The iconic Route 66 is approaching its 100th birthday. To celebrate the centennial in 2026, the State Historical Society of Missouri is collecting items and anecdotes about “America’s Main Street.”
While much of the route’s rich history is well preserved, researchers are hoping to “fill in historical gaps” by recording the experiences of women, immigrants and African Americans who traveled or lived near the historic highway, said Sean Rost, assistant director of research at the historical society.
Only portions of the road remain in use, but the highway remains a source of nostalgia, explained Katie Seal, coordinator at the Rolla and Springfield Research Centers for the historical society.
“People across different areas, rural and urban, were meeting and interacting. You had generations of people who lived and worked or traveled along Route 66 and it really just became this big icon … the tourist attraction was simply being on the road,” Seal said.
Researchers are building an archival collection and an exhibit that opens to the public in 2026. To submit your stories, contact the State Historical Society of Missouri at contact@shsmo.org.
For more about businesses and attractions along Route 66, including Alberta’s Hotel and its rumpus room, and how pop culture made the highway so famous, listen to the full St. Louis on the Air conversation on Apple Podcast, Spotify and YouTube, or click the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Roshae Hemmings is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Send questions and comments about this story to talk@stlpr.org.
