Fun Facts: Barstow
- Barstow started as Waterman Junction, a mining hub in the late 1800s, and officially became Barstow in 1886.
- The historic Casa del Desierto Harvey House opened in 1911 and now houses the Route 66 Mother Road Museum, the Western America Railroad Museum, and the NASA Goldstone Visitor Center (NASA’s Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex lies northeast of Barstow, near Fort Irwin National Training Center).
- Barstow grew around the railroad and highway, becoming a key desert crossroads and stop for travelers on the Mother Road. Route 66 runs right down Barstow’s Main Street—echoing Route 66’s “Main Street of America” nickname. Barstow is filled with vintage mom-and-pop motels, classic restaurants (including fast food chain Del Taco's restaurant #1), and other services for travelers.
- Be sure to check out the many vibrant murals along Main Street that celebrate the city’s rich Route 66 history and desert heritage.
For more information:
POINTS OF INTEREST
- Casa del Desierto
- 681 N. 1st Ave.
- Route 66 Mother Road Museum
- 681 N. 1st Ave.
- Western America Railroad Museum
- 681 N. 1st Ave.
- NASA Goldstone Visitor Center
- 681 N. 1st Ave.
- Barstow Murals
- Various locations
- Route 66 monument signs
- Numerous locations on Main St.
- Barstow Station, 'railcar' McDonald's
- 1611 E. Main St.
- Cactus Motel
- 916 E. Main St.
- Giant Fire Helmet
- 861 Barstow Rd.
- Mojave River Valley Museum
- 270 E. Virginia Way
- Roy’s Cafe
- 413 E. Main St.
- The Village Cafe
- 205 E. Main St.
- El Rancho Motel Sign
- Main St. at 1st Ave.
- Original Del Taco #1
- 401 N. 1st Ave.
- Route 66 Motel
- 195 W. Main St.
- The Torches Motel
- 201 W. Main St.
- 'End of the Trail' Sculpture
- 1041 W. Main St.
- Skyline Drive-In Theater
- 31175 Old Highway 58
- Tom’s Welding (sign display)
- 28664 Old Highway 58