Information

Drive Time: 2 Hours
Hours: Most stores and the visitor center open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily
Activities: Auto touring, backpacking, biking, camping, hiking, shopping and sight seeing
Directions: From Kingman, head east on Route 66 for 85 miles. (You may also take I-40 east to the Seligman exit.)
More Info.: Seligman Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 65, Seligman, AZ 86337 or (928) 422-3939. Click Here to visit their website

The delightful town of Seligman retains all the flavor of the Mother Road, Route 66.

Seligman was founded in 1886 after the completion of the Prescott and Central Arizona Railroad. Santa Fe Railroad established repair facilities along the route, including the famous “Harvey House – Road House in Seligman.” This hotel opened in 1905, and the building still stands to this day.

In the late 1800s into the early 1900s, the population of Seligman was mostly cowboys who worked the area ranches. During this time, there were many gunfights in the streets, and saloons and brothels outnumbered churches three to one.

When Route 66 came through Seligman, several motor courts and other roadside services popped up, which was quite a boost to the town’s economy. However, in the 1970s, Interstate 40 was constructed and replaced Route 66 as the primary means of travel, and in the mid-1980s, the Santa Fe Railroad closed its operations in the city. The combination of these two events nearly killed the town. But with the enthusiasm of Seligman’s townsfolk, the famous roadway that had helped to build the town, became designated “Historic Route 66,” and Seligman is now known nationally and internationally as a popular and well-preserved Route 66 stop in Arizona.

Visitors to Seligman will want to stop in at Angel & Vilma Delgadillo’s Route 66 Gift Shop & Visitor Center, where they can pick up a walking tour guide to Historic Seligman that will allow them to sneak a peek at the town’s colorful history as a railroad town. In addition, the Snow Cap & Drive-In is a must-see Route 66 landmark.

Map