The Santa Monica History Museum in Santa Monica, California, is hosting a new exhibit, “California’s Route 66: Hiding in Plain Sight,” through Oct. 19.
The museum explains what’s in store with the exhibit on its website:
To illustrate the Route’s history, the exhibition will feature artifacts such as early driving guides, iconic signage and ephemera, and historic photographs from the Santa Monica History Museum Collection. A rare manuscript map for “Proposed Highways,” from the height of the 1920s Good Roads Movement, will also be on display.
Route 66 has a special resonance in Santa Monica history, as the road ends at the intersection of Lincoln and Olympic Boulevards. The exhibition will explore the legacy of “the end of the trail” in Santa Monica, as well as the role that famous local figures like Will Rogers played in promoting Route 66.
The exhibition was developed with the support of the California Historical Route 66 Association. Expert talks are planned to accompany the exhibition, which will feature aspects of the route’s history and current travel recommendations.
This show provides another option for those reaching the end of their westbound Route 66 journey.
The museum (map here) sits about a block north of Santa Monica Boulevard (aka Route 66). It is open from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Fridays and Saturdays.
Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for senior citizens and students. Veterans, active-duty military personnel, children 12 and younger and Santa Monica History Museum members get free admission.
(Image of the “End of the Trail 66” sign at Santa Monica Pier by Ismo via Flickr)