Route 66 by Amtrak: Albuquerque

Want to visit historic Route 66?

 

Hop aboard Amtrak's Southwest Chief. The train has several stops with preserved sections of America's Main Street.

 

The Southwest Chief's main service stop is Albuquerque. The city has some of the longest remaining sections of Route 66 motels and storefronts in the country. The pre-1938 alignment traveled north to south through town on what is now Fourth Street. The later re-alignment ran from east to west on Central Avenue.

 

The train station was built to resemble the former Alvarado Hotel and now serves as Albuquerque's transportation hub. While the city's center declined through the second half of the twentieth century, revitalization is under way. The Rail Yards to the south are being redeveloped, and an innovation corridor has started by the station.

 

 



 

Train Stop

A couple of hours during the Amtrak service stop is enough to explore Route 66. Exit the platform on the far north end, past the Rail Runner stop, to Central Avenue. You are now on The Mother Road.

Route 66 Crossroads

Walk four blocks west (away from the mountains) to reach the crossroads of the two alignments of Route 66.

Food

Lindy's Diner, at Fifth and Central, has been a family-owned restaurant since the 1920s. Want a taste of New Mexico? Order your food with green chile on top. Breakfast is served all day.

Shopping

Skip Maisel's is a landmark on Route 66, on the same block as Lindy's Diner. They claim to have the largest selection of Native American jewelry in the Southwest.

Must See

The city-owned KiMo Theater, across the street from Lindy's Diner, is one of the best examples of Pueblo Deco architecture in the country. If you arrive during business hours for the box office, step inside.

Self-guided tours of the interior are available for free. The theater only requests you stay away from the stage area. Be sure to look up to find the lighted cow skulls and painted details on the ceilings.

 

Historic Lodging

Want to stay a couple days?

Nearby the Hotel Andaluz was opened as a Hilton in 1939. It's only one of two historic GOLD Leed certified hotels in the USA.

 

Budget Lodging

the Hotel Blue

Route 66 Hostel

Getting Around

If you don't mind travel by city bus, the Route 66 runs the entire length of Central Avenue from one end of the city to the other. The most scenic section of The Mother Road is Nob Hill. Taxi service and car rentals are available in town.

Getting around Downtown is easiest by walking or bicycle. Routes Rentals & Tours will deliver bikes to your location.

Side Trips

 

Old Town

Want a quick taste of Santa Fe without having to travel north? The Hotel Albuquerque is 1.7 miles from the train station in historic Old Town. Nearby attractions include the Albuquerque BioPark gardens, aquarium and zoo. Bicycle rentals are available in the neighborhood to cruise the shade of the Bosque Trail or take a guided tour.

Santa Fe

The Rail Runner provides daily service to Santa Fe from the Alvarado station.