Raising $66K for Route 66 — Autry National Center Crowdfunding Campaign

The Autry National Center of the American West announced today that it will hold its inaugural crowdfunding campaign, reaching out to the public in hopes of raising $66,000 to support an exhibit focused on Route 66.

"Route 66 enthusiasts reside all over the world," according to W. Richard West Jr., the Autry's president and CEO. "Through social media and the Indiegogo site, we will reach a larger segment of supporters who can help us tell -- in the most engaging way possible -- the remarkable story of this popular and historic landmark."

The exhibit, titled "Route 66: The Road and the Romance," will include more than 200 artifacts tracing the history of the road and its impact on American culture, according to the Autry, 4700 Western Heritage Way. Among the exhibits will be a classic Corvette, vintage gas pumps, the oldest existing Route 66 shield and Jack Kerouac's original typewriter scroll of "On the Road."

The exhibit is scheduled to open June 8.

According to the Autry, money collected through the crowdfunding campaign -- in which people are encouraged to donate in amounts ranging from $10 to $10,000 -- will be used to support the exhibition and related programs, such as beat poetry events and classic car days.

More information on the exhibition and the fundraising campaign is available online at TheAutry.org/Route66.

–City News Service