The Kingman Tours project in Kingman, Arizona, developed by Kingman Main Street in partnership with Talisman Magic Marketing and the city, will begin its Phase 3 after the first of the year.
According to a news release from Kingman resident and longtime booster Jim Hinckley, Phase 3 will include additional points of interest for the walking tour in Kingman’s historic business district and the first stage of a narrated driving tour along Route 66.
The third phase should be completed by Route 66’s centennial in 2026.
The first phase was the development of a narrated, self-guided walking tour in the business district and Route 66 corridor using QR code technology. Historic sites, film and celebrity-associated sites and public art such as the Bob Waldmire mural were included as points of interest.
Artificial intelligence and augmented reality will be used in the next stages, as will interior video of select locations such as the 1906 Palace Saloon, to enhance the project’s value.
Phase 2 was the addition of an interactive dining and attraction visitors guide, an events calendar, a blog, video and audio content.
The first stage of the driving tour is along Route 66 and into the Kingman Airport and Industrial Park that was established in 1942 as the Kingman Army Airfield.
Plans are to expand this to include the Route 66 corridor from Topock on the Colorado River to the 1923 Partridge Creek Bridge near Ash Fork, Arizona.
Also, the Route 66 Walk of Fame, introduced during the 2014 International Route 66 Festival, has been revived at the new Depot Plaza, the starting point for the walking tour.
(Image of the Kingman water tanks by GothEric via Flickr)