Joliet Adds New Route 66 Selfie Station For Tourists

JOLIET, IL — The city of Joliet now has a designated area for residents and visitors to pose for a photograph showing off Joliet's connection to the historic Route 66. A selfie station has been added near the main entrance to the Joliet Area Historical Museum, 204 North Ottawa St.

The new selfie station is part of a collaboration involving the museum, the Joliet City Center Partnership and the Heritage Corridor Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Museum director Greg Peerbolte told Joliet Patch that the idea was to create a photo opportunity leveraging the popularity of social media. "The photo-op has taken on new importance and lately there's been a concerted effort to go all in on Route 66."

Peerbolte said that 2026 will mark the 100-year anniversary of Route 66.

"We're really rapidly coming out of COVID, and we feel that road trips, shorter term, are going to come back in style," he said.

And when you think of the phrase "road trip," historic Route 66 is one of the most famous places to travel across the United States, Peerbolte said.

Overall, he's pleased with the new selfie stop in front of his Joliet museum.

"It's big and Route 66 has that larger-than-life quality," he said. "We encourage people to come and check it out."