Holbrook: Route 66 and Local History

Holbrook offers a clear historical focus for a trip: Route 66, a courthouse with a museum, and local stories come together here. Rather than focusing on just one attraction, you can compare different ways of exploring the past—from a street name to a building with its own museum. This is especially helpful if you want to decide what kind of discovery you would like to shape your stay before you start looking for a vacation rental. Holbrook offers several tangible points of interest that you can explore independently.

Putting Route 66 in Holbrook into context

The section of historic Route 66 in Holbrook is designated between mile markers 289 and 285. In addition, the first section of historic Route 66 in Arizona runs along I-40 through Holbrook. The two details answer different questions about orientation: the mile markers define the designated Holbrook section, while the I-40 detail places the city along the first Arizona section of the route. This lets you distinguish the local section from the route’s position in Arizona. For trip planning, this makes the Route 66 connection concrete without narrowing it to a single building or event.

Local history on the walking tour and at the courthouse

You can also explore downtown on a historic walking tour: Holbrook has a free, self-guided historic walking tour. It offers a different approach from focusing on a single building, directing your attention to downtown history. This lets you consider whether you would prefer a general historical exploration or to focus on a particular building.

The Navajo County Courthouse was built in 1898 and houses a museum about early life and culture in the Holbrook area. In 1978, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places as a structure of statewide significance. The year it was built, the museum’s subject, and its listing in the register each offer a different perspective: 1898 marks its construction, 1978 its later addition to the register, and the museum focuses on the region’s early way of life. The courthouse thus combines architectural history with a distinct regional cultural theme.

Street names and historic sites

Bucket of Blood Street got its name after a notorious 1886 shootout at Terrill’s Cottage Saloon. The Blevins House is also connected to a shootout: it was the scene of an event involving Sheriff Commodore Perry Owens. These stories tie local history to named streets and buildings. At Bucket of Blood Street, an incident explains the street’s name; at the Blevins House, the focus is on the connection between a specific site and the sheriff. This brings history to life not only through buildings and dates, but also through the events associated with particular places.

Wigwam Village Motel #6 was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002 and is located at 811 West Hopi Drive in Holbrook. Alongside the courthouse, it is another site with its own register listing. The listing years, 1978 and 2002, help distinguish the two historic designations chronologically; the address identifies the motel’s location in Holbrook.

Choose Holbrook as a travel destination

This provides a clear starting point when choosing a vacation rental: consider whether Route 66, the self-guided walking tour, or individual stories and historic buildings should be the focus of your trip. If these topics interest you, you can make Holbrook a specific part of your search. This way, you can choose your destination based on what you want to discover on vacation, then choose a vacation rental to suit your own needs.

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Return to the main travel overview: Navajo.