66 Stops on Route 66 (Part One)

In 2026, Missouri joins seven other Route 66 states in celebrating the famed highway’s centennial anniversary. Here is the guide to get you going.

Our first installment of the 66 Stops on Route 66 is the St. Louis area.

If you crave a border-to-border excursion with a backbeat, Missouri’s slice of Route 66 still packs the soul of a sock hop Saturday night. Think neon signs buzzing like a guitar amp, chrome bumpers gleaming on hot rods at the drive-in, and the sweet scent of donuts and thick milkshakes swirling together inside of a retro diner. As the Mother Road turns 100, the Show-Me State is tuning up its greatest hits—historic bridges, classic diners, legendary caverns, and roadside wonders that have been playing in perfect harmony for generations. Here are the stops that keep Missouri’s iconic stretch of the highway rocking.

ST. LOUIS
GATEWAY ARCH NATIONAL PARK
As you approach the Show-Me State from Illinois and cross the Mississippi River into Missouri, the Gateway Arch can be seen from Historic Route 66. Before it became the Gateway Arch National Park in 2018, it was the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, designated in 1935. In 1947, a nationwide design competition was held to select a monument for the memorial. Architect Eero Saarinen’s 630-foot stainless-steel arch was chosen and completed in 1965. It remains the tallest monument in the United States. You can ride to the top of the arch to the viewing platform there and visit the exceptional museum beneath it.
• 11 North Fourth Street, St. Louis • NPS.gov

OLD CHAIN OF ROCKS BRIDGE
Built in 1929 at the beginning of America’s love affair with the automobile, the Chain of Rocks Bridge quickly became a picturesque landmark along Route 66. The bridge, which has a unique dogleg, crosses the Mississippi River from Illinois to Missouri. It was restored and reopened in 1999 as one of the world’s longest pedestrian- and bicycle- only bridges.
• 10820 Riverview Drive, St. Louis • NPS.gov

CROWN CANDY KITCHEN
This iconic confectionery store was opened in 1913 by Harry Karandzieff and his best friend, Pete Jugaloff. Since then, it has been passed down to a third generation of owners who run it today. It is easy to imagine travelers, then and now, taking a break from a trek on Route 66 to stop by for a treat at Crown Candy Kitchen, with its vintage jukebox, Coca-Cola collectibles, and soda fountain.
• 1401 St. Louis Avenue, St. Louis • CrownCandyKitchen.net

DONUT DRIVE-IN
An old-fashioned, hand-made, hot donut exudes Americana, especially the donuts at Donut Drive-In in St. Louis. A simple white-brick building with a vintage neon sign reading “Fresh Donuts Drive-In” will help you find it. With the help of several grants, the donut shop was restored to its original appearance in 2016. The shop has been open since 1952 and still serves fresh donuts to Route 66 travelers today.
• 6525 Chippewa Street, St. Louis • DonutDriveIn.com

TED DREWES FROZEN CUSTARD
In 1929, Ted Drewes Sr. opened his first frozen custard shop in Florida. By 1941, he opened his most iconic location in St. Louis along Historic Route 66. Its signature offering is the concrete: a thick, creamy malt or shake so rich and dense that it’s served through the order window upside down. The legacy of Ted Drewes spans 95 years and four generations.
• 6726 Chippewa Street, St. Louis • TedDrewes.com

MAPLEWOOD
MAPLEWOOD ROUTE 66 MEMORIAL
Along Manchester Road in Maplewood, seven plaques are embedded in the sidewalk, each paying tribute to area businesses that were established during the heyday of Route 66 from 1925 to 1933. There are also six memorial plaques commemorating legendary landmarks that made Historic Route 66 famous, a few of which no longer exist.
• 7200 Manchester Road, Maplewood • MaplewoodMo.gov

CRESTWOOD
CRESTWOOD BOWL
In 1958, professional bowlers Dick Weber, Pat Patterson, and Rich Volling opened their own bowling lanes, calling the business Crestwood Bowl. Its original neon sign, featuring a pin and ball that advertises its 24 lanes and cocktail lounge, was completely restored in 2012. Today, when visitors stop by for a game of bowling, they can also enjoy hamburgers, sandwiches, and pizza.
• 9822 Watson Road, Crestwood • CrestwoodBowl.com

KIRKWOOD
SPENCER’S GRILL
The original Spencer’s Grill was opened in 1941 by Bill and Irene Spencer. Bill left to serve in World War II, and when he returned in 1947, the couple improved the restaurant, adding a neon sign and keeping it open 24 hours a day. In 1988, the diner was bought by Meredith and Michael Shadwick. This restaurant focuses on local ingredients, offering items like burgers and country-fried steak.
• 223 South Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood • SpencersGrill.com

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF TRANSPORTATION
Founded in 1944 by a group of like-minded citizens in St. Louis, the museum’s first acquisition was the mule-drawn streetcar called Bellefontaine, which remains on display. Offering one of the largest collections of transportation vehicles in the world, the museum features more than 190 items over 42 acres of indoor and outdoor displays.
• 2933 Barrett Station Road, St. Louis • TNMoT.org

EUREKA
ROUTE 66 STATE PARK VISITOR CENTER
At this visitor center, housed in a former 1935 roadhouse that sat on Route 66, there is a treasure trove of Route 66 memorabilia, including original souvenirs that travelers bought along their journey across Missouri. The park is also a great nature getaway, with more than 175 bird species on-site and access to the Meramec River.
• 97 North Outer Road East, Suite 1, Eureka • MoStateParks.com

WILDWOOD
BIG CHIEF ROADHOUSE
Built by William Clay Pierce in 1929, the historic Big Chief Roadhouse was one of the largest cottage courts in Missouri. The roadhouse supposedly attracted baseball legend Babe Ruth and infamous gang- ster Al Capone. Its cabins were demolished in the 1970s, and in the mid-1990s, the roadhouse’s restau- rant reopened. Today the restaurant serves pizzas, burgers, steaks, pastas, and sandwiches.
• 17352 Manchester Road, Wildwood • BigChiefStL.com

PACIFIC
CAMPBELL’S SERVICE
Growing up, Duane Campbell spent time with his uncle, who worked for Phillips 66. Duane dedicated 45 years to collecting over 1,000 service station items. Larry West, a lover of all things Route 66, acquired Duane’s extensive collection of memorabilia. Larry converted a former church into a 1950s service station, Campbell’s Service, to preserve both the collection and Duane’s legacy. Open by appointment.
• 18625 Historic Route 66, Pacific • TourRoute66.com

RED CEDAR INN MUSEUM
& VISITOR CENTER
The former Red Cedar Inn Restaurant, built in 1934, became well known for its fried chicken and cocktails until its closing in 2005. The city of Pacific purchased the building in 2017 and opened it as a visitor center and museum. Exhibits feature the history of the Red Cedar Inn, Pacific, and Route 66. It also offers an area devoted to kids with a huge sandbox and interactive toys.
• 1047 East Osage Street, Pacific • PacificMo.gov

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Presented by Missouri Life in partnership with Visit Missouri.

This article was orginally printed in the February 2026 issue of Missouri Life.