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An 18-foot-tall illuminated Route 66 shield on West Santa Fe Avenue in downtown Grants, New Mexico, that motorists can drive through. The City of Grants built it with the NMSU-Grants welding department, and it was erected in 2016 for the road's 90th anniversary.
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Route 66 Neon Drive-Thru Sign
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Site-level location · 35.1477° N, 107.8508° W
FIELD GUIDE
The story
Grants built itself a photo stop for the Mother Road's 90th birthday: a neon-outlined Route 66 shield big enough to drive through.
The City of Grants partnered with the NMSU-Grants welding department to build the 18-foot-tall illuminated arch, which Route 66 News reported was erected in June 2016. A ribbon-cutting was announced for August that year, and a New Mexico Tourism release described it as one way for the city to say 'Happy 90th Birthday' to the highway. It was one of several projects the Associated Press said the city had under way to revitalise its downtown.
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PRACTICAL
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WHAT TO EXPECT
A drive-through arch shaped like a Route 66 shield, with LED neon that was reported in 2016 to light nightly. KRQE included it in a January 2026 list of New Mexico Route 66 landmarks. Fire and Ice Park and the New Mexico Mining Museum are nearby.
ACCESS
On West Santa Fe Avenue (Route 66) in downtown Grants, near City Hall Park and Fire and Ice Park. KRQE's January 2026 list gives the address as 620 W Santa Fe Ave.
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