Route 66: The Road That Takes You Photographic Exhibition by David J. Schwartz
Route 66: The Road That Takes You — Springfield Edition is a photography exhibition by Lakewood, Ohio photographer David J. Schwartz, whose work was selected for the official USPS Route 66 Centennial commemorative stamps.
For more than two decades, Schwartz has traveled the length of Route 66, documenting the people, places, and quiet moments that give the Mother Road its enduring spirit. His photographs move beyond nostalgia, capturing Route 66 as a living highway shaped by the communities and individuals who continue to care for it today.
Presented in partnership with Visit Springfield, this exhibition brings together a curated selection of Schwartz’s photographs reflecting the landscape, roadside architecture, and cultural life found along America’s most celebrated highway.
The exhibition is installed at The Pharmacy Gallery in downtown Springfield, where it hangs alongside an exhibition honoring the work of legendary Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire, creating a rare opportunity to experience two generations of artistic interpretation of the Mother Road in the same space.
Visitors will encounter images drawn from Schwartz’s extensive Route 66 archive, built over more than 40 trips along the historic highway, each photograph rooted in firsthand experience of the road and the people who keep its spirit alive.
Route 66 is not something preserved behind glass or held back by a velvet rope. It is a living road that travelers can step into, experience for themselves, and help sustain for generations to come.
The exhibition opened on March 27, 2026, and will remain on view through December 31, 2026.
