Route 66 Centennial Speaker Series Announced
A year-long Route 66 Centennial Speaker Series has been announced by Research Route 66, with each virtual session scheduled to take place the second Tuesday of each month in 2026.
Research Route 66 is a collaboration of national archives, libraries, museums, with support from the National Park Service Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program and the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership. The speaker series takes advantage of the relationships that have been built over the last several decades and includes authors, historians, photographers, and more.
“Throughout the speaker series, participants will hear about diverse topics that highlight Route 66’s impact and legacy,” the group shared with their announcement. “Sessions will cover the history of foodways along the road, American Indian perspectives, the connection between baseball and the highway, atomic history on the route, and much more. These stories will illustrate how Route 66 has helped shape the United States in the 20th century and continues to influence the nation today.”
Attendance is free; registration for sessions through June are open now on their website at: https://speakers.researchroute66.org/. Other session information is being added regularly. All sessions will take place at 1 PM Central Time; each one will be recorded and made available on their YouTube channel at a later date.
The speaker series has also been certified as an Official Route 66 Centennial Activity by the federal U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission. If you’d like to share flyers promoting the series, those are available for download here.
