U.S. Route 66, also known as the Mother Road, was officially designated on November 11, 1926, creating one of the first coast-to-coast highway links from Chicago to Santa Monica. In 2026, Route 66 turns 100 years old, and communities along its historic path, including New Mexico, are marking this once-in-a-century milestone with Route 66 Centennial celebrations, preservation, art, tourism programs, and special events.
One such celebration is the Route 66 Centennial Speaker Series, a year-long lecture program running in 2026 to celebrate the centennial of historic Route 66 in the Albuquerque area and broader New Mexico context. It’s designed to explore the road’s history, cultural impact, architecture, and stories. The presentations will be held on the 4th Saturday of each month throughout 2026 (January through November), usually 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. They are free and open to the public. and sponsored by the Albuquerque Historical Society, East Mountain Historical Society, Historic Albuquerque, Inc., Los Ranchos Historical Society, and support from local governments. There will be over 12 speakers at different venues, most along the historic Route 66 path in the Albuquerque metro area.
Rather than generic history talks, this series dives into richly specific and personal stories tied to Albuquerque’s communities, businesses, and landscapes, from ethnic merchant histories and early transportation corridors to the roadside motels and city redesigns that define Route 66 in New Mexico today. Each month features a different speaker and topic at different venues, all tied to Route 66’s story in New Mexico, including history, culture, commerce, and architecture. Some examples include:
- “North Fourth Street – Albuquerque’s Original Route 66”: A historical look at the first alignment of Route 66 through Albuquerque and how it evolved from a city street to a major thoroughfare.
- “Rerouting Route 66 Through New Mexico”: The political, engineering, and geographic decisions that reshaped the highway’s path in the early decades.
- “Why Turn Left at Albuquerque? – Route 66 and the Roads Before It”: How earlier trails and transportation routes (from Indigenous trails to the Santa Fe Trail) set the stage for Route 66’s path through the region.
- “The Italian’s Pathway to Prosperity on Albuquerque’s Route 66”: Exploring the Italian-owned businesses that arose along the Mother Road and their impact on the local economy and community.
- “Chinese Merchants of Albuquerque’s Route 66”: Stories of Chinese-American entrepreneurs and how their shops and services served travelers and locals alike.
- “The Civil War on Route 66” – The Civil War battles of Glorieta, Albuquerque, and Peralta that took place along the path that would become Route 66, connecting the road to earlier chapters in regional history.
- “Motels on Route 66 / Central Avenue in Albuquerque”: A nostalgic look at the roughly 100 motels that once lined Central Avenue, the kinds of travelers they served, and what they reflect about mid-20th-century road culture.
- “An Iconic View: Route 66 in Downtown Albuquerque”: How the highway helped shape downtown’s growth and identity as a bustling business district.
- Central & Unser – Patrick J. Baca Library (8081 Central Ave NW, Albuquerque)
- East Mountain Library (487 NM 333, Tijeras)
- Fred Luna Multi-Generational Center (197 Don Pasqual, Los Lunas)
- Gutierrez-Hubbell House (6029 Isleta Blvd SW, Albuquerque)
- International District Library (7601 Central Ave SE, Albuquerque).
- Loma Colorado Library (755 Loma Colorado Blvd NE, Rio Rancho)
- Martha Liebert Public Library (124 W. Malinche St, Bernalillo)
- Pueblo of Isleta Cultural Center (71 Tribal Road 40, Isleta)
- Raymond Sanchez Community Center (9800 4th St NW, Albuquerque)
- South Valley Library (3904 Isleta Blvd SW, Albuquerque)
- Special Collections Library (423 Central Ave NE, Albuquerque)
- Wheels Museum (1100 2nd St SW, Albuquerque)
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