Route 66 family stops can combine arcade games, museums, unusual roadside sights and wildlife attractions. The listed options range from an arcade museum in Illinois to a ride-through cave in Missouri, with stops that can suit different ages and interests.
Choose stops around your family’s pace
Illinois’ official family itinerary covers 345 miles over four days, with stops between Chicago, Grafton and Alton, according to Enjoy Illinois. Use it as a state-level planning outline, then select individual attractions rather than trying to make every stop.
In Chicago, Maggie Daley Park offers an outdoor place for children to play. Millennium Park is next door, while Navy Pier adds lakefront attractions, including rides and family-friendly boat excursions. These city stops give families options before heading farther along the road.
For a mix of indoor and outdoor activities, pair museums or arcade games with a roadside photo stop. If children are especially interested in animals, Springfield, Missouri, and Williams, Arizona, have wildlife attractions listed by their tourism outlets. The outlets cited do not give the prices for these stops.
What can families do in Illinois?
Atlanta’s Route 66 Arcade Museum has pinball and other retro games, giving families a playful indoor break. In Lincoln, the World’s Largest Covered Wagon has a 24-foot-tall Abraham Lincoln statue on top, making it a distinctive roadside photo stop.
Springfield offers several different kinds of stops. Knights Action Park and mini golf add active play, while the Route 66 drive-in theater offers a movie outing. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum has interactive exhibits highlighted in the family itinerary.
Near Grafton, the Pink Elephant Antique Mall offers a large pink-elephant photo opportunity. Grafton SkyTours takes visitors on an aerial lift. Together, these stops add unusual sights and a change of pace to an Illinois drive.
Which stops work well in Oklahoma and Missouri?
Oklahoma has more than 400 miles of Route 66 and museums in Clinton, Elk City and Chandler, according to TravelOK. The outlet’s Route 66 page also notes that the state has the road’s longest drivable stretch, described as over 400 miles. Families can consider a museum stop while traveling through the state.
In Springfield, Missouri, Fantastic Caverns lets visitors explore a cave by Jeep-drawn tram. Wonders of Wildlife combines a wildlife museum and aquarium, according to Visit Springfield. These attractions offer different experiences, one focused on a ride through a cave and the other on wildlife exhibits.
Visit Springfield recommends a two- to three-day stay to experience the city’s attractions. Its Route 66 page also lists a free digital passport with check-ins at participating businesses and iconic stops. Families planning time in Springfield can use that as an optional way to track visits.
Where can children see wildlife in Arizona?
In Williams, Bearizona combines a drive-through wildlife experience with Fort Bearizona, a 20-acre walk-through zoo where children can feed goats, according to Visit Arizona. This gives families a choice between seeing animals from a vehicle and walking through the zoo.
Kingman’s Arizona Route 66 Museum covers the highway’s history and offers a Rock the Route Challenge passport. It can add a museum visit to an Arizona itinerary that also includes Bearizona. The outlets cited do not specify how long families should allow for either attraction.
Frequently asked questions
What are good Route 66 attractions for families with kids?
Options include the Route 66 Arcade Museum in Atlanta, Illinois, Fantastic Caverns in Springfield, Missouri, and Bearizona in Williams, Arizona. The stops offer games, a ride-through cave and wildlife encounters.
What are some Route 66 stops in Illinois?
Illinois options include Maggie Daley Park and Navy Pier in Chicago, the arcade museum in Atlanta, the covered wagon in Lincoln, and attractions in Springfield. Near Grafton, families can visit the Pink Elephant Antique Mall and take the Grafton SkyTours aerial lift.
Where are the Route 66 museums in Oklahoma?
TravelOK lists museums in Clinton, Elk City and Chandler. Its page describes Oklahoma’s drivable Route 66 stretch as over 400 miles.
How much time should families spend in Springfield, Missouri?
Visit Springfield recommends a two- to three-day stay to experience the city’s attractions. Its listed options include Fantastic Caverns and Wonders of Wildlife.
