On Friday, February 27, the Will Rogers Memorial Museum will open a dynamic new exhibit on US Route 66. With its vibrant imagery, rare artifacts, and authentic memorabilia, it immerses visitors in the highway’s unique history and cultural legacy.

The exhibit explores the various dedications of the highway in memory of Will Rogers from the 1930s to the 1950s and discusses the Will Rogers Highway in pop culture, from a cameo appearance in The Grapes of Wrath to Woody Guthrie’s folk music.

The installation also features the history of how Route 66 became a lifeline for “Okies” heading to California during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression. Later, the highway served as a main route for the movement of soldiers and civilians during World War II. In the 1930s, people wanted to rename the highway for Will Rogers who enjoyed national fame. After he died in 1935, efforts to honor him grew, and later that year the US Highway Association designated Route 66 as “Will Rogers Highway.”

The opening of this exhibit will coincide with Movie Night featuring the Disney/Pixar film Cars, held at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum on the evening of the exhibit opening. Special guests Michael Wallis, the voice of the sheriff in Cars, and Ken Busby, executive director of the Route 66 Alliance, will be present to discuss the highway and the making of the film. Admission is free!