In 1926, a city official in Springfield, Missouri, sent a telegram requesting that a new transcontinental road be named Route 66. A hundred years later, Springfield sent a different kind of message: a $1 million-plus investment in attractions built to keep travelers coming back long after the celebration ended.
The United States National Route 66 Centennial Commission selected Springfield as the official national kickoff host city through a competitive process. The April 30 celebration date held particular significance, as it marked the anniversary of that original telegram.
City officials spent two years developing permanent attractions rather than one-time event fixtures. “We saw an opportunity to do more than welcome visitors for the Centennial,” says Mark Hecquet, president and CEO of Visit Springfield. “We wanted to change the way people experience Springfield by helping them find more reasons to explore, stay longer and connect with the city.”
Route 66 stretches roughly 2,400 miles across eight states, from Chicago to Santa Monica, California. The highway became a major route for westward migration during the Dust Bowl, carrying families and workers toward new opportunities in the West. In the decades that followed, it evolved into a symbol of the American road trip. Today, communities along the historic corridor are marking the centennial with new events and attractions designed to draw travelers back to the Mother Road.
A road that plays music
Drive 30 mph down a stretch of St. Louis Street, and your tires do something unexpected: they play “America the Beautiful.” Specially spaced rumble strips produce the tune, making Springfield’s Musical Road one of only a handful like it in the country and one of the more memorable things a road trip has ever asked a driver to do.
Just steps away, the Queen’s Gate 66 Monument rises nearly 30 feet above the street, lit up at night and hard to miss by day. It honors Springfield’s dual identity as the Birthplace of Route 66 and the Queen City of the Ozarks; two titles the city wears with pride.
Exploring by app and on foot
Sixteen large-scale sculptures scattered across Springfield give visitors a reason to wander well beyond the highway itself. Some pieces celebrate the Ozarks’ natural landscape, while others honor classic car culture. At least one sculpture reimagines Route 66 itself as a bridge between the analog era and the digital age. A free mobile app connects all 16 locations, with QR codes at each stop revealing the artist’s story behind the work. Visitors who reach 15 of the 16 stops unlock three different collectible digital pin designs.
The Route 66 Digital Pass, developed with AAA, turns the whole city into a kind of scavenger hunt. Check in at hotels, attractions and landmarks to earn points, then trade them for Route 66-themed merchandise. More than 3,000 travelers have signed up since the program launched, according to Visit Springfield.
“The Route 66 Digital Pass and the Springfield 66: Sculpture Route provide new ways for visitors to experience Springfield that are both engaging and meaningful,” says Andrea Copeland, vice president of marketing for Visit Springfield.
A summer of results
Tourism in Springfield already generates $1 billion annually and supports nearly 20,000 jobs, according to Visit Springfield. The centennial investments were designed to deepen that economic base by giving travelers more reasons to return. The summer numbers the tourism board shared in an email suggest they did.
Hotel revenue rose 7.5% from May through August compared with the same period last year, with gains in both occupancy and average daily rate. The newly opened Route 66 Welcome Center drew 2,343 visitors in May alone, compared with roughly 1,000 the year before. Guests arrived from as many as 26 countries in a single month.
“The Route 66 Centennial helped kick off an excellent summer travel season here in Springfield,” Hecquet says. “The Centennial’s impact is certainly continuing, complemented by Springfield’s strong mix of festivals, sporting events, group business, university activity, attractions and leisure travel.”
The celebration continues
While the Welcome Center greets road trippers coming in off the highway, travelers arriving by air get their first taste of Springfield at the airport. A new information center at Springfield-Branson National Airport offers digital kiosks and trip-planning resources for visitors just off the plane.
Travelers have been stopping in Springfield since before Route 66 had a name. After this summer, they have new reasons to stay longer.
Karee Blunt is a nationally syndicated travel journalist and creator of the travel blog Our Woven Journey. Karee enjoys sharing what she learns about places she visits, including history museums, unique things to do indoors and out, one-of-a-kind festivals and upscale dining and accommodations. She is the mother of six kids, including four through adoption, and lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.