Ninth Annual Miles of Possibility Route 66 Conference – “Giants of Route 66”

About this event

The Ninth Annual Miles of Possibility Route 66 Conference will be held from Thursday, October 31, to Sunday, November 3, 2024, in Edwardsville, Illinois, with the theme “Giants of Route 66.” The main conference events will take place at the historic Wildey Theatre, just off Route 66.

The keynote speaker, Joel Baker, founder of American Giants, is the nation’s leading authority on the preservation of the iconic “muffler men” fiberglass statues, originally produced in the 1960s. Baker has also established the American Giants Museum in Atlanta, Illinois.

A wide range of speakers will share insights on Route 66 history, including Casey Claypool of the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway, Cory Jobe of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau, Susan Croce Kelly (author of “Cyrus Avery: Father of Route 66”), and other notable historians, preservationists, and experts on Route 66 culture and heritage.

In addition to the sessions, special events include a trolley tour of Edwardsville’s Route 66 and the historic Leclaire neighborhood on Thursday, October 31, and a tour of Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site on Sunday, November 3. The Madison County Historical Society’s annual “Dining in History” event will also take place on Sunday, featuring a Route 66 presentation by historians Joe Sonderman and Cheryl Eichar Jett.

Evening entertainment and special exhibits for Friday and Saturday will be announced soon. This event is organized by the City of Edwardsville and the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau.

For registration and additional details, visit https://route66milesofpossibility.com.