Route 66 Visitor Center
Learn about the Route 66 Visitor Center.
The City of Albuquerque’s Route 66 Visitor Center opens to the public on April 4, featuring a new photography exhibition, live music, and other activities. The opening marks an important step in reestablishing the center as a hub for community gatherings and special events, as well as a place for Route 66 Centennial activity. Beginning April 9, the center will operate on regular, though initially limited, public hours.
Operating Hours & Information
Thursday to Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm
12300 Central SW, 87121
[email protected]
Closed Saturday, August 15 for State of The City. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. for the free event.
Exhibits
Centennial Roots | Now – October 2026
Visit the gallery to experience the Centennial Roots Exhibit. A photographic homage to the landscape, culture, community, and traditions that have grown alongside Route 66 in New Mexico. In celebration of the Route 66 Centennial, this exhibition offers a firsthand experience of the cultural crossover the route has fostered over the past one hundred years. Through the contemporary lenses of New Mexico photographers Gabriella Campos, Jessica Roybal, and Nathaniel Tetsuro Paolinelli, the photographs trace the enduring relationship between movement and place, tradition and transformation. Their work encapsulates a century of lived experience, revealing how travel, migration, and exchange have shaped a distinctly New Mexican identity. Centennial Roots honors this growth, celebrating Route 66 not only as a road, but as a living archive of New Mexico’s cultural landscape.
Artists
Nathaniel Tetsuro Paolinelli – I am a fine art documentary photographer rooted in Albuquerque since I was nine months old. While my work has taken me around the world, New Mexico remains the foundation of my creative life. My photography is shaped by long-term observation, deep relationships, and a commitment to documenting the people and places that define our communities. Much of my work focuses on everyday life in Albuquerque and throughout the state. I am especially interested in how history, culture, and identity are expressed through neighborhoods, public spaces, family businesses, and local traditions.
Jessica “Jessree” Roybal – My work explores cultural memory and identity in the American Southwest through photography rooted in architecture, infrastructure, and everyday life. With roots in northern New Mexico and a professional background in architecture, I approach photography as both documentation and interpretation—examining how the built environment, cultural landscapes, and ordinary objects carry layered histories. Now based in Albuquerque, my practice centers on Route 66 corridors, vintage neon signage, and classic cars as enduring markers of movement, commerce, and identity. These elements once shaped our streetscapes and co lective imagination, and they continue to exist—often overlooked—as quiet witnesses to change.
Gabriela Campos – I am a Santa Fe–born photojournalist whose work centers on visual storytelling rooted in culture, community, and tradition throughout the Southwest. As a staff photojournalist for The Santa Fe New Mexican, I document daily life across the region while also pursuing long-form narrative projects. My work has appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, and other national publications, and is held in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, the New Mexico History Museum, and the Spencer Museum of Art. My photographs are currently on view at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in the exhibition Corazón y vida: Lowriding Culture.
Fall Centennial Concert Series
Presented by New Mexico Music Hall of Fame
As Albuquerque continues celebrating the Route 66 Centennial, the Department of Arts & Culture is excited to share that the free Centennial Concert Series, presented by the New Mexico Music Hall of Fame, is returning this Fall!
The outdoor concert series sets the stage for a vibrant fall afternoon, featuring New Mexico Music Hall of Fame alumni to the amphitheater stage, at the Route 66 Visitor Center for live, locally rooted performances featuring uniquely themed artists each week.
Local food trucks will be serving delicious bites, and Hollow Spirits Distillery will be pouring refreshing libations each week during the concert series, available with purchase.
Entertainment Schedule
Saturday, September 12 - Latin Jazz meets Country & New Mexico Music
12 pm - Chris Cordova, Latin Jazz Trio with Guest John Truitt
1:15 pm - Jamie Harrison - Tribute to the Music of Glen Campbell & John Denver
2 pm - Introduction of the Class of 2026
2:45 pm - The Blue Ventures
Food and Drink
Burrito Baby will be serving New Mexican–style favorites like burritos and tacos. Latin Flavor will offer Latin‑inspired bites such as empanadas and more. Hollow Spirits Distillery will be serving refreshing craft libations.
Saturday, September 19 - Tejano Legends meet the New Mexico Allstars
12 pm - Peter Vigil & The All-Star Band with Guest Luis Smoothie Soto
1:30 pm - Johnny Hernandez & Angel Alvarado
2 pm - George Rivas
2:45 pm - Gonzalo with Guest Jerry Dean
Food and Drink
Serving European street‑style döner is Gourmet Döner Kebab. Craving Latin‑inspired bites? Then check out Latin Flavor for empanadas and more. Hollow Spirits Distillery will be serving refreshing craft libations.
Saturday, September 26 - Music of the Decades 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s
12 pm - PICOSO and Christine Vee with Guest Sal Garcia
1:30 pm - Meet & Greet with George Tomsco - Founder Member of the Fireballs, and Sidro Garcia - Founder of Sidro’s Armada
2:30 pm - David & Company
Food and Drink
For wings and hot dogs, Alitas has you covered. CCR Roasting will be serving their signature fire‑roasted corn. Hollow Spirits Distillery will serve refreshing craft libations.
Saturday, October 3 - Blues Y Mas Revisited
12 pm - Rudy Boy Experiment
1 pm - Meet & Greet with Bobby Box
1:30 pm - Chris Dracup & Funk of the West
2:45 pm - Hillary Smith and Chris Dracup Band with Guest Lee Taylor
Food and Drink
Beat the heat with handcrafted pops from Frios Gourmet Pops. For Latin‑inspired bites, check out Latin Flavor. Hollow Spirits Distillery will serve refreshing craft libations.
Sunday, October 4 - The Country Show
12 pm - Daniel Solis
1:15 pm - Nathaniel Krantz
2:30 pm - Plain Jane & The Scrubs with Guest Donny Tesso
Food and Drink
Cool off with Italian ice from Pop Pops Italian Ice. Grab Chicano‑style hot dogs from Chicano Dog. Enjoy refreshing craft libations from Hollow Spirits Distillery.
Saturday October 10th - Funk, Soul, & Old School
12 pm - DCN Project
1:15 pm - Park Twenty - One with Guest Jak Baily
2:45 pm - Animated Jukebox with Guest Donny Tesso
Food and Drink
Enjoy handcrafted pops from Frios Gourmet Pops, savor New Mexican–style bites from Burrito Baby, and sip refreshing craft libations from Hollow Spirits Distillery.
Route 66 Visitor Center Commission Meeting Information
Meeting Schedule
Meetings are held on the following Tuesdays at 3 pm in the conference room at the Route 66 Visitor Center:
- January 27, 2026
- March 24, 2026
- May 26, 2026
- July 28, 2026
- September 22, 2026
- November 24, 2026
Agenda & Minutes
- Route 66 Visitor Center Commission Meeting Agenda 7.28.26
- Route 66 Visitor Center Commission Meeting Minutes 5.26.26 - Draft
All other board and commission documents, including agendas, minutes, resolutions, and other related materials, are available through the OnBase database.
Follow the steps below to access the documents:
- Click the Link Below:
Use the link provided below to access the OnBase database. - Search for Documents:
- Use the drop-down menu to specify the Board or Commission, record type, or meeting date.
- View or Download:
- Click on the document title to view it directly in your browser.
- Use the download option to save a copy for your records.
Event Rentals
The venue is available for meetings, trainings, and presentations on limited days between the hours of 8 am to 5 pm.
For inquires, contact [email protected].
For more information on Route 66 visit: Learn about Route 66 in Albuquerque | Visit Albuquerque