The best surprise of my visit to Pontiac. This museum has such an amazing and eclectic collection of items to delight everyone. From the outside it seems like any regular historical building -- but the quantity and quality of the displays within create a fun spot to enjoy an afternoon with plenty of learning opportunities. I'm not sure you'll find any larger collection of Route 66 themed items than on the lower floor here. Being immersed in these objects really gave me a feel of the history of Route 66. Attached to this are several other museums covering everything from murals to the Titanic to the Civil War to the 1940's and more. Truly a must visit set of museums that's worth a special trip. read more

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Housed in a historic firehouse, this is a nice stop on the way to Springfield along Route 66. The museum is just one room packed with Route 66 memorabilia, but it is part of a maze of museums. Fun to be able to wander through the interconnected displays. Would not make a special stop here unless you want to explore Pontiac. While you are there, definitely check out the Pontiac-Oakland Automobile Museum and the murals. Get your kicks on Route 66! read more

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Small but comprehensive museum dedicated to all things Route 66, from Chicago onward! The docent (Mary Ann) was very friendly and helpful with information, and also careful about hygiene in a time of Covid (signed the guest book for us rather than having each of us handle it; wore her mask). This is a grouping of multiple museums in one spot including the Route 66 museum, the War Museum (includes many uniforms and a "canteen" where it looks like live music may be played in less plague-stricken times), a recreation of a 1940s-era home (my friend and I explained to her daughter what the blue stars in the window would have meant [family membersin the service], and also what gold stars would have meant [service member died]), a "Life on the Titanic" exhibit, Civil War music, a vintage VW microbus and much more. Masks are currently required, and even provided, though some people were not wearing them. It was also very warm in certain rooms. Overall, this was a worthwhile day trip for retro fun! read more

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This is one of the museums in the building that has two other museums and its on the first floor which is free but donations are appreciated. It's very small and the flow starts in Chicago and ends in Ca with everything in between. It's got gas pumps, an old van filled with memorabilia, old photos, articles etc etc. Its a 30 minute walk through if you look at everything and you have the two other museums to look at, the whole building of museums and grounds took me about an hour and it's all in one spot. read more

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Inside an old firehouse building is a few different museums, including the outdoor "road yacht" one, but for this review I'm focusing on the Illinois Route 66 Museum. So...to anyone who is into Route 66 whether a longtime fan or a beginner, by all means stop here! Plan on close to two hours. The Route 66 part is all in one big room, plus two(?) special rooms that feature photography. Just about every town and city on Route 66 in Illinois is well represented. It is also the home of Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame, where business owners and people related to the Mother Road have been enshrined here. Be sure to check out Bob Waldmire's "Road Yacht" which is behind the building. I don't know if they actually let people go inside it but I was there in late-September 2020 so that didn't happen for me. The museums are free, but donations are always encouraged. Be sure to pitch in, especially during these struggling times. I hope the museums stay open for generations. Also, while in town - be sure to visit the Ladd School historical marker, as well as the Division Street Bridge. Also, a couple miles south of Pontiac is the old State Police station which is now a Route 66 icon. read more

Was a really fun stop on a short trip through Route 66. Free admission into both the Route 66 museum and the war museum that is attached to it. Very friendly staff and explained me a lot of history of the route. Lots to see if you're into the whole old American experience! read more

Route 66 Association - Museums Near Me - Pontiac, Illinois

There is so much history in this little place. If you're interested at all in CARS or supporting small businesses, START HERE and then visit the small shops in the town square. There's definitely a MIX of rude and kind people, but I suppose that's what you get anywhere in the MIDWEST. read more

I really enjoy going down to Pontiac to visit the museum. It's not the biggest or most interactive museum around, but it's still very informative. It encompasses the whole spirit and people who helped Route 66 thrive in its golden years. The Hall of Fame and Museum is housed in Pontiac's old firehouse. The building is very impressive and from the outside you would think the museum would be huge. In fact it's not, as most of the exhibits are on the lower floor. Honestly, there is not a whole lot to see but what they do have on display is pretty interesting. At most, and at a leisurely pace, you would spend maybe two hours there. There is a second and third level with photos of historical places around the Route. The building layout is a little funky. One turn around the corner and you're in the neighboring War Museum, which is housed next door. The best part is it's free admission (with donations accepted). It may not be the best place to take the kiddies unless they are really into the history of Route 66. Despite that, the volunteers and artifacts inside make it worth the trip in Pontiac. Don't forget to check out the giant mural in the back of building with the Route 66 shield. Plus there are other murals painted around downtown Pontiac. read more

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Great! Spent way more time here than I planned, but worth it. Don't miss the bus out back, or the one inside. There is even a resident artist upstairs.... She does amazing work. read more

Sunday morning, when you've just seen some friends off at Lou Mitchell's for their three week Route 66 adventure, and then later find yourself in Homewood at a vinyl record show and the guy from whom you're purchasing records is a long-time member of the Rt. 66 Preservation Association and he tells you about this museum and that it houses the VW van of the well-known Rt 66 artist, Bob Waldmire...of course, you spontaneously, at 2:30 pm do the road trip to Pontiac. Why? Well, spontaneity needs no reason but here's one: museums often are closed on Mondays, so if I have the opportunity on a Sunday, I'll jump. (hallelujah! Note: this museum is open seven days a week, 9am - 5pm.) This record guy had also alluded to the fact that Pontiac is a sleepy town and I've long been aware of this fact from having worked with someone in college who grew up here...and somehow, I'd still never visited. (Reason number two if you're counting.) Usually spontaneity has some basis in "that's been on the back burner...do it!" Anyway, how much could there be to see!? So, I arrived here at about 4:30 pm (note: it's really only about a 90 minute drive from Chicagoland, but well, you can't fight a White Castle road trip craving.) A lady named Rose greeted me and gave me the lay of the land, and well, there's SO much more here than can be accomplished in 30 minutes. I'd easily give this town at least three or four hours and this museum itself a good 60 - 90 minutes. Not only does it house the 1972 VW Microbus (Pixar's character "Fillmore" is based on it), but out back, there is the yellow Chevy bus that Waldmire converted into a home. He traveled Rt 66 in these and when out west, he parked in Hackberry, Arizona. Here's some info on Bob: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Waldmire The museum is packed with Illinois Rt 66 memoribilia - from town to town - as you navigate the glass cases. Because it's a dedicated ILLINOIS Route 66 museum, it gets more locally in-depth. Most of my Rt 66 knowledge has been derived from stopping at the Powerhouse in Kingman, AZ...if you're there in the summer, it's like a mini UN - you hear the languages of the world. It's fascinating all the people from other countries that are still so taken with America's history of the "The Mother Road." Obviously, many of those same visitors who are out in Kingman have checked in here and Rose faithfully keeps a log. On the weekend that I was here - countries represented were: Australia, Canada, Italy, Greece, Great Britain, Brazil, South Africa, UAE, Turkey, Namibia to name a few. She tells me that they just had a group called "The Czech Republic Route 66 Club." This museum has logged as many as 19 different countries in one business day. I highly recommend a visit here as well as to the "Home Away Gift Shop" and the Veteran's Museum in the same historic building, the Courthouse, and a "mural" or musuem-walk through Pontiac (follow the red and/or blue footsteps.) The museum is free but donations are appreciated. Note: sometimes if there's more than one worker (more likely on a weekend), they'll open Waldmire's bus out back. read more

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This museum is part of a quirky assortment of collections housed in old municipal buildings with a bewildering layout of stairways, connected rooms and hallways. The IL Route 66 Association Hall of Fame & Museum mostly consists of a large, high-ceilinged room with photos, documents and other items placed in display cases along the walls, roughly by decade. The materials appear to have been on display for some time and are fading and curling from too much light exposure. The most interesting artifact here is the vintage VW bus owned by a local artist, full of his tools and memorabilia from a long career traveling Route 66. It looks like he just parked the vehicle in the museum and opened the doors. There's a wonderful Route 66 mural on the back of the building. Upstairs next door there is an extensive collection of military uniforms from the Civil War forward, displayed on standing mannequins. Most of the uniforms were worn and donated by local people who served. There are very interesting personal histories about the wearers of some of the uniforms, including a section honoring people who lost their lives in battle. Other collections commemorate the Wall Dogs building mural-painting business, the home front during World War II, Civil War music and a vintage radio broadcasting studio. Not to be missed--the art exhibit hung in an old jail cell, complete with toilet fixtures and bars on the windows. read more

Route 66 Association - Making the best of available space: art exhibit in former jail cell, IL Route 66 Museum, Pontiac, Illinois, USA, Oct. 2015. - Museums Near Me - Pontiac, Illinois

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The museum itself was nice, but the volunteers running it were a drag! They had nothing positive to say (Pixar is evil, Missouri is evil and doesn't care about crime, the government is evil and we don't want them telling us what to do). It was a bummer. Our guidebook said this was a must-do, but afterwards we wished we had kept driving. It took some happy road tunes to cleanse the bad vibes. Go for the cases with artifacts of Illinois and the sweet hippie vehicles owned by a renowned Route 66 artist, but keep your head down and enjoy it all without "help" from the staff. Unless, if course, you like negativity so early in your road trip! read more

A must see when in Pontiac... so many cool things to see. Also, visit the War museum! And of course take your picture at the mural behind the building and at Bob's Bus.. read more

A fun place for the Route 66 lovers. I liked the mural of the Route 66 sign. My children were fascinated by the unique camping car, which had been originally a school bus, and they did not want to leave. read more

This was fun! Really informative museum and the town of pontiac was a nice place to walk around and see some sights! DON'T FORGET: to walk down the alleyway next to the building, behind the building are these huge painted walls and a deformed school-bus property of the same guy who's van is inside the museum. (I lost his name but his parents were the owners of the cozy dog and the van in the movie 'cars' was inspired by him. read more

A very cool museum and stop along Route 66. Seems a little dated, but it is still cool to see memorabilia from Route 66 of years gone by. It was neat to see how each town in Illinois along the route had their own little hall of fame. Volunteers at the museum were helpful, but I'm surprised the shop didn't offer more. read more