[Shopping] [Museums] [Chamber of Commerce]
Route 66 runs right through Main Street in Barstow. Modern and historic facilities are
available right on Main Street, the original Route 66. In fact, Barstow is the only city
that retained the main street name from the early nickname of Route 66 "The Main
Street of America."
Today's Barstow, a transportation hub where Hwy 58, Interstates I-15 and I-40 merge and
Route 66 travels through town on Main Street. Just off the I-15 freeway at the junction of
I-15 and I- 40 is the popular 
Barstow Station with its many
gift shops and of course the famous McDonald's built entirely from railroad passenger
cars. The Route 66 Dining Car has a great collection of photos. Look for my
favorite, a view of Barstow when it was one street down amongst the railroad tracks.
Further south on I-15 is an area that has developed into the Factory Outlet center of
the high desert.
Once a small railroad town, today, a modern city that welcomes travelers from around
the U.S. and from Overseas as well. Entrance to the Mojave
National Preserve, home of the U.S. Army National Training Center, Marine Corps
Logistics Base, Nasa's Goldstone Deep Space Network, Santa Fe Railroad Yards and Barstow
College.
Barstow makes a good base to work from on touring the Deserts, Canyons, Early Man Site,
Historic Depots and, of course, just eight miles from town,
Calico Ghost Town.
Outdoor explorers, rock hounds and hikers will enjoy the close by, Rainbow Basin with
its nearby Owl Canyon Campground.
Rainbow
Canyon 
Owl Canyon Campground
Afton Canyon with it's "badlands" geology is a must see for the adventurous
traveler.
Afton Canyon
Old Iron Bridge 
(Harvey House).
Just off Main Street (Route 66) at First Street, travelers will cruise over an old iron
bridge that carries travelers to the railroad depot once the site of the famous Harvey
House.
Shopping
Antique Row
Barstow's downtown, a mecca for old Route 66 enthusiasts, boasts a 8,000-square-foot
antique mall and numerous other antique and craft stores. Customers and dealers come from
the 50 states and many foreign countries to visit this attraction.
Factory Merchants of Barstow Outlet Mall
Tanger Factory Outlet Center
The Factory Merchants of Barstow with over 85 outlet stores, and the new Tanger Factory
Outlet with over 30 stores. attract shoppers from all over the United States. Many of the
estimated 41 million people who pass through Barstow yearly shop there. When Phase II of
the Tanger Factory Outlet Center now under construction is complete, Barstow will have the
largest factory outlet area in the United States west of the Mississippi, with over 150
stores.
Barstow's new WalMart and K-Mart stores offer bargain shopping as well as
great selection and of course the Barstow Station has already been mentioned as
being a favorite stopover for travelers and tourists.
Museums
Two great museums to choose from:
- Route
66 Mother Road Museum
Located in the Historic Harvey House
681 N. First Ave.
Barstow, CA 92311
760-255-1890
Hours: Friday - Sunday, 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
- Mojave River Valley Museum
270 E. Virginia Way
Barstow, California 92311
Telephone (760) 256-5452
Exit I-15 at Barstow Road. Go north one block.
Open 7 days a week from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission is free
Focus is on local and regional history of the Mojave Desert. Some wonderful displays and
exhibits.
409 E. Fredricks St
P.O. Box 698
Barstow, CA 92311
(760) 256-8617 fax (760) 256-7675
Just a little footnote
Yes, when John Steinbeck was traveling Route 66 and writing his novel "The Grapes
of Wrath," he did spend a night in Barstow. It was in Barstow that Steinbeck and the
majority of the people looking for work picking fruit left Route 66 and followed Hwy 58
(466) to the fields and orchards in the northwest and central portions of California.
Barstow Station
Calico Ghost Town.
Rainbow
Canyon
Owl Canyon Campground
Afton Canyon 
Old Iron Bridge