Welcome to
Joliet
Joliet is Route 66's first stop out of Chicago — and home to the Old Joliet Prison made famous by The Blues Brothers (1980). The prison was decommissioned in 2002 and now offers daily tours.
The 1926 Rialto Square Theatre, the 'Jewel of Joliet,' is a Rapp & Rapp vaudeville palace still hosting live shows. The Joliet Area Historical Museum doubles as the official Illinois Route 66 Welcome Center.
exploreThings to See & Do
Rialto Square Theatre
The 1926 'Jewel of Joliet' is a Rapp & Rapp vaudeville palace called one of the ten most beautiful theaters in America
Old Joliet Prison
Limestone Gothic state prison made famous by The Blues Brothers, now open for self-guided and guided tours of the 1858 complex
Joliet Area Historical Museum & Route 66 Welcome Center
Premier Route 66 stop in Illinois with three floors of regional history, a planetarium, and the official state welcome center
Joliet Iron Works Historic Site
Free open-air industrial archaeology park preserving the dramatic stone-and-brick ruins of an 1869 steel mill along the I&M Canal
Route 66 Park / Kicks on 66 Park
Riverside green space along the original Route 66 alignment with public art, interpretive signage, and Des Plaines River views
Tips for Visiting Joliet
The Joliet Prison tour is 2 hours — wear comfortable shoes for the gravel.
Rialto Square Theatre offers daily tours; check schedule on rialtosquare.com.
The Joliet Area Historical Museum is the official IL Route 66 Welcome Center and stamps Route 66 passports.