Museums along Route 66 launch centennial exhibitions exploring the highway's cultural legacy

Route 66 celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, prompting museums along its path to mount exhibitions that examine the iconic road's impact on American history and culture. The highway, which once stretched approximately 2,400 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles and later Santa Monica, is being commemorated with shows that highlight its quirky attractions, like the neon dachshund sign at Albuquerque's Dog House Drive In, a fixture since 1948. While some displays celebrate the road's famous tail-finned cars and oddball landmarks, others address darker aspects of its history. Although decommissioned as an official U.S. highway due to the interstate system, Route 66 continues to attract national and international tourists, cementing its place in the popular imagination. These museum initiatives aim to both celebrate and complicate the legacy of this automotive corridor, often described as a linear museum spanning eight states.