Illinois Route 66 Museum

From its beginning in Chicago, Route 66 headed southwest to Joliet, Wilmington, Dwight, Odell, and into Pontiac. The 104 miles segment from Chicago to Pontiac takes about 2 hours to drive, without stopping.

Pontiac is named after Chief Pontiac, an Ottawa chief and the leader of "Pontiac's Rebellion" in the 1760s. Founded in 1837, Pontiac is the county seat for Livingston County and has a population of over 11,000 residents. Pontiac experienced significant growth spurts with the coming of two important transportation infrastructures: The Chicago and Alton Railroad in 1854, and Route 66 in 1926.

Originally located on Illinois Route 4, it later became part of U.S. Route 66.

The City is a popular stop for national and international Route 66 heritage travelers. It offer visitors a wide variety of attractions, hotels and lodging, and dining options.

The Pontiac Museum Complex

Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum A popular stop in Illinois along Historic Route 66 is Pontiac, known for the Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum, as well as its many murals! The facility is the repository for thousands of pieces of historic memorabilia from the glory days of the Mother Road. Visitors learn the history of Route 66 in Illinois, see images of the road's wonderful history, and hear a few great stories about life in America when Route 66 was the most important highway in the nation. The popular Route 66 shield mural at the back of the Museum was the first in Pontiac. It was designed and painted by Pontiac's own Diaz Sign Art. In front of the mural visitors can drive their car, motorcycle, or other mode of transportation, or just stand on original Route 66 bricks for a photo op. Access to the mural is from Main Street in the 300 block, just off of Howard Street. The address of the Museum is 110 W Howard Street, Pontiac, IL 61764. Phone 815.844.4566 Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum website

The famous Route 66 shield mural	Bob Waldmire's VW bus
Bob Waldmire's Road Yacht	Bob Waldmire's Road Yacht Sign
Route 66 Wishing Well Sign	Preserving Route 66 in Illinois

More Pontiac Attractions and Things to Do

Besides the popular Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum, Pontiac has lots more to see and do, and has become a popular visitor destination for many reasons. The city is home to four wonderful museums and some interesting exhibits - all of them donation only admission.

It has a fabulous collection of outdoor painted murals, nine Looking For Lincoln heritage sites, five Route 66 heritage sites, and of course, our three unique swinging pedestrian bridges.

The Pontiac Visitors Center has maps and brochures available.

Highlights of attractions include:

Pontiac-Oakland Automobile Museum and Resource Center
Museum of Gilding Arts
Livingston County War Museum
Abraham Lincoln Story Trail
Murals on Main Street
The Bob Waldmire Experience
Historic Walking Tours
Skateboard Park

More about Pontiac attractions at VisitPontiac.org

Murals on Main Street

Pontiac is home to 23 outdoor murals which, in addition to being beautiful pieces of public art, depict its varied local history. Most of the murals can be seen from your car, however, a walking tour is the best way to see the many details.

The largest mural is the Route 66 shield found on the back of the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum. At its base are bricks from the original Route 66 alignment running through Pontiac and it is the perfect backdrop for a photo of your Route 66 road trip.

Read more about each of the murals and their designers and painters

Welcome to Pontiac Route 66 mural

Daniels Oil & Roszell's

Bob Waldmire Memorial Mural ... Get Your Kicks on Illinois Route 66

Robert "Bob" Waldmire was an American artist and cartographer who is well known for his artwork of U.S. Route 66.

He lived for a while in Springfield in a converted Chevrolet school bus turned into a land yacht. Another of Waldmire's modified vehicles was an orange 1972 Volkswagen Microbus that was the inspiration for the character "Fillmore" in the 2006 animated motion picture "Cars". Both the bus and the Volkswagen are on display at the Illinois Route 66 Museum in Pontiac.

In 2004, Bob earned the National Historic Route 66 Federation's John Steinbeck Award for his contributions to the preservation of Route 66.

This mural features a map of the entire length of Route 66. It is 66 feet in length and was designed by Bob from his sickbed just a short time before he passed away in 2009. It was painted in Bob's memory by members of the Waldmire family and about 500 of Bob's friends from along the entire Mother Road. When one stands close to the mural, they will notice hundreds of hand prints. Each person who worked on Bob's mural, and who felt they had been touched by Bob's art, left a hand print. The mural was completed in May of 2011.

His official website, BobWaldmire.com, remains in operation and is currently being maintained by his brother Buz Waldmire.