Take a Drive on Route 66 With Google Arts and Culture
Explore Route 66 in a new way with Google Arts and Culture. This interactive experience lets you tour landmarks, browse history, and plan a future trip across America’s Mother Road without leaving your screen.
By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor
November 14, 2025
Route 66 has inspired travelers for nearly a century, yet most people have only seen fragments of it.
What if you could explore the entire road with vivid detail from your phone or laptop?
Here's a Cool Tip: Drive on Route 66 With Google Arts and Culture.
Google Arts and Culture gives you that chance with a curated, interactive project that pulls together stories, photos, and locations along the historic highway.
This digital experience turns an iconic American drive into something anyone can explore at home, at school, or on the road.
Google Arts and Culture’s Route 66 Project is an immersive, multimedia collection dedicated to the full length of Route 66.
It includes high-resolution images, historical notes, virtual tours, maps, and stories from museums and preservation groups along the route.
It works in any modern browser and in the Google Arts and Culture app for iOS and Android.
The platform lets you browse landmarks, read about communities, view vintage photographs, and jump into 360-degree street scenes of notable stops.
The value comes from having a curated overview rather than random search results.
Everything is organized into collections that highlight culture, travel, and historical significance.
For home users, it is a beautiful virtual road trip.
What You’ll Gain
- Explore Route 66 landmarks from any device.
- Learn the history behind towns, diners, motels, and attractions.
- Prepare a real world road trip itinerary using visual previews.
- Access curated multimedia without searching across multiple sites.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here's how to do it.
Microsoft Web/Desktop
- Open a modern browser such as Chrome, Edge, or Firefox.
- Visit the Route 66 Project: https://artsandculture.google.com/project/route-66
- Scroll to browse collections such as landmarks, museums, and stories.
- Select any item to open a full page view.
- Use the left sidebar to navigate to 360 degree tours, maps, or related exhibits.
- Save screenshots of landmarks if you want to build a travel plan.

fig. 1 - Route 66 - Google Arts and Culture
iOS
- Install the Google Arts and Culture app from the App Store.
- Open the app and search for “Route 66.”
- Tap the Route 66 project tile.
- Swipe through categories to explore images, stories, and virtual tours.
- Tap the share icon to save a link or send a feature to friends or students.
Android
- Install Google Arts and Culture from Google Play.
- Launch the app and enter “Route 66” in the search bar.
- Select the Route 66 project.
- Explore collections or use the Explore tab for specific landmarks.
- Use the built-in zoom controls to examine archival images closely.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Rich visual content useful for teachers, travelers, and history fans.
- Cross-platform experience works on nearly any device.
- Curated content reduces time spent searching for reliable information.
Cons
- No turn by turn trip planning built in.
- Image resolution varies depending on museum or partner source.
- Some locations offer limited 360 degree coverage.
- The Route 66 Project is available at no cost.
- It runs on the Google Arts and Culture website and mobile apps.
- The content is globally accessible.
- Some sections may update over time because museums continue to add materials.
- There is no subscription tier required.
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