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Getting Your Kicks – Atlanta, Illinois
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Located almost exactly half way between Chicago and St. Louis, Atlanta is a quaint little town that has its roots on Route 66.
Just head South on I55 until you reach Atlanta, which sits between Bloomington and Springfield. As you enter the town, you will cross over the original stretch of Route 66 and begin your exploration.
Your first stop should be the Teleologic Learning Company Building. The building is a model of what a commercial building would have looked like in a small town back in the 1860s.
Next, you will want to explore the Atlanta Public Library and Museum. Listed on the National Historic Register, it was built in 1908 and actually still has the original period furniture. In the basement of the library, you will discover items from Atlanta’s past.
Probably the jewel of the town, if not all of Illinois, is the J. H. Hawes Grain Elevator Museum. Built in 1904, this wooden grain elevator has been restored to its original condition. It is the only one of its kind in Illinois and is on the National Register of Historical places.
Before you leave town, stop and have your picture taken with a Route 66 giant. The Bunyon’s Statue, as it has been dubbed by the townspeople, used to sit on Route 66 in Cicero. Also known as a “muffler man” due to being used extensively by service stations across America, this particular one was the symbol for Bunyon’s Hot Dogs which closed in 2003. Rather than dismantle the statue, it was brought to Atlanta to serve as a reminder of days gone by.
Once you visit Atlanta and expose yourself to Route 66, you will find yourself singing the familiar song and looking forward to the next town in which to get your kicks.
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