels up and down Route 66. He’ll meet Mr. and Mrs. Corn Dog. He’s going to meet the Gemini Giant,” Claypool said. “We plan to introduce him outside of Illinois so he can meet the Blue Whale of Catoosa (Oklahoma).”
Simon the Sputnik will be launched in schools along Route 66.
“Launching it towards the end of the year is OK because we need to give people something to look forward to … because what happens after this 100 years?” Claypool said.
Road Rules – News, Events:
The Official Map of the Route 66 Centennial, produced by Rand McNally Publishing, is available.
“The foldable paper map, 28” x 40”, highlights essential stops along Route 66 while combining practical travel guidance with rich storytelling,” a news release says. “Features include Mother Road history, hidden lore, expert traveler tips, and a curated guide to Route 66 Centennial celebrations taking place across the country.”
The map is available for $9.99 at randpublishing.com, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Route 66 Centennial 2026 Celebrations – Save the Dates:
The next Celebrate and Learn! National Route 66 Centennial Speaker Series will take place Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, as it aims for every second Tuesday of each month during the centennial year (11 a.m. PT/12 p.m. MT/1 p.m. CT/2 p.m. ET).
Authors, historians, researchers and advocates will present stories and perspectives about Route 66.
For those unable to attend live, each session will be recorded and made available on YouTube.
Free registration for the Tuesday, Feb. 10, session on “Cy Avery and the Invention of Route 66” with speaker Susan Croce Kelly is open.
For more information and to register, visit “Sessions Overview at-a-glance.”
Springfield, Missouri, will host the National Kickoff of America’s Route 66 Centennial Celebration in 2026 on Thursday, April 30.
A kickoff concert will be held on Thursday, April 30, at the Abou Ben Adhem Shrine Mosque, 601 E. St. Louis St., Springfield, Missouri.
April 30, 2026, is the 100th anniversary of the telegram that was sent in 1926 from Springfield, Missouri, to Washington, D.C., requesting that a new transcontinental road be named Route 66, according to https://celebratemo66.com/.
The concert will be livestreamed around the world with cut-ins from Route 66 cities in the United States.
More information is at https://celebratemo66.com/.
Route of Tulsa’s World-Record Classic Car Parade, Saturday, May 30, Tulsa, Oklahoma, aims to be the world’s largest classic car parade, “with a goal of 3,000 classic cars cruising down 5.5 miles of the historic highway.”
To register, visit CapitalOfRoute66.com.
The Pink Elephant Antique Mall in Livingston, Illinois, plans a Smokin’ on 66 — a Barbecue Cook-Off Competition during its Route 66 Centennial Celebration on Saturday, June 20, 2026.
Plans are underway, so the mall isn’t signing up teams or collecting entry fees just yet.
Official updates will be posted on the mall’s Facebook page.
Only In Your State, the official publishing partner of the Route 66 Centennial, is offering a 2026 event calendar outlining planned celebrations for the centennial of Route 66.
The calendar is available here.