The Santa Monica History Museum will open a new exhibition tracing 100 years of Route 66 on Friday, Nov. 13, at 1350 Seventh St.

"Creating Route 66: Road, Legend, Community," co-curated by Executive Director Anne Wallentine and Avehi Menon, runs through June 2027. The show uses historic photographs and artifacts to examine how the highway shaped landscapes, culture and the communities along its 2,448-mile path from Chicago to Santa Monica.

Route 66 was first declared a federal highway in 1926. Its official western end was extended from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica in 1936, according to Santa Monica Travel & Tourism. The "End of the Trail" sign on the Santa Monica Pier is one of the city's most popular photo spots.

The exhibition is organized into six sections. One traces the road's origins, including early Indigenous trails that shaped its path. Another focuses on Dust Bowl migrants, Black travelers who relied on the Green Book to navigate segregation, and women whose lives and work shaped the highway.

Additional sections cover Route 66 in literature, film and music, roadside advertising and landmarks, the road's significance in Santa Monica, and efforts to revitalize the route for local businesses and travelers.

Highlights include a first edition of "The Grapes of Wrath," loans from the California Historic Route 66 Association and images of iconic roadside signage, the Santa Monica Daily Press reported. An interactive feature lets visitors mark their own trips along the route.

"Route 66 holds a powerful place in the American imagination, but its history is also deeply personal," Wallentine said on the museum's exhibition page.

The show opens with a reception. It runs 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12. Tickets are $25 for members, $40 for nonmembers or $66 for a pair.

The museum is open 2 to 5 p.m. Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Members, children 4 and under, active military, veterans and SNAP/EBT cardholders get in free. Admission is also free to all on the first Sunday of each month.

Public programs planned for 2027 include talks on the Green Book and Route 66 travel stories, a screening of the documentary "Route 66: The Untold Story of Women on the Mother Road" and family workshops. Details will be posted at santamonicahistory.org/events.