One hundred years after Route 66 first connected communities across America, a new feature-length documentary invites audiences to discover the people and places keeping its story alive.
“Route 66: The Main Street of America,” a documentary by award-winning filmmaker John Paget, begins its roadshow release Sept. 1 in Chicago, the starting point of Route 66. This rolling premiere will travel more than 2,400 miles through the eight Route 66 states, concluding in Los Angeles on Nov. 7.
In addition to the Chicago premiere, two more roadshow screenings will take place along the First Hundred Miles of Route 66 – the Old Joliet Prison Historic Site at 5 p.m. Sept. 4, and the Eagle Performing Arts & Conference Center at 6 p.m. Sept. 5. Tickets for all three events can be purchased in advance at mainstreetofamerica.com/screenings.
The roadshow will bring the film directly to the communities that define Route 66. Each stop will center around a screening followed by live conversations with Paget and people featured in the film, offering audiences an opportunity to connect with the stories shaping Route 66 today.
“Route 66: The Main Street of America” is a centennial portrait that travels the Mother Road, revealing a modern revival. From unexpected roadside attractions to revitalized main streets, each encounter reveals communities finding new life and purpose, making new history and proving the most meaningful journeys often unfold on the road less traveled.
Explore the depths with deep-sea divers in a desert oasis. Meet a family in Luther, Oklahoma, restoring one of America’s earliest Black-owned gas stations. Mix with a couple who decided it was high time someone made bourbon in a town called Bourbon. Find trees made from bottles. And a ghost town that somehow became a flower farm.
Whether you’ve driven Route 66 or only imagined it, this film takes you there to meet the everyday heroes that are bringing motels, diners, theaters and souvenir shops, filling stations, a prison, and a steam train – the route’s quirky landmarks and hidden gems – back to life. This immersive, heartfelt portrait of an American icon emerges full of humor, warmth and discovery.
“Route 66 has always been about more than pavement – it’s about people,” director John Paget said. “Route 66 is not simply about what has been preserved. It’s about what people are still building. In every town, we met people who believe history is more than something to remember – it’s something that inspires what comes next.”
As Route 66 celebrates its centennial, the film looks beyond nostalgia to explore the resilience, creativity and determination of the people carrying America’s Main Street forward.
“My hope is that this film inspires people to see Route 66 as a story still being written,” Paget said. “The next chapter will be shaped by the people who believe these places, and these stories, still matter.”
Designated an official project of the U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission, the film has garnered support from national and community partners committed to preserving, celebrating and promoting the Main Street of America.
Bill Thomas, chair of the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership and commissioner for the Route 66 Centennial Commission, said, “One of the greatest challenges facing Route 66 isn’t preserving its past; it’s inspiring the people who will protect its future. This documentary does both.”
Rhys Martin, Preserve Route 66 manager for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, added, “Route 66 has always connected people and communities, so it’s fitting that this documentary will be experienced the same way, one town at a time.”
Following every screening, Paget and folks featured in the film will hold live Q&A sessions where people can share their own memories, perspectives and hopes for the future.
The “Route 66: The Main Street of America” Centennial Roadshow will bring the documentary directly to the communities that have shaped the history – and continue shaping the story – of Route 66.
Premiere events:
Sept. 1 – Global premiere at the Art Institute of Chicago
Sept. 4 – Old Joliet Prison historic site
Sept. 5 – Eagle Performing Arts & Conference Center
Sept. 11 – Missouri state premiere at Hi-Pointe Theatre
Sept. 18 – Oklahoma state premiere at Circle Cinema
Sept. 25 – Texas state premiere at Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts
Oct. 1 – New Mexico state premiere at KiMo Theatre
Oct. 10 – Arizona state premiere at The Orpheum Theater
Oct. 23 – California state premiere at California Theater
Nov. 7 – Centennial Roadshow Finale at Los Angeles Theatre
Additional community screenings will take place throughout the Route 66 corridor.
For the complete screening schedule and ticket information, visit MainStreetofAmerica.com. Follow the film on Facebook and Instagram @Route66x100.
