Learning to use our calendar puts the fun and adventure of Route 66 at your fingertips. It's easy to discover the when, what and where of events along the road.
Watch Route 66 evolve into The Mother Road with maps and highway guides from 1917-1992 courtesty of the official 
Welcome!
The Route 66 Association of Illinois is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to preserving, promoting, educating and enjoying Route 66 in Illinois. It's members hail from all over the US and many other countries. The Association sponsors the Route 66 Hall of Fame in Pontiac Illinois, stages an annual Chicago-St. Louis Motor Tour in early June and publishes a quarterly newsletter.
There is much to do and see here in Illinois, and on our website. Browse the towns along the road, explore our map views of fantastic attractions, visit our online gift shop, read about our preservation efforts, enjoy our member adventures, and join our association.
We hope you enjoy your visit!
Our BIG News!
Submitted by Editor Gina on August 2, 2010 - 8:53pm.You’ve patiently waited for two weeks for us to announce our BIG Route 66 Association of Illinois news. Well, without further ado, here it is!
Through the efforts of a dedicated Route 66 Association of Illinois board member, some very special items will soon be on display at our Museum and Hall of Fame in Pontiac, IL.
What are these special items? And who is responsible for securing them for us to display?
Donate for Route 66 Brochure
Submitted by Editor Gina on June 19, 2010 - 2:09pm.The Route 66 Associiation of Illinois is asking for your financial assistance to create a brochure highlighting the many Route 66 attractions and preservation projects in Illinois.
Association Sponsored Meetings & Events
| Name | Date | Event Type |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Quarterly Meeting | Sunday October 17 | Association Meetings |
Fun Events Down The Road
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Ronnie Baker Brooks Concert - Joliet, IL | Wednesday September 8 |
| Missouri Motor Tour 2010 | Friday September 10 |
| JAHM Pancake Breakfast - Joliet | Sunday September 12 |
| 18th Annual Threshermen's Bluegrass Festival - Pontiac, IL | Friday September 24 |
| Campfire Ring - Elwood, IL | Saturday September 25 |
Recent News
Help Needed at the Streetcar
Submitted by Editor Gina on September 2, 2010 - 10:44pm.Our thanks to John Weiss for providing the following information:
Help is needed to scrape and sand the Streetcar (which was formerly on the property of the Riviera Roadhouse in Gardner, IL, which burned down in February) to prepare it for painting. We would like to do this messy job where it is stored before it gets moved onto it's new home base by the two cell jail. The concrete has been poured already.
We will be doing this project on Wednesday September 8, 2010 at 9:00 AM. We need all the help we can get!
We will meet at the corner of Route 66 (Rt. 53) and where you turn to go into Gardner when you are Southbound.
Threshermen's Parade - Help Needed!
Submitted by Editor Gina on August 30, 2010 - 2:25pm.We need help! On Sunday, September 5th, the Route 66 Association of Illinois will be having a float in the Threshermen's parade in Pontiac!
We will be handing out candy to the people at the parade (no throwing, candy must be handed to people) so we need some volunteers who are willing to walk the parade route. We need people who are willing to walk about 1.5 miles. There will be
a car that pulls the float so candy and water will be available during the walk.
If you're interested, please contact one of the following folks:
Ronnie Baker Brooks at JAHM for Rooftop Concert
Submitted by Editor Gina on August 28, 2010 - 8:47pm.JOLIET — Known as the Crowned Prince of the Blues, Ronnie Baker Brooks and his band perform soul-filled music September 8 at the Joliet Area Historical Museum.
The son of blues legend Lonnie Brooks, Ronnie grew up steeped in American music tradition, yet puts his own twist on the blues by incorporating funk, soul and rock influences.
JAHM invites the public to the performance, held on the Museum’s Rooftop Terrace at 204 N. Ottawa Street. Free parking is available at Ottawa and Webster Streets.
Brooks played at the JAHM in February 2010, and because he enjoyed the audience and venue so much, he asked to return. The JAHM wanted to offer another Brooks performance to the community and signed his group for the final concert in this summer’s Five Bridges Folk Series.
“Ronnie Baker Brooks is a talented musician and songwriter, but I was also impressed with the ease with which he related to the audience, both on and off the stage. It is obvious that Brooks invests his heart and soul, whether talking with his fans or performing,” said Leslie Bolin, marketing manager at the JAHM.
Pancake Breakfast Has a Flip Side
Submitted by Editor Gina on August 27, 2010 - 10:08am.JOLIET — If you’re on a quest for a fast and easy Sunday breakfast, visit the Joliet Area Historical Museum Sunday, September 12, and enjoy a stack of pancakes.
Fast is the key word here. JAHM isn’t serving up your run-of-the-mill pancakes. Instead, guests can watch an amazing pancake machine flip out 33 perfect pancakes in three minutes flat.
Exactly how does this machine work? The pancake machine is 44" in diameter with a round aluminum top that rotates and cooks up to 33 pancakes every three minutes. After one 90-second rotation, the pancakes are flipped, then rotate one more time for 90 seconds before they are declared ready to serve.
The pancake machine was invented by Neal Houbolt, Russell Vanderhoof, and Lee Petrie. Houbolt, a Joliet native who is a pilot and has been involved in aviation for over 50 years, had attended numerous pancake breakfast events. After watching the organizers cook pancakes on small, conventional griddles, Houbolt said, “There has to be a better way.”
Preservationist Dolores Scinto Passes Away
Submitted by Editor Gina on August 22, 2010 - 5:47pm.Our Association has lost one of our most dedicated Preservation people, Dolores Scinto. Despite having vision issues she still participated in Preservation projects.Dolores was a wonderful woman who had vision problems before cancer - one of her last projects she worked on was painting Odell Station. She will be greatly missed. Our Association extends our deepest sympathy to Dolores' family and loved ones.
Click to read Dolores Scinto's obituary in the SouthTownStar.com.
We welcome your Route 66 news, stories, photos and events for publication in our newsletter or on our web site!
