The National Park Services (NPS) has two websites that deal with Route 66, including its history, publications, research sources, tourism, conferences and training, and funding for Route 66 preservation projects.
Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program (website)
After Route 66 was decommissioned in 1985, federal and state agencies, private organizations, and numerous members of the public realized that remnants of the road were quickly disappearing, and that the remaining significant structures, features, and artifacts associated with the road should be preserved. In 1990, the US Congress passed Public Law 101-400, the Route 66 Study Act of 1990. The act recognized that Route 66 "has become a symbol of the American people's heritage of travel and their legacy of seeking a better life." The legislation resulted in the National Park Service conducting the Route 66 Special Resource Study to evaluate the significance of Route 66 in American history, and to identify options for the preservation, interpretation, and use. The document provides an in-depth account of significance and history of Route 66. This study led to enactment of Public Law 106-45, and the creation of the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program.
The NPS website also features an online Route 66 Archives and Research Center. This is an online portal of historical collections and information designed to help students, educators, film makers, business owners, community members, and other find information for research, education, corridor revitalization efforts, and more. See the NPS Route 66 website for more information.
National Route 66 Historic Context (2.5 Mb)
Route 66 Discover our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary (website)
This travel itinerary aids the public to visit the historic places that recall those images and experiences that are reminders of our past and evidence of the influence of the automobile.
