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LUPTON
Gateway to Arizona — Painted Cliffs & the first trading posts
2 stops
Stops in Lupton
The gateway to Arizona Route 66, where towering sandstone cliffs in vivid bands of red, orange, and cream announce that you've entered the Southwest. The historic 1929 Querino Canyon Bridge spans a desert arroyo on the original alignment — one of the earliest surviving Route 66 bridges in Arizona. Pull over, take in the cliffs, and let the landscape recalibrate your sense of scale.
I-40 Exit 359, Lupton
One of the most recognizable trading post complexes on Arizona Route 66 — a sprawling collection of Navajo, Zuni, and Hopi jewelry, pottery, rugs, and kachina dolls at the foot of the Painted Cliffs. Family-owned and operated for decades. The carved wooden figures and totem poles outside make it instantly recognizable from the road.
I-40 Exit 357, Lupton
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HOLBROOK
Wigwam Motel, Petrified Forest & the Painted Desert at Arizona’s eastern door
4 stops
Stops in Holbrook
One of the great icons of American roadside architecture — 15 concrete teepees arranged in a U-shape, each containing a double bed, vintage furniture, and original wood paneling. Built in 1950 and meticulously preserved, the Wigwam is one of only three surviving Wigwam Motels in the country and one of two on Route 66. Vintage cars are parked outside each unit. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Sleep here if you possibly can — this is Route 66 at its most essential.
811 W Hopi Dr, Holbrook
The eastern anchor of Arizona Route 66 — a national park where Route 66 itself passes through the entrance, and where 225-million-year-old logs of crystallized wood lie scattered across one of the most colorfully layered desert landscapes on Earth. The Painted Desert Inn, a 1924 Pueblo Revival building, is a designated National Historic Landmark now open as a museum and bookstore. Hike the Blue Mesa Trail, spot the 1932 Studebaker wreck at the park entrance, and check Newspaper Rock's 600 ancient petroglyphs.
1 Park Rd, Holbrook
Housed in Holbrook's magnificent 1898 Navajo County Courthouse — a grand Victorian building that once held an infamous jail — this free museum covers the town's Wild West past, Route 66 history, and the geology of the surrounding Painted Desert. The sheriff who gunned down three men in the street in 1887 had his office here. The building alone justifies a stop.
100 E Arizona St, Holbrook
Also in Holbrook
A Route 66 institution open since 1943, serving authentic Mexican and American food to Mother Road travelers for over 80 years. The green chile is the thing to order. The walls are covered in decades of Route 66 memorabilia, license plates, and traveler photos. One of the longest continuously operating restaurants on the Arizona stretch.
120 W Hopi Dr, Holbrook
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JOSEPH CITY
Here It Is — the legendary Jack Rabbit Trading Post billboard landmark
1 stop
Stops in Joseph City
Famous since 1949 for the yellow rabbit billboards that once dotted Route 66 for hundreds of miles — 'Here It Is!' — the Jack Rabbit is one of the most recognized roadside stops in Arizona. The giant yellow rabbit out front is the definitive photo op. Inside: Native American jewelry, souvenirs, cold drinks, and the kind of friendly family-run service that is increasingly rare on the Mother Road. The billboard campaign itself is now a piece of American advertising history.
3386 Historic Rte 66, Joseph City
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TWO GUNS
A ghost town built over massacre caves — Route 66’s eeriest stop
1 stop
Stops in Two Guns
One of the eeriest and most atmospheric stops on all of Route 66 — a ghost town built over a site of Apache massacres and later promoted as a tourist trap complete with a fake 'Apache Death Cave' and a zoo of mountain lions. Today the crumbling ruins of the zoo cages, the collapsed motel, and the old Route 66 bridge over Canyon Diablo sit undisturbed in the desert. A genuinely spooky and historically complex stop that rewards the curious.
Two Guns, AZ (I-40 Exit 230), Two Guns
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WINSLOW
Standin’ on the Corner, La Posada Hotel & Meteor Crater
4 stops
Stops in Winslow
Inspired by the Eagles' 1972 hit 'Take It Easy' — 'Well I'm standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, such a fine sight to see' — this small park features a bronze statue of a hitchhiker, a flatbed Ford truck, and a trompe l'oeil mural of the girl in the Ford. The whole world knows this corner. The annual Standin' on the Corner Festival draws thousands every September. One of Route 66's purest pop culture moments.
Kinsley Ave & 2nd St, Winslow
Built in 1930 as the last great Harvey House and designed by Mary Jane Colter — the woman who shaped the visual identity of the American Southwest — La Posada is one of the finest historic hotels in America. Closed in 1957, it was slated for demolition before being purchased and painstakingly restored by artist Tina Mion and hotelier Allan Affeldt over 25 years. The gardens, art galleries, and award-winning Turquoise Room restaurant have made La Posada a destination in its own right.
303 E 2nd St, Winslow
A wonderful free museum in a 1921 bank building, covering Winslow's remarkable history as a railroad hub, Route 66 town, and center of Hopi and Navajo culture. The Harvey Girl exhibit is particularly strong. The volunteer docents are some of the most knowledgeable Route 66 enthusiasts you'll meet anywhere.
212 Kinsley Ave, Winslow
Also in Winslow
The best-preserved meteorite impact crater on Earth — 4,000 feet wide, 560 feet deep, formed 50,000 years ago when a nickel-iron meteorite traveling 26,000 mph struck the Arizona plateau. NASA astronauts trained here for the Apollo moon missions. The interactive discovery center is excellent. Stand on the rim and let the scale overwhelm you — it takes a moment. Well worth the admission.
I-40 Exit 233, Meteor Crater Rd, Winslow
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FLAGSTAFF
The Mother Road’s mountain city — pine forests, historic neon & the Grand Canyon gateway
6 stops
Stops in Flagstaff
Route 66 runs right through the heart of Flagstaff's beautifully preserved downtown — a lively urban stretch of independent restaurants, craft breweries, bookshops, galleries, and live music venues in handsome historic brick buildings. At 7,000 feet, surrounded by the world's largest ponderosa pine forest and within an hour of the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff is the most livable and culturally rich city on all of Arizona Route 66.
Historic Route 66 / Santa Fe Ave, Flagstaff
A sandstone corner building begun in 1886 as a bank, left unfinished when the original developers ran out of money, then bought and completed in 1888 by Thomas F. McMillan, Flagstaff's first non-Native settler. It became the McMillan Opera House, hosting dances and community gatherings into the early 1900s, and has stayed in McMillan family ownership ever since — today it's The McMillan Bar and Kitchen, sitting exactly where Route 66 meets Leroux Street.
122 W Route 66, Flagstaff
Anchoring its corner of Leroux Street since 1900, the Weatherford has one of Flagstaff's better small stories: frequent guest Jimmy Swinnerton, a well-known newspaper cartoonist, checked in around 1915 to dry out from a drinking habit, and between spitting off the third-floor balcony at passersby, spent his sober stretches painting. Still a working hotel and bar today, just up the street from the McMillan Building.
23 N Leroux St, Flagstaff
While You’re in Flagstaff
Worth extra time
At 7,000 feet in the world’s largest ponderosa pine forest, Flagstaff is the most culturally rich city on all of Arizona Route 66. These stops go beyond the main strip — an observatory where Pluto was discovered, a canyon of 900-year-old cliff dwellings, and the greatest honky-tonk roadhouse on the Mother Road.
Built in 1931 from five massive ponderosa pine logs, the Museum Club is one of the great roadhouse bars of the American West — and one of the most atmospheric on all of Route 66. Originally a taxidermy museum and wildlife collection, it became a honky-tonk in the 1930s and has never looked back. The interior — all knotty pine, antler chandeliers, and neon — is extraordinary. Live country and rockabilly nightly. The ghost stories are a bonus.
3404 E Route 66, Flagstaff
Pluto was discovered here in 1930. Founded in 1894 by Percival Lowell, this working research observatory sits on a pine-forested mesa above downtown Flagstaff and offers public tours, historic telescope viewing, and an excellent visitor center. A genuinely world-class scientific institution that most Route 66 travelers drive right past. Don't.
1400 W Mars Hill Rd, Flagstaff
A stunning limestone canyon seven miles east of Flagstaff where the Sinagua people built cliff dwellings into the canyon walls around 1100 AD. The Island Trail descends 185 feet into the canyon past 25 cliff rooms. The views from the rim trail are extraordinary. A profound encounter with pre-Columbian Southwest culture that takes less than two hours.
3 Walnut Canyon Rd, Flagstaff
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WILLIAMS
The last town bypassed by I-40 — neon-lit Route 66 & the Grand Canyon Railway
3 stops
Stops in Williams
The last town to be bypassed by Interstate 40 in 1984 — and it shows. Williams' main street is a perfectly preserved Route 66 neon corridor with independent shops, classic diners, souvenir stores, and ice cream parlors in authentic 1940s-1950s buildings. The annual Route 66 Days festival celebrates the bypass anniversary every September with car shows and live music. Williams is also the starting point for the Grand Canyon Railway.
Historic Route 66 (Bill Williams Ave), Williams
A vintage steam and diesel train that has been carrying passengers from Williams to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon since 1901 — the same year the Harvey Houses opened. The two-hour train ride through high desert and pine forest is a genuinely romantic and scenic alternative to the drive. Vintage parlor cars, costumed characters, and the Grand Canyon at the end. Book well in advance.
233 N Grand Canyon Blvd, Williams
A beloved Route 66 diner in a classic 1950s gas station building, serving burgers, shakes, and cold beer in a room full of vintage cars and rock 'n' roll memorabilia. The neon signs light up beautifully at night, making this one of the most photogenic stops on the Williams strip. A consistently good meal and a great atmosphere.
233 W Route 66, Williams
SELIGMAN
Birthplace of the Route 66 preservation movement — Snow Cap, Angel & pure Americana
3 stops
Stops in Seligman
Founded by Juan Delgadillo in 1953 using salvaged lumber from a demolished Route 66 building, the Snow Cap is a masterpiece of deliberate chaos — fake bullet holes, a car with a tree growing through it, a door that doesn't open, and a window that does — all run by the Delgadillo family with legendary warmth and humor. Juan was one of the key figures in the 1987 campaign to preserve Route 66. Order the 'Dead Chicken' (chicken sandwich) and a chocolate malt. Quintessential Route 66.
301 Historic Route 66, Seligman
Angel Delgadillo — the 'Guardian Angel of Route 66' — opened his barbershop in Seligman in 1950 and spent the next four decades keeping the town alive after the interstate bypassed it in 1978. In 1987 he organized the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, launching the international movement to preserve the Mother Road. His gift shop occupies the original barbershop. Meeting Angel (or his family) is one of the genuine privileges of driving Route 66.
217 Historic Route 66, Seligman
Seligman's entire Route 66 commercial strip is a living museum — the Snow Cap, the gift shops, the Route 66 Roadrunner restaurant, the Aztec motel with its murals, the old barber pole still spinning. The town inspired the fictional Radiator Springs in Pixar's Cars, and it earns every bit of that affection. Budget a full hour here. The residents are some of the most passionate Route 66 advocates you'll ever meet.
Historic Route 66, Seligman
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PEACH SPRINGS
Grand Canyon Caverns — the deepest, darkest hotel room in the world
1 stop
Stops in Peach Springs
The largest dry caverns in the US, discovered in 1927 when a local man fell through a sinkhole. Today visitors descend 21 stories underground on an elevator for guided cave tours through massive chambers. The deepest, darkest, and quietest hotel room in the world is available 220 feet underground (book months in advance). The above-ground motel, diner, and gift shop are classic Route 66. A completely unique stop on the Mother Road.
Mile Marker 115, Historic Route 66, Peach Springs
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HACKBERRY
The Hackberry General Store — Route 66’s most photogenic roadside explosion
1 stop
Stops in Hackberry
A photogenic explosion of Route 66 memorabilia — vintage gas pumps, old cars, hand-painted signs, hubcaps, license plates, and Route 66 kitsch filling every inch of a perfectly preserved 1934 general store. The original store was operated by Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire, rumored to be the inspiration for Fillmore in Pixar's Cars. Now owned and lovingly maintained by John and Kerry Pritchard. One of the most visually satisfying stops in all of Arizona.
11255 E Historic Route 66, Hackberry
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ANTARES
Giganticus Headicus — a 14-foot green Tiki head in the Arizona desert
1 stop
Stops in Antares
A 14-foot-tall green Tiki head emerging from the Arizona desert beside Route 66 — built by local eccentric Gregg Arnold and installed in 2003. Completely inexplicable and completely wonderful. One of the great roadside art pieces on the western Arizona stretch. Free, always visible, and never not funny.
Historic Route 66, Antares Rd, Antares
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KINGMAN
The Mother Road’s western hub — the finest Route 66 museum in Arizona
4 stops
Stops in Kingman
Housed in the beautifully restored 1907 Powerhouse building, this is one of the finest Route 66 museums in any state — immersive exhibits covering the full history of the road from its 1926 designation to the present, organized by decade with period rooms, vintage vehicles, and an extraordinary collection of neon signs. The Visitor Center shares the building. Free admission. Budget at least 90 minutes.
120 W Andy Devine Ave, Kingman
A classic 1950s diner in a former Shell station with turquoise and pink neon, checkered floors, and homemade root beer that Oprah Winfrey famously called the best she'd ever had. Burgers, milkshakes, and American comfort food served by staff in authentic 1950s uniforms. One of the busiest and best diners on all of Arizona Route 66.
105 E Andy Devine Ave, Kingman
A beautifully preserved 1915 Anglo-Territorial home built by prominent local merchant George Bonelli from native volcanic rock. Now a museum managed by the Mohave County Historical Society, the house is filled with original Bonelli family furniture and artifacts. A quiet, dignified counterpoint to the roadside energy of Route 66.
430 E Spring St, Kingman
Also in Kingman
A restored 1927 service station perched dramatically in the Black Mountains on the most scenic stretch of Route 66 in Arizona — the winding mountain road between Kingman and Oatman. After decades of ruin, it was fully restored in 2004 using original photographs. The panoramic views of the desert below are extraordinary. The mountain road itself — Sitgreaves Pass — drops 2,100 feet in 8 miles of switchbacks. One of the great drives on the entire Mother Road.
State Route 66, Sitgreaves Pass, Kingman
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OATMAN
Wild burros, Clark Gable’s honeymoon hotel & the last stop before California
2 stops
Stops in Oatman
A former gold mining boomtown founded in 1906 that produced over $36 million in gold before the mines dried up. Today wild burros — descendants of pack animals released by miners — roam the wooden sidewalks freely, accepting carrots from visitors. The false-front buildings, saloons, and regular noon gunfights create an authentic Wild West atmosphere that is more genuine than most. Clark Gable and Carole Lombard honeymooned at the Oatman Hotel in 1939 and their room is preserved upstairs.
Historic Route 66, Oatman
Built in 1902, the Oatman Hotel is the oldest two-story adobe structure in Mohave County and the site of Clark Gable and Carole Lombard's honeymoon in 1939. The hotel closed as accommodation years ago but the restaurant and bar downstairs remain open, serving cold beer, burgers, and chili to travelers who've made it over Sitgreaves Pass. The walls are plastered with thousands of signed dollar bills. Gable's room upstairs is open for viewing.
181 Main St, Oatman