Route 66 is pulling out all the stops to celebrate its centennial. RVers won’t want to miss the Mother Road’s new musical roads!
What is a musical or singing road?
A musical road is the kind of roadside surprise that turns an ordinary drive into a delightful memory. (I previously wrote an article about singing roads, which you can read here.)
The engineering for a musical road is complex, and the planning is time-consuming. However, the “singing road” idea itself is actually quite simple. It’s based on sounds (vibrations) we hear in everyday life. When a vibration occurs at a certain rate per second, it produces a distinct sound. The vibration or note comes from the spacing of the grooves, which is why speed matters so much. If you go too fast or too slow, the melody changes.
In simple terms, a musical road is a stretch of pavement with carefully spaced grooves or rumble strips. The strips make your tires vibrate in a way that produces a tune—as long as you travel at the right speed.
Route 66
To mark Route 66’s centennial, new musical roads have been added along the historic route. Each stretch will play music inspired by the local culture and surroundings. Watch a fascinating 3-minute video from National Geographic of a singing roadway installation below.
When drivers keep to the posted speed, the road plays a melody, creating a fun, shareable way to celebrate Route 66 while encouraging safe, attentive driving. (I doubt you can drive over one and not smile!)
The two men leading Route 66’s musical road effort are Chris Hill and Pete Thompson. They are the co-founders of Route 66 Musical Roads LLC. The company says local crews have been hired in each state to do the actual installation work.
Locate a Route 66 singing road
Missouri
The best place to start is Springfield, Missouri. You’ll find this Musical Road on St. Louis Street near Queen’s Gate 66. This Route 66 attraction is designed as a drive-through experience with no tickets or lines. By holding a steady 30 mph, you’ll hear the road play “America the Beautiful.” Listen to it here.
This singing road is part of Springfield’s effort to deepen its Route 66 identity. It’s an easy drive to combine with other Springfield Mother Road sights. See a map and discover additional sights and Springfield area experiences here.
Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma, also has a Route 66 musical road. The city says the route runs on the Southwest Boulevard Bridge, parallel to the Cyrus Avery Memorial Bridge. It sits near several other Route 66 landmarks, including Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza, the East Meets West sculpture, and the Route 66 skybridge. Travelers can expect to hear Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” when cruising at about 35 mph. Learn about additional area attractions here.
Arizona
Winslow, Arizona, is singing too. This musical road attraction is at the east end of Third Street near the 9/11 Memorial. It plays the melody from the Eagles’ “Take It Easy” when drivers travel over it at about 35 mph. That makes it a very natural RV stop for anyone who wants to pair Route 66 music with a quick visit to Standin’ on the Corner Park. Look here for other area sights in the area.
New Mexico
Santa Rosa, New Mexico, is the one to watch next. It’s expected to be completed by June 15, 2026. Here, the city is planning two sets of musical rumble strips on the west side of Historic Route 66. The eastbound traffic is set to hear “Get Your Kicks on Route 66.” Westbound traffic will hear the Santa Rosa Lions fight song. Find more to see and do in the Santa Rosa area here.
Also check out Tijeras, New Mexico. It’s where the original classic Route 66 musical road installation helped make the idea famous. Originally installed just east of Albuquerque as a traffic-calming project, it was built in 2014. To hear it play “America the Beautiful,” drivers should maintain a 45 mph speed. To find it, travelers typically leave I-40 at Exit 170 to take NM 333. Look eastbound between mile markers 4 and 5. Discover other amazing things to see and do while in the area here. (Note that this singing highway has faded with age and weathering.)
Celebrate!
The Route 66 centennial is a good excuse to visit a musical road on the Mother Road. The official Route 66 Centennial website is promoting kick-off events, caravans, exhibits, monuments, and other celebration projects across the corridor. Springfield and Tulsa are already pairing their musical roads with nearby Route 66 landmarks and public art stops. That means RVers can treat each musical road as much more than a quick detour. Instead, take time to enjoy museums, sculptures, festivals, and local history along the way.
You should go!
So, if you are road-tripping the Mother Road in 2026, pick the musical road nearest you and roll over it at the right speed. Each singing roadway gives RVers a different kind of “get your kicks” moment. Every location is a fun reason to listen, then stop, and celebrate the centennial one mile at a time.
Have you ever driven over a musical road? Tell us using the comments below.
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