The Mother Road Comes Alive in Springfield

The interactive exhibit gives visitors a chance to walk through Illinois’ portion of the historic “Mother Road.” It features Legends Neon Sign Park, a tribute to the Muffler Men along the Route as well as photos and information on historic and current Route 66 stops.

Vintage billboards, a drive-in movie theatre, and Legends Neon Sign Park along Illinois Route 66 make up a large part of the Experience.  The desire to educate youth, bring back the road trip, and promote Illinois Route 66 communities was the driving force behind this project.

The experience is an initiative led by the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway, for which Adamowski serves as Board Chair, and Visit Springfield, the Department of Agriculture, Enjoy Illinois and Ace Sign Company.

The Byway received $1.875 million for the Route 66 Experience, $500,000 of which came from the Illinois Office of Tourism, $500,000 from businesses and private donors and $875,000 from Visit Springfield.

Landmarks Illinois called attention to Illinois’ portion of Route 66 on its 2017 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois. We have also joined with other partners to advocate for the designation of Route 66 as a National Historic Trail.

The Route 66 Centennial will be celebrated nationwide in 2026. The Ace Sign Co. Team imagined, designed, engineered, fabricated, and installed each element of the Route 66 Experience, including all authentic glass neon crafted in their Springfield facility.