LITCHFIELD, Ill-- Sometime next year, Illinois will have a new Route 66 museum.

This one will be in Litchfield, where there’s Historic Route 66 and an even earlier alignment known as Old Route 66.  The building, made of steel, stucco and brick, is built, but fund-raising is on-going for the fixtures on which to place the artifacts, which will come primarily from the Litchfield area.

Lonnie Bathurst, who works on the museum committee, says he expects the museum to be a local attraction, as well as a destination for the hundreds of Route 66 enthusiasts who pass through Litchfield each year. 

The steering committee looks to raise all of the estimated $500,000 itself in order to set up the museum.  They asked the city for a contribution but were denied any funds. 
There are already Route 66 museums in Joliet, Odell, Pontiac and Springfield.