Featured Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway Member
Litchfield, IL
Ariston Cafe - Pete Adam started the Ariston Café in nearby Carlinville in 1924. When the Mother Road was rerouted in 1929, Pete leased a new building in Litchfield. The Ariston’s great reputation for service, excellent food, and unbelievable desserts led Pete to relocate across the street in 1935 to his own building that still stands today. After three generations, the café is under new ownership of Martin and Kara Steffens, and Will and Michelle Law. The Ariston is said to be the oldest café on Route 66 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 and the Route 66 Hall of Fame.
(217) 250-2031
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Events & Festivals on Illinois Route 66
Deconstructing Stereotypes: Top Ten Truths About Native Peoples
Isle a la Cache Museum 501 E Romeo Rd, RomeovilleMany of us face stereotypes and misconceptions about our heritage and culture. But what stereotypes impact the lives of Native peoples the most? The Mitchell Museum of the American Indian surveyed Native American and Indigenous Canadian peoples to find out. The results identified the top ten stereotypes and misconceptions that Native peoples face today. They…
A Christmas Carol Holiday Story Trail
Downtown Pontiac 115 W. Howard, PontiacFrom the curators of Life in the Forties, Life on the Titanic, Music of the Civil War, Nine Days in April, and many other exhibits throughout Central Illinois comes Costumes and Characters…
Old Capitol Holiday Walks
Old State Capitol 1 Old State Capitol Plaza, SpringfieldSave The Date! Old Capitol Holiday Walks is starting 2 weeks earlier then previous years - November 14, 2020 - December 19, 2020. It’s a tradition of the season that…
Capital City Takeout Challenge – Support Local Restaurants & Enter for Chance to Win $1,000
Downtown Springfield Inc. 3 W Old State Capitol Plaza, SpringfieldHello Springfield! Purchase takeout from 5 different independent locally-owned restaurants. 1 of the 5 restaurants must be minority owned. *Minority includes: African American, Asian American or Asian Islander, Latin American…
Springfield Ballet Company Announces “Through Clara’s Eyes”
Springfield Ballet Company 420 S 6th St, SpringfieldSPRINGFIELD - Generations of central Illinois families celebrate the holiday season with a memorable trip to the Springfield Ballet Company's annual production of The Nutcracker. In a typical year, the Springfield…
Recently Updated
This page is dedicated to Coronavirus Resources for Illinois and Illinois Route 66 for the travelers and the communities.
Due to COVID-19, this contest has currently been halted. Once travel resumes, we will relaunch the monthly contest. Watch our social media pages for launch announcements!
Will you be out exploring the Mother Road this year? Take a selfie or a group photo! Take a photo at any Illinois Route 66 landmark and post it on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram with the hashtag #MyIL66 or submit via email to casey@illinoisroute66.org and be sure to put #MyIL66 in the subject line.
Each month, we will select three photos to be highlighted on our social media outlets, and the photo with the most likes, comments or shares will win an Illinois Route 66 commemorative license plate and an Illinois Route 66 baseball hat!
But it gets even better! Once per year, we will let voters choose a grand prize winner from the 12 monthly winners. The photo with the most likes, comments, or shares will win our grand prize: A basket full of Illinois Route 66 memorabilia, gift certificates, and more!
