SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — WAND News is celebrating 100 years of Route 66 just weeks before the Illinois State Fair, but people can explore a huge walkthrough exhibit on the fairgrounds anytime of the year.

You can walk across the street from the fair's Village of Cultures to enjoy the nostalgia of the Mother Road, and it's a hit for visitors young and old.

People can literally walk through the entire stretch of Route 66 from Chicago to the Chain of Rocks Bridge in St. Louis and learn about historic landmarks and attractions.

The Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway worked with the Illinois Department of Agriculture and Ace Sign Company to make this dream a reality in 2021.

"It's become one of the highlights here on Illinois Route 66," said Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway Executive Director Casey Claypool. "Centrally located, right? But the thought behind it is people come, they see what's out there and then they say we gotta go."

Each red barn showcases communities within sections of the Mother Road in Illinois, including the map and places to stop along the way. People of all ages walk through the Route 66 Experience during the state fair, but organizers love to see schools bringing students through for field trips.

"We need to start educating the future," Claypool said. "We have to start educating the sixth grade, seventh grade and up through high school. Those are our future travelers."

Claypool said people enjoy coming back to the exhibit because they may have missed a photo in the past or want to see one of the new displays.

"We have photos of attractions, restaurants that once was that since have burned down or closed. It really [tugs] at the heartstrings, especially for those that traveled 66 with their parents," Claypool said.

Don't forget to stop and check out native plants from the Route 66 Monarch Flyway.

"That basically is an initiative that plants native butterfly habitats all along Route 66, which is also the natural migration path of the monarch butterfly," Claypool said.

But you haven't seen anything until you come to the Route 66 Experience at night. There's classic neon signs, a drive-in movie screen playing black-and-white movies and even more unique billboards from decades ago.

You can also see a brand new sculpture on the property honoring the Cozy Dog and everything the Waldmire family has done for Springfield since the 1940s. 

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