Route 66

Get Your Kicks on Route 66

Embrace the freedom of the open road and enjoy retro roadside attractions on St. Louis’ stretch of “The Mother Road”

Visitors, start your engines. Satisfy your wanderlust along the world’s most fabled highway – Route 66. Begin your “66” adventure at its St. Louis starting point: the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge – the original mile-long span that crosses from Illinois to Missouri. Today, it’s the world’ s longest pedestrian bridge, open daily so hikers and cyclists can thrill to the panoramic views high above the Mighty Mississippi. During late winter and early spring, it’s also the perfect place to spot American bald eagles.

Your taste buds will appreciate a pit stop at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard. This iconic Route 66 attraction dishes out delectable chilled treats including signature “concretes” – milkshakes so thick they serve them to you upside down without spilling a delicious drop. Sample from the menu of classic combos such as the hot fudge and tart cherry-laden Cardinal Sin to the more exotic All Shook Up – a peanut butter and banana ode to Elvis.

Farther on down the road, the Museum of Transportation’s collection of more than 300 trains, planes and vintage automobiles will put you into overdrive. Dedicated to America’s love for life in the fast lane, the museum features a nostalgic display on Route 66 including a portion of St. Louis’ old deco-style Coral Court Motel. Be sure to hop aboard one of two scaled-down replicas of the famous 1863 C.P. Huntington steam locomotive for an open-air carriage ride along a one-mile track.

At Route 66 State Park, fittingly located off I-44’s exit 266, a former roadhouse now presents a free museum with exhibits about The Mother Road’s travel heyday. The museum gift shop brims with classic and quirky Route 66 souvenirs. Within the park, seven miles of hiking, bicycling and horseback riding trails and a picnic area dotted with vintage highway signs welcome visitors to a time when “road trip” defined the family vacation.

The oldest “66” tourist attraction remains the coolest. It’s always 60 degrees inside Meramec Caverns. Nicknamed “America’s Cave,” the amazing natural phenomenon served as a hideout for Missouri outlaws Jesse and Frank James. The cave’s awesome five-story-high interior has wowed travelers since 1935.

Interstate 44, the modern-day replacement for Old Route 66, also offers free off-ramp points of interest. Watch the road signs for exits to Laumeier Sculpture Park, where monumental contemporary sculptures blend into a natural environment. At Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, family-friendly hiking trails and forest animal exhibits provide a leg-stretch stop for the road weary. Animal attractions include Lone Elk Park’s drive-thru grazing range where elk and bison roam, the winged creature habitats at the World Bird Sanctuary, the Wild Canid Survival Center – a sanctuary for wolves – and Purina Farms, where city slickers can get up close to domesticated farm animals and pick up tips for training their own pups and kitties.

A ride out Route 66 lets you wander through tall grass prairie and fields brimming with wildflowers at Shaw Nature Reserve. And you can get your kicks on the thrilling amusement rides at Six Flags St. Louis. The popular theme park also offers a gigantic water park, family shows and games.

Automobile enthusiasts can take a spin off of “66” to visit other four-wheeled attractions. Top names in professional racing rev it up at Gateway International Raceway. Annual big racing events include NHRA Drag Racing and Sport Compact Series, NASCAR Busch and CraftsmanTruck Series, motorcycle competitions and weekly drag racing. Get behind the wheel at the NASCAR Speedpark at St. Louis Mills Mall. Tot Rods, Junior Speedway and Family 500 vehicles allow all ages to cruise along an indoor and three outdoor tracks. The new Grand Prix Speedway offers European-style indoor carting for a real racing experience.

From St. Louis, expand your All-American experience by following the “Best of 66” route east to Springfield, Illinois, and its starting point in Chicago. Minutes from downtown St. Louis, stop at Cahokia Mounds. Explore the remains of an ancient city built on earthen burial and ceremonial mounds that flourished from AD 700 to 1400 and then mysteriously disappeared.

Back on the highway heading northeast, you’ll pass small towns that proudly display historic Route 66 road markers. Old-time sites include the vintage Sky View Drive-In Theatre in Litchfield. In Springfield, Bill Shea’s Route 66 Gas Station Museum overflows with 80 years of the famous highway’s memorabilia and Mr. Shea’s wit and wisdom. You can’t miss the landmark “Gemini Giant,” a hamburger stop’s looming mascot in Wilmington.

Taking the road westbound from St. Louis, discover the gorgeous Ozark Mountains. In Springfield, Missouri, a Civil War battlefield beckons, as does the original Bass Pro Outlet. The family entertainment mecca of Branson veers off the Mother Road, and Lebanon, Missouri, offers the Route 66 Museum and Research Center dedicated to preserving the history of “America’s Main Street.”

Visitors | Meeting Planners | Travel Professionals | Media | St. Louis CVC