Barstow will mark Route 66’s 100th year with a free, daylong celebration on Main Street on Nov. 14. The program includes the ribbon cutting for Main Street Heritage Park and a reveal of where an official centennial time capsule will be buried for 50 years. The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at First Avenue and Main Street.
The City of Barstow says the capsule will hold symbolic items representing agencies from across the community. The city has not detailed the contents or participating agencies, and says the capsule is not meant to be reopened for another 50 years, according to the City of Barstow.
The free event will also feature classic cars, live music, food trucks, retail vendors and family activities, according to the El Paso Times. Route 66 officially turned 100 on Nov. 11, 2026; Barstow’s celebration follows days later in a city shaped in part by the road.
A New Park Built on an Old Pocket of Main Street
The site, formerly called the Route 66 Pocket Park, was renamed after residents helped choose its new name, according to the El Paso Times. The renovated park has accessible pathways, shade canopies, seating, landscaping and a monument sign. It is the first phase of the city’s broader Main Street improvement plans, the report said.
The El Paso Times report points visitors to Main Street, where colorful murals and vintage motel signs recall the city’s roadside past. Nearby, the site of the original Del Taco restaurant is another reminder of Barstow’s history along the highway.
Why the Road Still Runs Through Barstow
Main Street became part of the route that would be designated U.S. Highway 66 in 1925, and Dust Bowl families later traveled through Barstow on their way west, according to the El Paso Times. The city was also a railroad crossroads before the highway era. Route 66 was formally established in 1926 and decommissioned as a federal highway in 1985, according to Yahoo.
The Casa del Desierto Harvey House, built in 1911, now houses the Route 66 Mother Road Museum. The museum reopened in the historic building on March 22, 2025, according to the Yahoo report. Brendan O'Brien, co-owner of the museum, said travelers can explore Route 66 history by walking Barstow's Main Street, per the El Paso Times.
The Harvey House’s Place in Barstow’s History
The Casa del Desierto’s Harvey House Railroad Depot was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The National Park Service describes Fred Harvey hotels and restaurants as an important part of improving food quality and service along railway lines, placing the building in the context of the railroad-era travel and services that helped shape Barstow.
The museum has felt the centennial buzz directly. “Route 66 Museum has seen a big uptick now that the centennial's here, upwards of 3,000 people coming here every month,” according to a report from ABC7 Los Angeles. The National Park Service has separately noted that a recently completed economic impact study points to heritage tourism and historic preservation along Route 66 as contributors to local, state, and national economies.
A Warm-Up Festival and a Bigger Birthday Weekend
The Nov. 14 event follows Barstow's 27th Annual Main Street USA Festival, held Oct. 9 and 10, which featured vintage cars, live music, kids' activities, vendors, and a beer garden, according to the City of Barstow. That festival was co-hosted by the Saturday Night Cruisers, the Barstow Chamber of Commerce Tourism Committee, the city, and the Miss Route 66 Pageant, the city said.
Barstow's celebration isn't the only one marking the Mother Road's centennial this month. Tulsa, Oklahoma held its own Route 66 centennial celebration on Nov. 11, timed to coincide with Veterans Day and presented by Cherokee Nation Businesses, according to NewsOn6. That event included a Veterans Day Parade, eight art activations, and free entertainment across downtown and the arts district, the outlet reported.
A Desert City at a Crossroads
Barstow, incorporated in 1947, covers about 41 square miles and has roughly 25,000 residents, according to the El Paso Times. Interstates 15 and 40 and State Route 58 converge near the city, which is also home to the U.S. Army National Training Center at Fort Irwin, NASA's Goldstone Deep Space Network, Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, the Veterans Home of California in Barstow and BNSF Railway's classification yard, the report said. Barstow is also an access point for travelers heading to Mojave National Preserve.
