Seligman: Experience Route 66

Seligman represents Route 66 in its historic form. In the Seligman Commercial Historic District, the 50-foot-wide Route 66 roadway from 1926 to 1933 runs for two blocks along Railroad Avenue and for one block along Main Street between Railroad Avenue and Chino. Driving along this section makes it possible to understand what Route 66 looked like in its early years.

Route 66 between road and local history

The town’s historical significance is officially recognized: the Seligman Commercial Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 1, 2005. As early as 1987, the State of Arizona recognized the route from Seligman to Kingman as Historic Route 66. Seligman is also the starting point of the longest preserved section of Route 66; it runs for more than 160 miles to Topock in Arizona. For a trip with a strong focus on roads and history, the town therefore offers a clear thematic center.

East of Seligman begins the longest uninterrupted preserved section of Old Route 66 in the United States. Anyone who wants not only to drive through but also to experience the history of the road more consciously can combine the drive with a walk through town. Seligman’s Historic Walking Tour takes about 20 minutes and leads through the original town center. Along the way, visitors see buildings that were already constructed around 1900. Its short duration makes it easy to plan as a standalone activity or as an addition to a longer route.

Historic places that shape the visit

Angel Delgadillo’s barbershop and pool hall play a special role. It was the first headquarters of the grassroots organization founded to make the old Route 66 a “historic” road. Today, the site serves as a visitor center, museum, and Route 66 gift shop. In this way, the history of the road, local memory, and visible Route 66 culture come together in one place.

The history of the Snow-Cap chain is also part of Seligman’s storytelling character. When the chain was dissolved in 1997, one Snow Cap was still in operation; Juan made arrangements to continue the name. Details like these make the stay especially interesting for travelers who do not merely pass through a landscape but want to learn the stories behind a well-known road.

Which accommodation suits your travel plans?

When looking for a vacation rental in Seligman, you can therefore first determine the focus you want for your trip. If the accommodation is intended as a base for a drive along Route 66, the history of the road and the town takes center stage. Those traveling with children can plan the approximately 20-minute Historic Walking Tour as a brief shared discovery and then gather further impressions along the route. For travelers interested in culture, the Historic District, the buildings in the original town center, and Angel Delgadillo’s barbershop and pool hall offer different ways to explore the history.

Your choice of accommodation should therefore primarily suit your own pace: Do you want to experience Seligman as a historical focal point or incorporate the town into a longer Route 66 trip? Both perspectives can be combined with the preserved sections of road, the walking tour, and the historic sites, without limiting the visit to a single attraction.

If you would like to compare more places for your travel planning, you can also look at Jerome, Prescott, Cottonwood, Clarkdale, Ash Fork, Prescott Valley, Lake Montezuma and Camp Verde.

For the higher-level travel overview: Yavapai.