Powerhouse

Powerhouse Review

The Powerhouse building is a great first stop for visitors. The Kingman Visitor Center (928/753-6106 or 866/427-7866 www.kingmantourism.org), in a converted 1907 electrical plant, has the usual brochures to acquaint you with local attractions. Pick up a walking tour map, which highlights 27 historic sights, including Locomotive Park—home to the 1928 steam locomotive Engine No. 3759.

Inside the visitor center, the Powerhouse Route 66 Museum (928/753-9889 $4 includes admission to the Bonelli House and the Mohave Museum of History and Arts) provides a nostalgic look at the evolution of the famous route that started as a footpath followed by prehistoric Indians and evolved into a length of pavement that reached from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California. Memory Lane, also inside the Powerhouse, is a store crammed with kitschy souvenirs.

The first weekend of May each year, the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona holds the three-day Route 66 Fun Run, a 40-mile drive that attracts classic car buffs. Admission to the Historic Route 66 Museum also includes a visit to the nearby Mohave Museum of History and Arts and the Bonelli House.