Travel the Mother Road to Gallup, New Mexico

© Courtesy of City of Gallup

Travel the Mother Road to Gallup, New Mexico

If you’ve got an adventurous spirit, a love for historic road trips, and a golden oldies playlist, you’ve got all the ingredients for a trip to Gallup, New Mexico. This charming town promises a journey through history and culture, with breathtaking views along the way. So, if the open road is calling your name, why not take a trip to “The Main Street of America” and get your kicks on Route 66?

At the Crossroads of History

Long before Route 66, known as the “Mother Road,” opened in 1926, Gallup was already a crossroads of cultures and commerce. Native Americans, settlers, and early travelers along the Old Trails Highway made their way here, drawn by the town’s unique location and rich history.

Route 66 became a vital artery for cross-country travel and commerce. In Gallup, the road transformed from a rugged truck route in the 1920s to a bustling two-lane thoroughfare by the 1940s, complete with dazzling neon signs and roadside attractions. Coal Avenue carried travelers east, while Highway 118 took them west, creating the distinctive Y-shaped intersections that frame the town.

During the Dust Bowl era of the 1930s, Route 66 became the “Road of Flight” for thousands of economic refugees heading west. In the following decades, it served military convoys during World War II and welcomed post-war travelers seeking adventure. By the 1950s, Gallup’s Route 66 shined brightly as a mainstay of Americana, lined with motels, diners, and service stations.

Exploring Downtown Gallup

While the Interstate Highway System in the 1970s rerouted much of the traffic to nearby I-40, Gallup preserved its Route 66 charm. Today, visitors can explore the town’s storied past through its historic landmarks, unique roadside attractions, and artistic displays.

Walking through downtown feels like stepping into a living postcard. Stroll along Main Street to admire its colorful neon signs, vintage motels, and retro diners that transport you back to the heyday of cross-country road trips. Among these landmarks is El Rancho Hotel, a 1930s Hollywood hotspot that hosted silver-screen legends.

For a cultural treat, visit El Morro Theatre, an architectural gem built in 1928. This Spanish Colonial Revival treasure, designed by the Boller Brothers, is a living time capsule dedicated to Gallup’s artistic and architectural legacy. Once described as a “castle of pleasure and art,” El Morro occupies a prominent location on Coal Avenue and has been the backdrop to many Indian Tribal Ceremonial parades.

Held in mid-August, the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial transforms the city into a kaleidoscope of color, sound, and tradition. This 103-year-old celebration features powwows, rodeos, parades, pageants, and showcases of Native American artistry and culture.

This event is significant to the town’s legacy, as Gallup’s heritage is deeply connected to the Navajo and Zuni peoples. When treaties allowed Native Americans to return to their lands, trading posts blossomed into thriving centers of commerce and culture. Today, over 40 trading posts and pawnshops in Gallup preserve this tradition, offering authentic Native American art, jewelry, and crafts. Remarkably, 70 percent of all handmade Native American art in the United States is exported from Gallup. For collectors and admirers of Native artistry, this is the ultimate destination to find one-of-a-kind treasures that tell centuries-old stories through craftsmanship.

Let Gallup, New Mexico, be your gateway to adventure along the Mother Road. Plan your visit to Gallup at visitgallup.com