Joliet Rededicates Route 66 Park: 8-Foot-Tall Steelman Statue Coming

JOLIET — Mayor Terry D'Arcy led Wednesday's press conference to re-dedicate the Route 66 Park at the Broadway Street Greenway. The Route 66 Park is considered a major tourist stop and there are now new signs at the entrances and on the nearby Rich & Creamy Ice Cream stand building.

The improvements also feature several new interpretive signs detailing Joliet’s history and enhanced landscaping. Notable selfie opportunities include a giant neon Route 66 shield and a large “Greetings from Joliet” postcard.

“By the early 2000s, the city successfully transitioned the land just north of Ruby to Ingalls into a 7-acre linear park that included this ice cream stand, which many of you may remember as Kreamy Delight," Mayor D'Arcy told everyone.

The Route 66 Park also features a 1/3-mile paved path meandering through the Greenway and a playground. In 2007, the city received a state tourism grant to add Route 66-themed elements, officially branding this site as Route 66 Park.

Larry Walsh Jr., Joliet's State Representative for the District 86, joined Mayor D'Arcy at the podium for Wednesday's Joliet press conference.

Walsh said that improving Joliet's image has been a key goal of his for some time so "that people know there is a lot of good things here, a lot of history here, going back to when we were steel and stone. You talked about the Steelman. That's Joliet Township High School. My father was a graduate from both schools, Township and East, that history is abundant," Walsh told the crowd.

"In 2018, with the celebration of the Route 66 1ooth birthday, the State of Illinois and the General Assembly created the Illinois Route 66 Commission, or centennial commission, that is basically set up to promote and market the celebration of 100 years of Route 66 working with the city of Joliet ... we've been able to give municipalities across the state, multiple dollars, millions of dollars actually, to make improvements and enhance the byway of Route 66 for this celebration that coming in two years."

Route 66 Park will also feature an 8-foot-tall Steelman statue.

“When we were considering what unique feature to include at the park, we kept returning to the iconic Steelman,"City Planner Jayne Bernhard announced. "I’ll admit, I am a Steelwoman myself—Class of 2000. We approached Joliet Township High School about replicating a giant Steelman for the park, and the JTHS board and administration enthusiastically agreed.”

Local sculptors Angelica Cristal, Jeff Benedick, and Kyle Hoover are fabricating the 8-foot-tall Steelman from stainless steel. The installation of this statue has faced production delays, so a special dedication event is scheduled for April 2025.

According to the city of Joliet's press release of the event:

Enhancements to Route 66 Park were funded by a Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Route 66 Grant. Heritage Corridor Destinations, the region’s convention and visitors bureau, manages the grant awards for this program locally.

The 7-acre linear park spans approximately 2,000 feet along the east side of Broadway Street, from just south of Ross Street to Ingalls Avenue. In addition to Route 66 Park and Rich & Creamy, the Greenway features a 1/3-mile paved path lined with benches and receptacles, as well as an arboretum showcasing a variety of plant species identified with tags.

Route 66 Park at the Broadway Street Greenway is open year-round, while the Rich & Creamy Ice Cream stand stays open from April through October.