The Route 66 town of Pontiac, Illinois, finished 2015 with its sixth consecutive year of tourism growth, according to visitor sign-ins at the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum.
The museum tallied 25,720 visitors in 2015, which was a 4 percent increase over the previous year’s 24,736.
That’s more than double from the 11,220 who visited the museum in 2009 — the first year full numbers were available.
Pontiac tourism director Ellie Alexander wrote in a year-end newsletter:
“We saw significant growth in the number of international people that came to Pontiac last year, as well as a nice bump in the number of group tours we hosted.”
Alexander also said Pontiac welcomed visitors from 50 countries.
She attributed the past year’s growth to a new Museum of the Gilding Arts, a new “Music of the Civil War” show and a new display focused on the life and art of Route 66 icon Bob Waldmire.
Tim Dye at the Pontiac-Oakland Automobile Museum also said he saw an increase in visitors. He said the museum changes its displays often to encourage repeat visitors.
The tourism surge prompted Hampton Inns to build a $200 million hotel in Pontiac.
Alexander and Pontiac played a role in the “How to Make Your Community a Route 66 Destination Hot Spot” panel discussion during the Miles of Possibility conference in Edwardsville, Illinois, in October.
(Image from Pontiac, Illinois, by thelostadventure via Flickr)
This is certainly a town that is doing things right, tourism-wise. A whole lot of towns are missing out (Are you listening, Springfield? I’m playing the Powerball, and if I win, I’m coming your way!).
I’m particularly aware of Tim Dye’s efforts as a Pontiac Oakland Club International (POCI) member, and Tim has recently taken over as Editor of our excellent Smoke Signals magazine. I have not had the pleasure of of visiting the Pontiac / Oakland museum, but am hoping to do so this summer.
Pontiac, being right on the Route, having maintained many old buildings, and having a cute town square with courthouse, river, etc. etc. etc. has a lot of great resources, and that certainly doesn’t hurt. But those resources lay fallow without a town that works to utilize them for the benefit of all.
My hats off to them…the have earned all of their success, and deserve to enjoy the results of their efforts.