Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Illinois State Museum is celebrating the Route 66 Mother Road’s 100th anniversary in 2026 and will be updating their database with some fascinating and informative new content. ISM’Ss Route 66 Oral History Project database will now feature video-recorded interviews, as well as world-searchable written transcriptions.

Contributors to this new added content include people who lived, worked and traveled along Route 66 during its pre-interstate heyday, as well as people who currently promote, preserve and interpret the road for current and future generations.

Erika Holst, ISM’s curator of history and Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program co-organizer, said that “These interviews provide a fascinating glimpse into what it was like to travel Route 66 back in the day, as well as perspectives from people who are working to promote the road today!” Holst also stated “We know that Route 66 students and enthusiasts are going to learn so much from these interviews. There are so many details to be found that you just can’t find in books.”

Don’t forget to take a look into the Route 66 Oral History Project database as well as find great information from the Route 66 Corridor Conservation Program who helped fund this project alongside of the support from the Illinois State Museum Society