The governor of Illinois and the state’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity announced last week it would give 58 awards totaling $6.6 million through the Route 66 and Tourism Marketing Grant Programs to boost Route 66 tourism.
The Route 66 grant program is awarding $3.7 million to seven recipients for the development of tourism, education, preservation and promotion leading up to the 100th Anniversary of Route 66 in 2026, according to the agency’s news release.
Here are the recipients, their grant awards and for what purpose:
- Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, $263,319, to develop, prepare and install gateway signs in five communities along Route 66 in McLean County and one Level 3 electric vehicle charger with a Route 66 design.
- Choose Chicago, $210,756, to install architectural pylons on the north and south side of Jackson Boulevard where it meets Michigan Avenue. The pylons will incorporate the iconic Route 66 road sign language attesting to the historical significance of Route 66 and its starting point in Chicago. The pylons will include a QR code with information on EV charging stations along the route.
- Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau, $493,032, to fund multiple projects, including expansion of the mural trail, creating interpretative panels for Negro Motorist Green Book sites, Route 66 event signs for promotional use across the state, funding for Route 66 promotion at festivals and events, parking upgrades, exhibitions and more.
- Heritage Corridor Convention and Visitors Bureau, $1.609 million, to fund a variety of statewide Route 66 promotional programs, including statewide marketing/advertising and promotional costs. Funding also will support EV charging station and landscaping projects in Lockport, Bolingbrook and Joliet, several Route 66 monuments, murals and Route 66-themed enhancements to welcome centers and museums.
- Logan County Tourism Burea, $29,320, to install two Level 2 EV chargers and Route 66 insignia embedded on the road to support wayfinding.
- City of Springfield, $623,000, to create 12 murals connecting Williamsville, Sherman, Springfield, Chatham and Auburn to the murals in Heritage Corridor and Great Rivers & Routes service area, as well as upgrades to Shea’s Gas Station and 12 site-specific wayside exhibits.
- Visit Oak Park, $475,000, to add or upgrade iconic stops along Route 66 in Oak Park, including an illuminated Route 66 gateway structure on Ogden Avenue, new Route 66 signage, wayfinding signage to iconic Route 66 locations and new signage to promote new car chargers.
Through the Illinois Travel and Tourism Grant Program, $2.9 million is being awarded to 51 grantees to support local tourism promotional efforts. It provides funding for promotional efforts by local governments, municipalities, nonprofits and local promotional groups such as Illinois’ Certified Convention and Visitor Bureaus, with the goal of attracting visitors to destinations, attractions, and events throughout Illinois. This program is funded by a federal Economic Development Administration grant.
The full list of tourism grant recipients can be found here. Entities in the Route 66 towns of Chicago, Berwyn, Collinsville and Springfield, plus a few regional entities downstate.
(Image of Route 66 directional sign in Illinois by Mike Linksvayer via Flickr)