From Las Vegas: Route 66 Historical Locations Guided Tour

Highlights

• Explore Nelson Ghost Town’s vintage cars, relics, and Wild West history.
• Meet wild burros and stroll through the quirky streets of Oatman, Arizona.
• Visit Kingman's Route 66 Museum and historic steam train at Locomotive Park.

Description

Explore the Wild West: Nelson Ghost Town, Oatman & Route 66 Tour
Departs from Las Vegas – Full-Day Adventure

This full-day guided tour takes you through a scenic desert landscape filled with Wild West history, quirky towns, and legendary Route 66 stops.

Tour Highlights:
✅ Nelson Ghost Town at Eldorado Canyon

Your day begins with a drive through the Nevada desert to Nelson, a once-booming gold mining town tucked in the rugged terrain of Eldorado Canyon. This eerie and enchanting ghost town is filled with well-preserved 19th-century buildings, antique vehicles, and rusted mining equipment that tell the story of a bygone era. The town is a favorite for photographers and history lovers alike. You'll also have the option to take a short tour inside the Techatticup Mine, where you can walk through old mining tunnels and hear tales of greed, gunfights, and gold.

✅ Scenic Drive Along Historic Route 66

From Nelson, the tour heads southeast into Arizona, joining a scenic and storied section of Route 66, often referred to as "The Main Street of America." As you travel along this legendary highway, you’ll experience wide-open desert landscapes, rugged mountain views, and the kind of quiet solitude that made this road a symbol of freedom and adventure during its heyday.

✅ Oatman, Arizona

Nestled in the Black Mountains, Oatman is like stepping into a living movie set from the Old West. This former mining town has become famous for its wild burros — descendants of the donkeys brought by miners — who now roam freely through the streets, often stopping for snacks and selfies with visitors. Wooden sidewalks, historic saloons, and staged cowboy shootouts create a fun, immersive experience. You’ll have time to shop for souvenirs, grab a bite to eat, or explore the town’s many oddities and stories, including rumors of ghosts and gold.

✅ Route 66 Museum – Kingman, Arizona

After Oatman, we continue on to Kingman, a key town along Route 66, where we’ll visit the Arizona Route 66 Museum, housed in the historic Powerhouse Visitor Center. This well-curated museum chronicles the rise of Route 66, from the early wagon trails of Native American trade routes to the Dust Bowl migration and postwar American road trip boom. The exhibits include restored classic cars, vintage road signs, and captivating photos that bring the era to life. It’s a nostalgic deep dive into one of America’s most iconic highways.

✅ Kingman Locomotive Park

Just a short walk from the museum is Locomotive Park, home to the massive Santa Fe Steam Engine No. 3759 — a fully retired 1940s-era coal-burning locomotive that now serves as a monument to America’s golden age of rail. You can get up close and even step aboard the train’s platform, offering a great photo opportunity and a tangible feel of old-school transportation. It’s a hidden gem for rail buffs, kids, and anyone who appreciates engineering history.