<P> From south to north, these include the Beaux Arts style Joliet Union Station by Jarvis Hunt; the historic Church of St. Anthony, the oldest public building still in use in Joliet; the endangered St. Mary Carmelite Church by Patrick Keely; the Joliet Public Library, designed by Daniel Burnham; the restored Rialto Square Theatre, one of the few surviving movie palaces of the more than 400 designed by Rapp & Rapp; the Georgian Revival Louis Joliet Hotel, transformed into apartments but still an unfinished renovation project; the Neoclassical Old Joliet Post Office; the Auditorium Building block by G. Julian Barnes, a classic Joliet limestone building; the Joliet Area Historical Museum, which occupies another Julian Barnes building, the former Ottawa Street Methodist Church; the Italianate style Joliet Chamber of Commerce Clubhouse, now the JJC Renaissance Center, and the old Joliet YMCA across the street, both designed by Burnham Brothers; two Art Deco structures, the Public Service Building on Ottawa and the KSKJ Building on Chicago Street further north; and the magnificent Bedford limestone St. Joseph Church, designed by Burnham protege William J. Brinkmann and the largest church in the city, whose twin spires could be seen for miles around when Route 66 was new . </P> <P> There are also at least two pop - culture points of interest . One is just north of downtown Joliet, not far from the city center campus of Joliet Junior College . Sherb Noble opened the first Dairy Queen on June 22, 1940, at 501 N. Chicago Street in Joliet . Although the shop closed and the last soft serve ice cream was sold in the early 1950s, the building was designated a local landmark in November 2010 . Across the river at the south end of Route 66 Park is the Rich & Creamy ice cream stand on Broadway, easily recognized by the statues of Elwood and Jake Blues, the Blues Brothers, posed on the roof . This classic stand is open for business from mid-spring through late fall, depending on the weather, and is a welcome stop on the tour . </P> <P> The new western route was opened in 1940 and began in Gardner on the other (west) side of the Southern Pacific railroad tracks, taking over portions of IL 59 and IL 126 . Its main purpose was to bypass Joliet . This route also served Braceville, Godley, and Braidwood but then curved north to Channahon, Shorewood, and Plainfield, rejoining the original route at Welco Corners . In Plainfield, this new route overlapped US 30 (Lincoln Highway) for a short distance . After this road was opened, the original route through Joliet was redesignated as Alternate US 66 . Between Gardner and Braceville, a magnificent through - arch bridge carried this alignment of Route 66 over railroad tracks; unfortunately it deteriorated beyond repair and was demolished in 2000 . Beyond Braidwood, motorists can follow this 1940 alignment on IL 129, I - 55, IL 59, IL 126, and I - 55 again . </P> <P> In 1957, a new freeway, which is today's I - 55, was opened as US 66 between Gardner and Welco Corners, bypassing both Braidwood and Plainfield . Most portions of the 1940 western alignment that were not incorporated into the new freeway reverted to their previous state routes, except for the section from Gardner through Braidwood, which became IL 129 . This freeway was originally designated only as US 66 and was then also designated as I - 55 in 1960, becoming the first complete section of I - 55 in Illinois . It served as mainline US 66 for 19 years, from 1957 to 1976, longer than either of the two previous alignments . </P>

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