The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced its latest round of grant awards for their Preserve Route 66 program, which includes projects from six of the eight states that Route 66 winds through between Chicago and Santa Monica, for a total of $135,835.

“It’s an exciting time for Route 66, especially as we approach the 2026 Centennial anniversary,” observed Amy Webb, senior director of preservation programs at the National Trust. “Route 66 could be the most beloved highway in America, but there are still so many worthy projects that could benefit from additional resources to ensure the Mother Road is preserved and vibrant for the next generation.”

The Preserve Route 66 initiative began in 2018 with a cross-country caravan focused on collecting stories and gathering signatures in support of making Historic Route 66 part of the National Historic Trail network. That work is still ongoing, but several grant programs have been created to help legacy businesses and local organizations preserve the road and provide economic development. With the Centennial of Route 66 coming up quickly in 2026, the time for support is now.

“Route 66 is a road of incredible history,” said Rhys Martin, manager of the Preserve Route 66 initiative. “That story isn’t just contained between the curbs of the road itself, but in the communities that it came through. Some of these grant recipients, like Greenwood Rising in Tulsa, are members of a community that wasn’t on the original highway purposefully, but their voice is important and part of the greater American story.”

The grant for Greenwood Rising is to create permanent signage in the Greenwood District to guide visitors to a walking tour application where people can experience the history of the area through a mobile phone app. Other grants awarded include preservation work on an Albuquerque, New Mexico building where Microsoft got its start, funds to pursue a National Register of Historic Places listing for the Gasconade River Bridge near Hazelgreen, Missouri, and an educational program about the California citrus industry at the Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation in Rancho Cucamonga. Here is a full list of grant recipients for this round:

• Museum buildout for the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum in Joliet, Illinois for $10,000.
• Water Tower Restoration Project for CORE of McLean in McLean, Illinois for $10,000.
• Preservation Toolkit enhancement for the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership for $10,000.
• National Register of Historic Places Listing for the Gasconade River Bridge for the Route 66 Association of Missouri near Hazelgreen, Missouri for $4,200.
• Roadside Attraction Sign project for the Lebanon-Laclede County Route 66 Society in Lebanon, Missouri for $5,900.
• Route 66 Odyssey Film Exhibition Series for the Circle Cinema in Tulsa, Oklahoma for $10,000.
• Wings of Route 66 educational kiosk for the Tulsa Air and Space Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma for $10,000.
• Signage installation for Greenwood Walking Tour mobile application for Greenwood Rising in Tulsa, Oklahoma for $10,000.
• Enhancement to storytelling at the Microsoft founding property for Revitalize San Pedro Partnership in Albuquerque, New Mexico for $3,000.
• Publication of guidebooks including maps, photography, and postcards for the Historic Santa Fe Foundation in Santa Fe, New Mexico for $9,019.
• Building Restoration at the Osterman Service Station for the Hualapai Tribe in Peach Springs, Arizona for $10,000.
• Roof and facility repair for the California Historic Route 66 Museum in Victorville, California for $4,440.
• Development of learning curriculum for the historic citrus industry for the Sam and Alfred Maloof Foundation for Arts and Crafts in Rancho Cucamonga, California for $9,276.
• Exterior enhancements to a 1927 service station for the California Historic Route 66 Association in Monrovia, California for $10,000.
• Artist workshops and mosaic mural installation for the Glendora Historical Society in Glendora, California for $10,000.
• State-specific Route 66 Centennial lesson educational development for Cinefemme for $10,000.

And there’s more to come from the Preserve Route 66 initiative.

“We’re wrapping up a round of Legacy Business grants now, which aims to help long-time businesses and historic properties along the Route 66 corridor,” Martin continued. “Later this year, we’ll have another round of our non-profit and public agency grant as well as a third round of Legacy Business grants.” The first round of Legacy Business grants was awarded in 2024.

To learn more about the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s grant programs, storytelling initiatives, and other Route 66 work, check out www.preserveroute66.org.