Romeoville Region
Route 66 Attractions in the Romeoville Region
1. White Fence Farm Restaurant - In the early 1920s, this restaurant was built on a farm and became popular with Chicago suburbanites and Route 66 travelers who wanted a taste of rural Illinois. Today, you can still enjoy "the world's greatest chicken" served family style.
2. Isle a la Cache Museum - Explore the "Island of the Hiding Place" where French voyageurs in the 1700s cached their goods for trade with Native Americans. Experience exhibits, a trader's cabin, a Native American longhouse, and trails.
3. Fitzpatrick House - This historic building is now home to the Lewis University History Center and the Heritage Corridor Convention and Visitors Bureau. Stop in to learn about the area's history or plan a trip along the I&M Canal.
4. Illinois & Michigan Canal - Built in 1848, the historic I&M Canal runs the entire length of downtown Lockport. Walk a trail that follows the original towpath, and explore the remains of Lock#1 and some of the best preserved walls along the canal.
5. The Gaylord Building /Lincoln Landing Park - Visit the 1837 Gaylord Building, built originally to store canal construction materials. The adjacent Lincoln Landing Park features interactive exhibits, sculptures, and a walking path.
6. I&M Canal Museum - Located in the original 1837 Canal Headquarters Building, the museum displays artifacts that relate to the construction and operation of the canal.
7. Norton Building / ISM Lockport Gallery - Built around 1850, this limestone structure was used to store, process, and package grain shipped on the I&M Canal. It now houses the Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery.
8. Plainfield: Intersecting the Lincoln Highway - This historic village is one of only two places where Route 66 crosses the Lincoln Highway (the other is in Joliet).
The Lincoln Highway, established in 1913, was the country's first paved, transcontinental highway and stretched from New York to San Francisco. Discover more at www.drivelincolnhighway.com.
1. White Fence Farm Restaurant - In the early 1920s, this restaurant was built on a farm and became popular with Chicago suburbanites and Route 66 travelers who wanted a taste of rural Illinois. Today, you can still enjoy "the world's greatest chicken" served family style.
2. Isle a la Cache Museum - Explore the "Island of the Hiding Place" where French voyageurs in the 1700s cached their goods for trade with Native Americans. Experience exhibits, a trader's cabin, a Native American longhouse, and trails.
3. Fitzpatrick House - This historic building is now home to the Lewis University History Center and the Heritage Corridor Convention and Visitors Bureau. Stop in to learn about the area's history or plan a trip along the I&M Canal.
4. Illinois & Michigan Canal - Built in 1848, the historic I&M Canal runs the entire length of downtown Lockport. Walk a trail that follows the original towpath, and explore the remains of Lock#1 and some of the best preserved walls along the canal.
5. The Gaylord Building /Lincoln Landing Park - Visit the 1837 Gaylord Building, built originally to store canal construction materials. The adjacent Lincoln Landing Park features interactive exhibits, sculptures, and a walking path.
6. I&M Canal Museum - Located in the original 1837 Canal Headquarters Building, the museum displays artifacts that relate to the construction and operation of the canal.
7. Norton Building / ISM Lockport Gallery - Built around 1850, this limestone structure was used to store, process, and package grain shipped on the I&M Canal. It now houses the Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery.
8. Plainfield: Intersecting the Lincoln Highway - This historic village is one of only two places where Route 66 crosses the Lincoln Highway (the other is in Joliet).
The Lincoln Highway, established in 1913, was the country's first paved, transcontinental highway and stretched from New York to San Francisco. Discover more at www.drivelincolnhighway.com.
Route 66 in Romeoville
Traveling the Old Indian Trace
Today's busy Route 53 has always been an important transportation corridor. Originally an Indian trail, the path evolved into a carriage road. The Fitzpatricks were early farmers in the area who depended on this road to transport their crops. As horses gave way to automobiles, the road was paved into a two lane highway. In 1926, it was designated Route 66 connecting Chicago to Los Angeles.
The Fitzpatrick Family
Patrick Fitzpatrick built his Greek Revival homestead out of locally quarried limestone in the 1840s. The Fitzpatricks once farmed over 700 acres, and the grain and other produce make their way to markets in nearby Lockport and beyond.
The Fitzpatricks donated land to the Archdiocese of Chicago which founded what is now Lewis University in 1932. Brother James Cantwell, FSC (see panel) greets students as they arrive on campus in the 1960s. He often recruited students from Chicago telling them that Lewis was "only three stoplights from the city" on Route 66.
Traveling the Old Indian Trace
Today's busy Route 53 has always been an important transportation corridor. Originally an Indian trail, the path evolved into a carriage road. The Fitzpatricks were early farmers in the area who depended on this road to transport their crops. As horses gave way to automobiles, the road was paved into a two lane highway. In 1926, it was designated Route 66 connecting Chicago to Los Angeles.
The Fitzpatrick Family
Patrick Fitzpatrick built his Greek Revival homestead out of locally quarried limestone in the 1840s. The Fitzpatricks once farmed over 700 acres, and the grain and other produce make their way to markets in nearby Lockport and beyond.
The Fitzpatricks donated land to the Archdiocese of Chicago which founded what is now Lewis University in 1932. Brother James Cantwell, FSC (see panel) greets students as they arrive on campus in the 1960s. He often recruited students from Chicago telling them that Lewis was "only three stoplights from the city" on Route 66.
