Albuquerque Museum Receives Grant to Support Route 66 Exhibition
Albuquerque Museum Foundation received funding for its Route 66 centennial exhibition
An exhibition featuring over 300 historical artifacts, ephemera, photographs, and local stories about the history of Route 66 in Albuquerque has received a major grant from the Mellon Foundation in support of the exhibition and programming at the Albuquerque Museum. The Other Route 66: 100 Years of People, Identity, and Place in Albuquerque will be on view at the museum June 6, 2026–January 3, 2027. November 11, 2026 marks the centennial anniversary of the US Numbered Highway System, which effectively created Route 66.
The Albuquerque Museum and Albuquerque Museum Foundation announced that the exhibition will allow visitors to engage with local Route 66 history in a nuanced way with stories that go beyond the traditional narrative. Through specialized programming that includes a speaker series, Route 66-relevant films, and opportunities for wide community engagement, visitors will explore the history of the road as it went through New Mexico, and specifically, how it shaped Albuquerque.
The Mellon Foundation’s Humanities in Place grant of $100,000 was awarded to the Albuquerque Museum Foundation through a highly competitive selection process. The Mellon Foundation is the nation’s largest funder of the arts, culture, and humanities. This is the first grant awarded to the Museum from the Mellon Foundation.
“This grant is an investment in Albuquerque’s story that allows our museum to bring the spirit of Route 66 to life in powerful ways during its historic centennial year," said Mayor Tim Keller. "We’re bringing history, creativity, and community together to celebrate who we are, where we've been, and where we’re going.”
A national and even international story, the history of Route 66 is localized in this exhibition at the Albuquerque Museum. The exhibition will focus on the everyday people and everyday experiences with a special emphasis on the relationship between the road’s local and national identities. Exploring the builders of the route, difficult travel conditions, past and current small businesses, and the changing face of the road as it evolves with local transportation needs will be part of the exhibition’s overall theme. In particular, the exhibition will explore the relationship between Route 66 and Central Avenue in Albuquerque and how local use challenges how we think of the history and impact of the national highway.
“We’re taking a deeper look at the history of Route 66 in Albuquerque that engages with communities often overlooked in favor of national nostalgia,” said the exhibition’s curator Dr. Alicia Romero, who is also Head Curator & Curator of History at the Museum. “Many of us in Albuquerque engage with Route 66 on a frequent, if not every day, basis, but we may not think about it in those terms the way tourists might as they plan an intense Route 66 road trip. We have neon, diners, and midcentury architecture, but we also have contemporary residents making Route 66 their own in new and innovative ways that challenge what we think of when we think about the road.”
The successful grant application was a joint effort, with the Albuquerque Museum Foundation providing essential support and advocacy to secure funding for this ambitious project. Working hand in hand with Dr. Romero, the Albuquerque Museum Foundation played a pivotal role in securing this, and other grant funding, to support the programming and exhibition.
The Mellon Foundation funding will support the exhibition needs (including framing, installation, shipping, crating and loan fees), programming, and outreach.