City of Gallup and the McKinley County Route - Unveiling of the Route 66 Monument at the George Galanis Multicultural Center

Officials with the City of Gallup and McKinley County are excited to unveil a collaborative project ahead of the Route 66 Centennial in 2026. The joint City-County project is the installation of a Route 66 monument in front of the George Galanis Multicultural Center. An unveiling event is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at the Multicultural Center, 201 E. Hwy 66. This is a free event and the public is invited to attend. A variety of speakers have been invited to address attendees before the new 16-foot monument, topped with the classic Route 66 shield, is unveiled. The monument will be the first of its kind installed in New Mexico.

“The new monument will be a great reminder of the importance of Route 66 to our community,” Frank Chiapetti, City Manager, said. “We’re sure this project will instill even more community pride for the Mother Road’s role in Gallup history and serve as a beacon to visitors to celebrate with us.”

“This monument is part of a series of public art installations being installed along Route 66 all across the country,” Anthony Dimas Jr., County Manager, added. “It will bring people to our beautiful town and showcase the richness of our history and cultural heritage.”

Ahead of the Centennial, organizations across the community have come together to plan a series of events and projects to celebrate the Mother Road. Several new Route 66-themed murals have been completed downtown and are already garnering attention from the community and visitors alike. There are also plans for at least one event per month next year to celebrate the Centennial, with existing annual events encouraged to adopt a Route 66 theme. The new monument will be located near another recent project, the art installation created by Erin Bulow and Supersmith that was installed in June to celebrate the states along Route 66.


For more information, reach out to McKinley County Brand Manager Brian Leddy at 505-863-1400 or Matt Robinson, City of Gallup, Tourism & Marketing Manager, (505) 863-1227