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    Historic Route 66 Begin Sign

    3.9 (9 reviews)

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    On the corner of Adams & Michigan Ave. across the street from the Art institute of Chicago.
    Tony H.

    A cool little sight to see while passing around through downtown Chicago. The sign is on Michigan Ave & Adams St. right across the street from the Art Institute of Chicago. Being from LA where the end of Route 66 sign is out on the pier in Santa Monica it was pretty cool to see the beginning of the trail.

    San Diego 66 sign

    Travelled backwards from San Diego to Chicago on Route 66. Come On Chicago, have some pride in your history. The dichotomy between the cleanliness of the sign and around the sign between San Diego and Chicago is amazing.

    Sign
    Steve A.

    Curious to see where the famous road begins? If you like Route 66 stuff, this is a must visit for sure, but you won't be staying for long. There isn't much to it, so it's not that interesting though. Even though it's a significant place, it should only take a few moments to look at. Pretty much it's more interesting to read about it than it actually see it seems. Basically the history of Route 66 is more interesting than looking at this road sign in the middle of busy Chicago. It's located on Adams just west of Michigan. This is closest to the Adams and Wabash station. Certainly no one comes here just to see it. This is close to a few museums. Among these is the Art Institute. There's also a few restaurants such as the Berghoff among others. Check it out when you're seeing somewhere else around here. It only takes a few seconds to get a look at it and then you move on. This is close to a Loop station and many forms of public transportation.

    Ariel W.

    Route 66 is so famous, it even inspired a song. "It winds from Chicago to LA More than two thousand miles all the way. Get your kicks on Route sixty six." When I was in Chicago I wanted to find the start to this historic road and it turns out it is right across the street from the Chicago Art Institute. In 1926, the U.S. federal highway system designated the number 66 to the route that ran from Chicago to Santa Monica. It was created in response to the rise in popularity of cars and the demand for safer and more direct roadways. Route 66 was made up of a series of pre-existing roads that followed the ancient trails made by the first people to reach North America 15,000 years ago. Indians used these foot trails and later they were traveled by fur trappers in the 1700's and pioneers in the 1800's. The roads were designated Route 66 so that it had consistent signs as it crossed state boundaries. By 1938, the road was fully paved. Route 66 travels over 2,400 miles, crossing 8 states, before ending at the Pacific Coast in Santa Monica, California. It runs through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. From 1926 to 1985, it was the most traveled route between the Midwest and the West In John Steinbeck's book The Grapes of Wrath, he referred to Route 66 as "the mother road, the road of flight" for those trying to escape the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression in the 1930's as they headed to California for a better life. WWII veterans used the route to hitchhike after they returned from war. In the 1950's and 60's, it was the route vacationing families in the Midwest took to the Grand Canyon and Disneyland. during this time a host of restaurants, motels, diners, gas stations, car repair shops, and tourist attractions popped up along the route. As the current federal interstate system was created to get people from point A to point B more quickly, many of the small towns on Route 66 were bypassed causing their death. Think Radiator Springs in the Disney movie Cars which was once a popular stop along U.S. Route 66 until it was bypassed with the construction of Interstate 40 and forgotten. Route 66 was decommissioned in 1985 and it is no longer officially designated or signed as Route 66 but if you have a Route 66 guidebook you can still travel 80 percent of this road today. Tourism and preservation groups along with its portrayal in movies like Cars, has renewed interest in the historic road. The 66 Corridor Preservation Program was created by an act of Congress in 1999 and it is administered by the National Parks Service. I hope to make the full Route 66 trip someday. Anyone want to come along? LOL. You can still visit many of the same tourists spots people visited in the 1950's. Other area are now ghost towns. "Won't you get hip to this timely tip. When you make that California trip. Get your kicks on Route sixty six."

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    Skydeck - NEVER FORGET (look closely)

    Skydeck

    3.5(951 reviews)
    0.6 miThe Loop

    Skydeck Chicago is one of those attractions that absolutely lives up to the hype. Whether it's your…read morefirst time in Chicago or your tenth, seeing the city from 103 stories up is an unforgettable experience. The views are breathtaking, and stepping onto The Ledge is both terrifying and exhilarating. Standing on a glass floor 1,353 feet above the streets of Chicago definitely gets your heart racing! On a clear day, you can see four different states, which makes you realize just how incredible the view really is. I also loved that the experience begins long before you reach the top. There are interactive exhibits and fun facts about Chicago and Willis Tower that make the wait enjoyable and help build the anticipation. Fun fact: The glass boxes of The Ledge extend 4.3 feet outside the building and are made of multiple layers of laminated glass strong enough to hold up to 10,000 pounds. Knowing that didn't completely calm my nerves, but it certainly helped! If you're visiting Chicago, Skydeck is a must-do. The combination of stunning views, fascinating history, and an adrenaline rush makes it well worth the visit. Five stars without hesitation!

    The overall experience and the downstairs museum detailing the city's history (with its great…read moredisplays and model train) are wonderful. However, the operations leave a lot to be desired. While a 90-second time limit makes sense on a packed day, on a slow day with only 10-20 people in line and 4 decks available, they should easily extend it. Instead, they cram multiple groups into one deck--forcing our party of four adults to share tight space with two strangers--and strictly require everyone to enter simultaneously. By the time you get settled and overcome any nerves, your 90 seconds are already up. We would have rated our experience much higher, but an employee soured the end of our visit. When we politely asked him to take a photo, he rudely and repeatedly barked that he would only do so if we left immediately afterward, even though we had timed our visit and were barely over the limit. Great attraction, but better customer service and flexibility are desperately needed.

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    Historic Route 66 Begin Sign - landmarks - Updated August 2026

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