California Route 66 Museum Salutes the Mother Road

A stretch of the old Route 66 Highway runs through Victorville, California. That city is also home to the California Route 66 Museum, a fun and fascinating collection of memorabilia from the famed highway that author John Steinbeck called "The Mother Road."

Wandering through the homespun museum is a true history lesson and provides a trip down memory lane for those who've traveled the legendary Route 66. This museum primarily focuses on the 286-mile California stretch of the road.

Historic displays include old gas station signs, a gas pump from the 1940's, a switchboard also from the 1940's, photos of the moetls along Route 66 and maps of the highway then and now.

Remember the Burma Shave signs? These were a series of perhaps a half dozen or more signs in a row that followed one after another along a highway. They were promoting the Burma Shave shaving products company. You read the signs as you passed them and they'd form a catchy phrase or joke. The museum has many of these old signs on display for a really nostalgic moment.

Films about Route 66 play continuously in another part of the museum and there's a small library with books and information on the Mother Road.

A special treat is the rare 1940 child's Green Pal pedal car, a highly collectible item. There are only 5 still in existence and this one's in near new condition.

Another special item is the sheet music for the popular "Get Your Kicks on Route 66" song, written by Bobby Troup. It was also the theme song for the Route 66 television show. You can usually find free copies of the lyrics available to take home with you.

There's a nice gift shop incorporated into the museum with many Route 66-themed items available for purchase.

The items on display in the museum have been donated primarily by residents in Victorville and the surrounding areas.

The museum has about 40-50,000 visitors a year, with about half coming from the United States and the other half from all over the world. It's run by volunteers and is open Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. till 3 p.m. It's closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.