This week’s road-trip highlights include two Route 66 centennial celebrations, a newly opened automotive exhibition in Los Angeles and several attractions approaching their final operating days. Farther ahead, August brings a major presidential museum reopening and nationwide National Park Week events.
Worth Planning a Drive Around This Week
Route 66 Heritage Fest Takes Over Downtown Miami, Oklahoma
Miami, Oklahoma, will hold its sixth annual Route 66 Heritage Fest on Friday, July 24, and Saturday, July 25. Opening ceremonies begin at 7 p.m. both evenings, with food trucks, marketplace vendors, children’s activities, a car show, the Rigs on the Route truck show and a beer garden planned throughout the celebration.
The festival offers a timely reason to explore northeastern Oklahoma during Route 66’s centennial year. Nearby additions to a weekend itinerary include the historic Coleman Theatre, the Sidewalk Highway near Afton and Mother Road stops in Commerce and Vinita.
See official Route 66 Heritage Fest details from Visit Miami
Route 66 Rides Festival Comes to Grants, New Mexico
The free Route 66 Rides Festival is scheduled for Friday, July 24, through Sunday, July 26, in Grants, New Mexico. Centennial festivities include classic cars, motorcycles, concerts, dancing, children’s activities, artisan vendors, pedal-car races, fire performers and Route 66 photo opportunities.
The event can anchor a western New Mexico road trip that also includes El Malpais National Monument, the New Mexico Mining Museum and additional Route 66 landmarks between Albuquerque and Gallup.
View the official Route 66 Rides Festival listing
Grants Hosts a Route 66 Centennial Pow Wow
A second centennial event in Grants will bring traditional dancing, singing, drum groups and a gourd dance to the Grants Rodeo Grounds and Cow Palace on Friday, July 24, and Saturday, July 25.
The Route 66 Centennial Pow Wow is free and open to the public. Travelers attending the nearby Route 66 Rides Festival can experience both events during the same weekend rather than treating them as separate trips.
Read the official Route 66 Centennial Pow Wow information
Petersen Automotive Museum Opens a New Home for the Mullin Collection
The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles has opened A Legacy of Excellence, a new exhibition featuring notable vehicles preserved from the former Mullin Automotive Museum collection.
The display highlights rare French automobiles from the early and mid-20th century and is included with museum admission. It gives travelers another opportunity to see part of the celebrated collection after the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard closed in 2024.
Explore the new Mullin Collection exhibition at the Petersen
Petersen Celebrates America’s 250th With a July 26 Cruise-In
The Petersen Automotive Museum will hold its All American Cruise-In on Sunday, July 26, from 9 a.m. to noon. The event celebrates 250 years of American history through domestic automobiles and adds an outdoor gathering to a visit built around the museum’s newly opened galleries.
Check the Petersen Automotive Museum event calendar
Closures and Last-Chance Notes
Kumba Enters Its Final Two Weeks at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will permanently close Kumba after Sunday, August 2. The roller coaster debuted in 1993 and was once Florida’s tallest, fastest and longest coaster, with a 135-foot drop, seven inversions and a distinctive roar heard throughout the park.
The July 20–26 week is the final full week before closing weekend, making it a better option for travelers hoping to avoid the largest farewell crowds. The park has announced that a future attraction called Kumba’s Revenge will carry the name forward.
Review Busch Gardens’ official Kumba farewell information
Fun Spot America Atlanta Is Approaching Its Final Weekend
Fun Spot America’s park in Fayetteville, Georgia, is scheduled to close permanently after Sunday, August 2. Normal operations are expected to continue through the final day.
The closure creates a limited opportunity to experience ArieForce One, the park’s large steel roller coaster, at its original location. Travelers considering a farewell visit should confirm operating hours and ride availability directly with the park before driving.
Read the Fun Spot America Atlanta closure announcement
Plan Ahead for Later This Summer
Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum Reopens August 6
The renovated Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum will reopen in West Branch, Iowa, on Thursday, August 6. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled from 1 to 2 p.m., followed by free public access to the reimagined galleries from 2 to 6 p.m.
Regular museum operations resume August 7. The reopening can be combined with the adjacent Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, West Branch’s walkable downtown and Hoover’s Hometown Days on August 7 and 8.
See official reopening details from the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum
National Park Week Runs August 22–30
National Park Week will take place Saturday, August 22, through Sunday, August 30, with programs celebrating the National Park Service’s 110th birthday and the United States’ 250th anniversary.
Entrance fees will be waived for eligible U.S. citizens and residents on Tuesday, August 25. Popular parks may still require timed entry, vehicle reservations, lodging reservations or separate fees for tours and concessions, so travelers should begin checking individual park requirements now.
Plan for National Park Week with the National Park Service
Chicago’s Lawndale Route 66 Festival Is Set for August 23
The Lawndale Route 66 Festival will take place Sunday, August 23, along Historic Route 66 in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood. The event combines the Route 66 centennial with the 13th annual Chicago Historic Route 66 Classic Car Show.
Travelers interested in the eastern end of the Mother Road can build a longer Chicago itinerary around the festival, the official Route 66 starting area downtown and historic roadside sites extending southwest through Illinois.