Did Route 66 go through Holbrook?

Yes. Route 66 runs through Holbrook, and the Wigwam Motel stands on the old road in town. East of Holbrook, the old road also crossed what is now Petrified Forest National Park.

What is there to see on Route 66 in Holbrook?

We list 11 stops in and around Holbrook, mostly archaeological sites, ghost towns and historic hotels. The ones our trip planner rates highest are Wigwam Motel, Painted Desert Inn and Route 66 Pullout. Every stop is on the map above with a photo where one exists, and the distance from the old road.

How far is Holbrook from the next towns on Route 66?

Holbrook sits at about mile 1,763 of Route 66, counting from Chicago. The next town east with its own guide is Gallup, NM, about 86 miles back. Heading west, Winslow, AZ is about 63 miles on. Distances are measured along the road and rounded.

Is Holbrook a good place to stay overnight on Route 66?

Yes. Our trip planner uses Holbrook as one of its main overnight towns, so on a two-week trip a day often ends here. Plan the stops in town for the evening or the next morning.

Route 66 town guide · Arizona

Route 66 in Holbrook, Arizona

Holbrook is a small railroad and ranching town in northeastern Arizona, about 1,763 miles from Chicago. It is the gateway to Petrified Forest National Park, and the stops we group here are split between the town and the park to the east.

About mile 1,763 of 2,448 from Chicago
11 stops in and around Holbrook
Main overnight town

Tap a dot to see that stop here.

Tap a dot for the photo and a link to the stop. Open Holbrook on the full map to filter by kind or add stops to your trip.

In town, the Wigwam Motel is the stop: a survivor of a 1930s and 1940s motel chain where the rooms are shaped like tipis. Nearby, the Arizona Rancho, an 1880s home turned boarding house, hotel and motel, is believed to be Holbrook's oldest standing building.

East of town, Petrified Forest National Park is the only national park with a stretch of Route 66 inside it, and much of our list is there. The Painted Desert Inn, a 1937 Pueblo Revival lodge on the rim of the Painted Desert, is now a National Historic Landmark, and Richard Neutra's 1960s modernist park headquarters, the Painted Desert Community Complex, stands near the entrance. Further in, Newspaper Rock has more than 650 petroglyphs carved over some 500 years, and Puerco Ruin is the park's largest known archaeological site, a pueblo of more than 100 rooms. West of Holbrook, Obed was a walled Mormon settlement of 1876 on the Little Colorado River, abandoned in less than a year.

Practical note: the national park charges an entrance fee and keeps set opening hours, so check them before you go. Holbrook is a main overnight town on our planner; Winslow is about 62 miles further west.

Top 10 Route 66 attractions in and around Holbrook

Wigwam MotelFifteen concrete teepees from 1950 in Holbrook, AZ, still rented out to Route 66 travelers by one family.
Painted Desert InnA 1937 Pueblo Revival lodge on the rim of the Painted Desert, now a National Historic Landmark.
Route 66 PulloutA roadside pullout from 2006 that honors Route 66, on Petrified Forest Road near the Painted Desert Inn.
Arizona RanchoAn 1880s home turned boarding house, hotel and motel, believed to be Holbrook's oldest standing building.
Petrified Forest National ParkFossil wood, painted badlands and open grassland in a national park that old Route 66 once crossed.
AdamanaThe former railroad stop where travelers once stepped off the train to see the Petrified Forest.
ObedA walled 1876 Mormon settlement on the Little Colorado River that was abandoned in less than a year.
Painted Desert Community Complex Historic DistrictRichard Neutra's 1960s modernist headquarters for Petrified Forest National Park.
Puerco Ruin and PetroglyphsThe largest known archeological site in Petrified Forest National Park: a pueblo of more than 100 rooms.
Flattop SiteA pit-house village site inside Petrified Forest National Park, lived in during the first centuries AD.

Retro roadside (1)

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Wigwam Motel

Holbrook, Arizona · 0.1 mi from Route 66

Fifteen concrete teepees from 1950 in Holbrook, AZ, still rented out to Route 66 travelers by one family.

Retro roadsidePhoto credit

Historic hotels (2)

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Painted Desert Inn

Holbrook, Arizona · 1.6 mi from Route 66

A 1937 Pueblo Revival lodge on the rim of the Painted Desert, now a National Historic Landmark.

Historic hotelPhoto credit

Arizona Rancho

Holbrook, Arizona · 0.2 mi from Route 66

An 1880s home turned boarding house, hotel and motel, believed to be Holbrook's oldest standing building.

Historic hotelPhoto credit

Route 66 sites (1)

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Route 66 Pullout

Holbrook, Arizona · 0.2 mi from Route 66

A roadside pullout from 2006 that honors Route 66, on Petrified Forest Road near the Painted Desert Inn.

Route 66 sitePhoto credit

Nature & parks (1)

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Petrified Forest National Park

Holbrook, Arizona · 2.4 mi from Route 66

Fossil wood, painted badlands and open grassland in a national park that old Route 66 once crossed.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

Ghost towns (2)

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Adamana

Adamana, Arizona · 3.4 mi from Route 66

The former railroad stop where travelers once stepped off the train to see the Petrified Forest.

Ghost townPhoto credit

Obed

Obed, Arizona · 2.5 mi from Route 66

A walled 1876 Mormon settlement on the Little Colorado River that was abandoned in less than a year.

Ghost townPhoto credit

Historic districts (1)

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Painted Desert Community Complex Historic District

Holbrook, Arizona · 0.4 mi from Route 66

Richard Neutra's 1960s modernist headquarters for Petrified Forest National Park.

Historic districtPhoto credit

Archaeology (3)

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Flattop Site

Holbrook, Arizona · 2.4 mi from Route 66

A pit-house village site inside Petrified Forest National Park, lived in during the first centuries AD.

Archaeology

Puerco Ruin and Petroglyphs

Holbrook, Arizona · 4.3 mi from Route 66

The largest known archeological site in Petrified Forest National Park: a pueblo of more than 100 rooms.

ArchaeologyPhoto credit

Newspaper Rock Petroglyphs Archeological District

Holbrook, Arizona · 5.0 mi from Route 66

More than 650 petroglyphs cover the rocks at this Petrified Forest site, carved over some 500 years.

ArchaeologyPhoto credit

Next towns on Route 66

Route 66 in Holbrook: questions

Did Route 66 go through Holbrook?: Yes. Route 66 runs through Holbrook, and the Wigwam Motel stands on the old road in town. East of Holbrook, the old road also crossed what is now Petrified Forest National Park.
What is there to see on Route 66 in Holbrook?: We list 11 stops in and around Holbrook, mostly archaeological sites, ghost towns and historic hotels. The ones our trip planner rates highest are Wigwam Motel, Painted Desert Inn and Route 66 Pullout. Every stop is on the map above with a photo where one exists, and the distance from the old road.
How far is Holbrook from the next towns on Route 66?: Holbrook sits at about mile 1,763 of Route 66, counting from Chicago. The next town east with its own guide is Gallup, NM, about 86 miles back. Heading west, Winslow, AZ is about 63 miles on. Distances are measured along the road and rounded.
Is Holbrook a good place to stay overnight on Route 66?: Yes. Our trip planner uses Holbrook as one of its main overnight towns, so on a two-week trip a day often ends here. Plan the stops in town for the evening or the next morning.