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Berwyn’s Toys & Trains is a family owned toy and hobby shop located in Berwyn since 1992. Our original location was on Harlem avenue, but since 1998 has been on Odgen avenue, in the historic Route 66 district. The building was a Chevy dealership from 1950 until 1998. During the 1950’s Berwyn had 43 dealerships along Odgen avenue. The owners have retained the original authentic style of this building along historic Route 66. Customers describe the serious selection of playtime favorites at Berwyn’s Toys & Trains as delightfully daunting. There are toys everywhere here! Thomas the Tank, Breyer Horses, Smurfs, and Folkmanis puppets line the walls, and there is a huge selection of LEGO® blocks and kits for kids (and kids at heart). The shop specializes in O-Gauge electric trains, but the endless train options include HO and G-scale trains. It’s one of only 20 locations in the United States that’s an official stop for the Thomas the Tank Wooden Railway. There is a huge electric train cruising around a model village, and there’s a play area with three tables where you can roll up your sleeves and test out the toys. The shop is a welcoming spot that operates out of a refurbished Chevy dealership in the historic Route 66 district. In the 1950s, Ogden Avenue was lined with 43 car dealerships. In a nod to the historic history of this stretch of road, the owners of Berwyn Toys & Trains maintain the building’s authentic Route 66 vibe, so you will be surrounded by nostalgia. The vintage car models and old train sets inside the store continue with the nostalgic theme. The toy shop was on Harlem Avenue in Berwyn before moving to this historic spot on Ogden Avenue in 1998. This walk-in hobby store draws enthusiasts from around the world. It’s a great way to spend the day for kids and adults alike!

The Cindy Lyn Motel opened in 1960 with 18 rooms. The Cindy Lyn Motel was built on Historic Route 66 to attract travelers headed into Chicago. We were originally known and marketed as the last motel before the city. The day the Cindy Lyn Motel opened the cost of a room was $6.18 and if a cab dropped off a customer the cab driver would receive a free Cindy Lyn Motel “Zippo” lighter. Since opening day in 1960, the Cindy Lyn Motel has been owned and operated by the same family, we have maintained our personal touch throughout the years. In the beginning, one person operated the entire property. The same person who checked customers in at the front desk cleaned all 18 rooms. Over the years the staff has grown as well as the motel itself. In the early 1990s 3 hot tub suites were added and because of their success, a third floor was added a few years later which features our Presidential Suite along with another hot tub and 2 other beautiful rooms. In 1999, the east wing was completed which is comprised of 23 rooms plus our first fireplace suite, that offers a gas lit fire next to a Kohler hot tub. Today, we have 65 rooms and a courteous 25 person staff to better serve our guests. We are constantly striving to upgrade our rooms with our guests comfort in mind.

Drive west, and on the corner with Kildare (4300 Ogden) is a former 1940s gas station that has been modified, its three service bays have been closed in and the wide doors replaced with windows. Notice the crenels on the parapets with diamond decorations and the canted corner office. single story, former gas station, brick. Parapet with crenels, offic left on canted corner, 3 service bays right, white shutters. Iron grating encloses it 1940s gas station, Chicago, Illinois. Click for St. view This marks the end of your drive through Chicago so head west along Route 66 into neighboring Cicero or visit some more Attractions in Chicago: Info taken from www.theroute-66.com

3801 W Ogden Ave., Chicago, IL (Old Route 66) * In 1925 Louis Ehrenberger purchased this piece land and and built this station on Ogden Avenue. In 1926 Ogden was designated as part of Route 66. His business partner, John Murphy operated the station and later purchased the building. It was known as John J. Muprhy's Standard Oil Station until 1964 or so. It may have been closed for a few years in the mid to late 1960s. In 1970 it was known as the S&B Standard Service and in 1971 Gas Village. In the 1980s it became Castle Car Wash. In 2005 it was deemed eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. It is located at Ogden and Hamilton Avenues. As seen in this photo, some restoration has been done to the building. The Castle Car Wash name which was painted on the stone and brick, has been removed. The corniches on the tower have been reinstalled after having been removed out of fear they would fall. Photo(s): 2012 *From the Route 66 Times Listed in the National Register of Historic Places 3801 W. Ogden. There is a Centennial Marker sign on the corner here too. castle shaped building in sandstone, turret on the left, 2 service bays with white shutters on the right, concrete gs pumps island in the parking area in front Historic Castle Car Wash, Chicago, Illinois. Click for St. view This building, on the SE corner of Ogden and Hamlin, was designed to look like a castle from the Middle Ages, was built in 1925 and is the only historic gas station on U.S. 66 within Chicago's city limits. It is rumored to have been one of Al Capone's hideouts. John J. Murphy ran it as a gas station for over 40 years. In the 1970s it became a S&B Standard Service, and in the 1980s a Car Wash.

Continue west along Ogden and, to your right on the SW corner of Ogden and S Western Ave. (1254 S Western Ave) is a vintage service station. Former Mercury Oil gas station in Chicago, Illinois steep gable roofed cottage styled building in stone, a former gas station Former Mercury Oil gas station, Chicago. Click for St. view The modern Goodyear - Interstate Auto Center (now a tire sale, muffler, tune up and repair shop) has a very interesting "cottage" style gas station building. It dates back to the 1930s, and in 1941 it appeared listed in the Chicago Business directory as a Mercury Oil Company gas station. It can be seen in this 1938 aerial photo. Continue west and pass through Douglass Park which is one of Chicago's largest parks. It was created in 1869 as the "South Park" and it covers 173 acres (29.5 ha). In 1871 it was named for U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas. Finally, in 2020, it was was renamed for abolitionists Frederick and Anna Douglass. There is another Centennial marker here at 3100 W. Ogden on the SW corner with Albany Ave (St. view. Ahead is the Historic Castle Car Wash Info taken from www.theroute-66.com

1622 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago. This hotel which is still open, now as the "Hotel Chicago" used to be the Rosemoor Hotel , which as listed in the 1961 Hotel Directory of Chicago, had 150 rooms from $4.00 and up. At that time it was owned by DeWoskin & Co and managed by John Temple. Later it fell on hard times and lodged Single Room Occupancy tenants until it was refurbished and modernized in 2014. Its classic neon sign has been saved and still lights up the facade, but with the new name: Info taken from www.theroute66.com

1676 W Ogden Ave. Chicago. The photograph below in its credits tells us that this was a "Typical Standard Oil gas station" of the 1970s, it was strategically located on Adams St. and Ogden Ave., the photograph was taken on Dec. 24, 1976 shortly before Route 66 was decertified. The place has been repurposed but its origin as a gas station cannot be denied, now it is a taco restaurant. The two garage bays to the right of the old office are now windows. Info taken from www.theroute-66.com

Built in 1856 Drive west along Adams St. On the NW corner with S Desplaines St (700 W Adams) is the oldest standing church in Chicago , St. Patrick's church with its distinctive steeples, one sharp and tall, the other onion-shaped has been standing here since it was built in 1856 and predates the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Turn left when it meets Ogden Avenue. Here across the road, on the NW corner is a Vintage Gas Station :

Built in 1949, Lou Mitchell’s is located at 565 West Jackson Boulevard, a few blocks west of Lake Michigan and the eastern terminus of Route 66. To enjoy the full impact of this restaurant’s facade tucked snugly between two taller buildings, view it at a distance from across the street. Visitors immediately focus on the original aluminum and glass storefront. Rising up from the upper front facade and extending the entire length of the building is the eye catching, original 1949 neon sign that proudly states “Lou Mitchell’s Serving the World’s Best Coffee.” Another original sign, this one extolling the restaurant’s handmade bakery goods, is still hanging on the front facade. Aside from timely upgrades of the kitchen and bathrooms, the interior of Lou Mitchell’s has not been significantly altered since 1949. The dining room retains its original black and white terrazzo flooring, and most of the dining and counter areas are unchanged.   The booths have their original wood tables, coat racks, and seats, although the seats sport new upholstery. The multi-sided counters with individual stools are original but have newer laminated surfaces and upholstery. Much of the wood and formica wall paneling dates to 1949. All in all, the stylistic choices made in 1949 point not backward but to the future, to the 1950s. The restaurant’s intense presentation of neon, shining glass, and sleek aluminum truly place this historic eatery in Route 66’s classic Golden Age. Turn south along S. Clinton St. to West Jackson St. that carried eastbound Route 66 traffic into Chicago, and to your left on the south side of Jackson is the Historic  Lou Mitchell's  Restaurant . Listed in the National Register of Historic Places - Neon Sign At 565 West Jackson Boulevard. Strategically located on the former eastbound US 66 into Chicago, a few blocks from Lake Michigan and the eastern terminus of the Mother Road. It is a Route 66 Hall of Fame Inductee. The neon sign is the original one, from 1949, and it announces " Lou Mitchell's Serving the World's Best Coffee ". Its facade with aluminium and glass is the original one, and most of its interior is also original and virtually unchanged. It was founded by William Mitchell, who ran a restaurant on the other side of Jackson, back in 1923. He named it after his son Lou who worked hiere until he was in his seventies when he sold it to his niece. It is run by her family today. Turn back and walk down Jackson to the "END" sign of Route 66 at Michigan Ave., and this is the end of your walking tour in "  the Loop ". Get your car and drive west to see some more of the few remaining Route 66 Landmarks in Chicago.

Miller’s Pub, a Chicago institution since 1935, became a popular spot for Route 66 travelers at its location near Adams and Wabash. It was purchased in 1952 and moved around the corner to 134 S. Wabash in 1989. Traditional atmosphere, excellent service, and the great food. The menu features a large selection of sandwiches, salads, and burgers. They are known for their BBQ ribs. The rooms are decorated with autographed photos from many of the celebrities, from Frank Sinatra to Marilyn Monroe, who have dined there over the years

One block past the river, to your left is  Chicago's   Union Station , the railway depot. Ho inside to take a peek at its Beaux-Arts style facades with Corinthian columns, its lavish bronze lamps and the vast Hall. Union Station Trivia Scenes shot at Union Station stairway in the movie Untouchables, 1987. Click image to enlarge The shootout sequence with the baby's pram rolling down the stairs in the movie " The Untouchables " (1987) was shot here ( current view ). Other movies filmed here include My Best Friend’s Wedding  and The Sting .

Cross the Chicago River's South Branch using the Original Route 66 Bridge that carried Route 66, built in 1927 and rehabilitated in 1996, it is a Double Trunnion Bascule Deck Truss (Status: Open to traffic). The Chicago River runs through Chicago, including its central downtown district. Over the centuries it evolved into a system of rivers and canals (now 156 miles or 251 km long). It's flow was reversed and now instead of discharging into Lake Michigan, it flows westwards into the Mississippi River through the Des Plaines and Illinois Rivers. The first bridge across it was built in 1832, and it peaked at 52 bridges in the 20th century. Now 38 remain, all of them different types of movable bridges. One block past the river, to your left is Chicago's Union Station, the railway depot. Ho inside to take a peek at its Beaux-Arts style facades with Corinthian columns, its lavish bronze lamps and the vast Hall. Taken from www theroute-66.com