Santa Monica is celebrating Route 66’s 100th anniversary this fall, with a season of openings to match the milestone. New restaurants are opening weekly, and hotels are rolling out seasonal programming. A landmark neighborhood spot is marking two decades of its own this year, and it’s all happening in the same few months.
Santa Monica has spent much of the year building toward the Route 66 milestone, and businesses along its best-known strips are using the moment to open new doors and refresh old ones. For a city that already draws beach crowds every weekend, the centennial gives visitors one more reason to stick around past sunset.
100 Years of Route 66
Route 66 has linked communities across the country since 1926, and its official 100th anniversary falls on November 11. Santa Monica sits at the highway’s western end, where the Mother Road meets the Pacific, and the city has spent the past year highlighting its own Route 66 landmarks and legacy businesses.
A citywide song contest tied to the milestone wraps up this fall, with the winning songwriter receiving a $10,000 prize when Santa Monica announces the results in November. The Santa Monica History Museum is marking the occasion with a new Route 66 exhibit, “Creating Route 66: Road, Legend, Community,” opening in November and running through June 2027.
Hotels Roll Out Seasonal Perks
Several of the city’s hotels are rolling out their own version of a fall refresh.
- Regent Santa Monica Beach is screening Halloween classics for its Cinema by the Sea series, including a “Practical Magic” showing on October 31 with themed cocktails and bites.
- Shore Hotel has introduced Coastal Petite Rooms, a smaller, more intimate room style now open for booking for stays beginning January 1.
- Shutters on the Beach now hosts live DJ sets every Saturday evening in its Living Room lounge, paired with a new cocktail menu.
- Viceroy Santa Monica’s Sugar Palm offers private heated cabanas through December 31, with s’mores boards and fire pits included.
- Huntley Santa Monica Beach has refreshed its Wellness Lounge with a heated saltwater whirlpool, a barrel sauna, an infrared sauna and a cold plunge.
- Hotel Casa del Mar and Shutters on the Beach are supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month through October, turning their facades pink and donating proceeds from a special Pink menu to breast cancer research.
New Restaurants to Try This Fall
A wave of new restaurants is opening across the city at the same time, alongside one longtime favorite reaching a milestone of its own.
- Rustic Canyon is marking 20 years in business this December. Chef Josh Loeb opened the restaurant in 2006 around a slow-food approach and ingredients from the local farmers market.
- Khan Saab Desi Craft Kitchen, a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant from Fullerton, has expanded into Downtown Santa Monica, where chef-partner Imran Ali Mookhi serves a fully halal menu of Pakistani and Indian dishes.
- Kogen Omakase is a 10-seat Japanese fine dining spot from chef Yasu Iwai and restaurateur Adrian Taylor, serving fish the team flies in from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market.
- Bar Fortuna comes from chef Brian Bornemann of Crudo e Nudo, with handmade pastas and an Italian-leaning wine list.
- Gott’s Roadside is bringing its Napa Valley burgers, fries, shakes and tacos to Santa Monica this fall, its second Southern California location.
- Louma Bakery bakes European-style pastries and breads, and it funnels its earnings into job training for people with intellectual and developmental differences.
A handful of smaller openings round out the season, including West Side Oyster Club’s new all-afternoon happy hour, Bacio di Latte’s second Santa Monica gelato shop, Met Her at a Bar’s all-day cafe on Main Street and Punchbowl’s new juice and smoothie shop.
A Busy Season for Galleries and Events
The centennial isn’t the only reason to visit a gallery or exhibit this season.
- ARTE Museum is preparing to open an immersive digital art installation at Santa Monica Place that blends sound and scent, though Santa Monica Place hasn’t announced an exact opening date.
- The Swiss Winter Village returns to the Santa Monica Pier from November 18 to January 3, with artisanal food stalls, a Swiss chalet, live performances and an ice-skating rink overlooking the ocean.
- Bergamot Station Arts Center is hosting several new fall exhibits across its galleries, including Wayne Thiebaud works at Leslie Sacks Gallery through November 14.
- The 18th Street Arts Center debuts “RED ALL NIGHTmare,” an exhibit that artist duo Beck+Col built around their short film, running November 13 through December 18.
- Santa Monica Block Fest returns to Third Street Promenade every second Saturday through December with live DJs and a food night market.
Planning a Fall Trip to Santa Monica
Route 66’s actual 100th birthday lands on November 11, and Santa Monica isn’t slowing down once the date passes. Several of the season’s hotel experiences and the Pier’s holiday market run well into December and January, so travelers should check dates before booking a trip. A fall weekend here can easily turn into a holiday one.