Discover Seligman along Route 66

When you choose Seligman as a destination, you encounter Route 66 not only as a highway but also as a historic road alignment through town. In the Seligman Commercial Historic District, the 50-foot-wide Route 66 alignment from 1926 to 1933 runs along two blocks of Railroad Avenue and one block of Main Street between Railroad Avenue and Chino. If you drive this section, you can experience what Route 66 looked like in its early years. The named streets give the historic alignment a concrete reference point and help you focus your visit on the district.

Route 66 in Town and Beyond

Seligman is the starting point of the longest preserved section of Route 66, which runs for 160 miles to Topock, Arizona. East of Seligman also begins the longest continuously preserved section of Old Route 66 in the United States. Both statements underscore the town’s significance for a drive along the old route, but emphasize different points: the first names the starting and ending points of a 160-mile section, while the second highlights the especially continuous section that begins just east of town. In 1987, the State of Arizona designated the route from Seligman to Kingman as Historic Route 66. For travel planning, this designation provides an additional historical reference: it applies to the route between Seligman and Kingman, while the length information refers to the section ending in Topock.

Local History on Foot and in the District

If you’d like to explore the historic town center on foot, Seligman’s Historic Walking Tour takes you through the original downtown. The tour takes about 20 minutes; check before your visit to see whether the printed tour is available. Along the way, visitors see buildings that were already built around 1900. The approximate duration gives the downtown walk a clear time frame. Comparing it with a drive along the historic Route 66 alignment helps you decide what to focus on: would you rather drive the route or explore historic buildings on foot?

The Seligman Commercial Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 1, 2005. This date marks the district’s listing; it differs from the years 1926 to 1933, which date the historic Route 66 alignment. Another tangible part of local history is Angel Delgadillo’s barbershop and pool hall. It was the first home of the grassroots organization founded to make the old Route 66 a “historic” road. Today, the building serves as a visitor center, museum, and Route 66 gift shop. The district’s listing and the history of the building point to different aspects of the town: the district’s formal recognition and the work of an organization. Since operating arrangements may change, check the current information about the building’s functions before your visit.

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