National Trust Partners on Route 66 Centennial Feature Film and 8 State Screening Road Show

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is proud to announce a partnership with First + Main Films on their upcoming film, Route 66: The Main Street of America. The Trust will be their National Engagement Partner on this new documentary focused on Route 66's revitalization era, and its release provides a unique opportunity to celebrate the Centennial of the famous highway while also looking forward into the next 100 years.

In the 1990s, filmmaker John Paget set out on Route 66 to understand how the decommissioned highway still had an irresistible appeal to people from around the world. What he found was a linear village of preservationists, advocates, business owners, and roadway aficionados and it resulted in his first documentary film, Route 66: An American Odyssey, which is still screened and discussed around the country. Decades later, John has returned to capture how Route 66 has been preserved and how a new generation of travelers is discovering the Mother Road as it celebrates its 100-year anniversary

"Preservation is not just physical buildings and artifacts," said Rhys Martin, manager of the Preserve Route 66 program at the National Trust. "It's about the people that make each place special. John's work capturing their stories is so vital to showing the world that Route 66 still has many chapters to write and that the diversity of the corridor is far beyond what people expect. When we talk about preservation creating revitalized communities, Route 66 provides both inspirational success stories and cautionary tales of loss."

"Route 66 has always been more than asphalt and mileage -- it's a story of all Americans," said John Paget, director of Route 66: Main Street of America. "As we approach the centennial, I wanted to explore how this road has come roaring back to life through the passion of the people who refused to let its story end. This film isn't just about nostalgia; it's about renewal, resilience, and the next 100 years of the American journey. My hope is that audiences will see this film and rediscover that same spirit of optimism, and feel again the renewal and resilience that have always defined America's Main Street."

In September of 2026, Route 66: The Main Street of America film will tour on a rolling Road Show along Route 66, screening in historic venues from Chicago to Santa Monica with the filmmakers in attendance. The National Trust is hopping into the passenger seat and will also have a presence at these screenings, to share the work that has gone into preserving the corridor and how that work highlights the greater American story that is embedded within the hundreds of communities that embrace their place on Route 66. Screening dates and locations are being published as they are finalized at www.66roadshow.com.

For more about the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Preserve Route 66 Program, go to www.preserveroute66.org. For more information and a trailer for the new film, check out www.mainstreetofamerica.com. For more information on First+Main Films go to www.firstmainfilms.com.

Press Contacts

National Trust for Historic Preservation
Elliot Carter | [email protected]

First+Main Films
Chris Elisara | [email protected] | (760) 822-2817