The siren call of the Mother Road, as Route 66 is known, with its special sense of place, personality, and time, continues to lure legions of national and international tourists. The preservation of Route 66 is being abetted by national and state volunteer associations dedicated to that goal, the creation of the federal Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, and support coming from a variety of public, private, and non-profit entities and programs assocaited with historic preservation, economic development, tourism, and transportation.
Route 66 Economic Impact Study
The National Park Service (NPS) undertook a study of Route 66 with a focus on its historic preservation, economic landscape, and heritage tourism, which resulted in the Route 66 Economic Impact Study report (12 MB).
Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program Cost-Share Grants
As part of its preservation efforts, NPS also manages the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program that offers cost-share grants, which provides funding assistance to support the preservation of the most significant and representative historic Route 66 buildings, structures, road segments, and cultural landscapes in the eight states through which the route passes. Assistance is also provided to support research, planning, oral history, and education outreach projects related to the preservation of Route 66.
For more information on grant program, please go the NPS website: Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program Cost-Share Grants. This website has a listing of past grant projects dating back to 2001.
Grant projects in Texas:
Magnolia Service Station Rehabilitation, Vega
Sixth Street Chevron Station Repair, Amarillo
Updated Survey of Route 66 in Texas, Digitized and Web-based (2018)
Route 66 in Wheeler County National Register District, Wheeler County
