Route 66
Illinois Experience Hubs, Wayside Exhibits and Interpretive Statues
According to the Illinois Route 66 travel guide:
Experience Hubs - The Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway Experience Hubs are Kiosks that help tell visitors the story of Route 66 in Illinois and help them find their way to the locations where those stories took place. Each of the Kiosks has an interpretive panel that talks about the history of Route 66 in that region and another panel that highlights the attractions in that area and how to find them. There is also a large panel with a map of Route 66 throughout Illinois. Each of the Kiosks is nine feet tall and is lit at night with the name of the host community. Visitors can also listen to Bobby Troup singing his song, "Route 66" at every Experience Hub.
Wayside Exhibits - Each Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway Wayside Exhibit tells a unique story about that location and Route 66. Travelers will be able to learn about the Marx Brothers Chicken Farm, a pitched gun battle between striking miners and mine guards, the World's Largest Covered Wagon, the art of cruising the Downtown and a State Police District Headquarters that is shaped like a gun. The Route 66 stories on display at classic restaurants, service stations and attractions make those stops even more memorable. Because Route 66 has such a distinctive personality, the wayside exhibits themselves reflect the designs of the 1940's and 50's automotive industry. The streamlined shapes, angles and curves, chrome and neon of that era were the design elements that were used to develop the Exhibits for Illinois Route 66.
Interpretive Statues - A series of Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway Interpretive Statues and corresponding wayside panels are located in nine Route 66 communities. The statues tell the story of The Road in a way that is unique and unexpected by visitors. They also serve as a fun photo opportunity. The "shadow statues" are so nicknamed because they are two-dimensional iron statues depicting a famous scene from the history of Route 66 in Illinois.
