This Authentic, Charming, Old-School Store Has Been Serving Route 66 Road-Trippers For Over 100 Years

After Route 66 was established as an official highway in 1926, businesses and artists took the opportunity to set up quirky shops, motels in the desert, and art installations. You'll find tons of underrated stops on Route 66, but one of them actually predates the route. Built in 1925 (about a year before Route 66 was designated) and originally a local general store, the Old Riverton Store in Riverton, Kansas, has become an attraction itself. Today, the quaint, red-brick building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and continues to sell bites and gifts to roadtrippers and locals alike.

The history of the Old Riverton Store goes back even further than 1925. Opened by Leo and Lora Williams, the original store was destroyed by a tornado in 1923. The couple rebuilt it, and that structure remains today at one-story high and divided into two sections, one for the store and one for living spaces. The store sold everything from shoes to Lora's homemade chili — in addition to all the basic groceries. When the Williams moved out of the building, the former residence section became where souvenirs and merchandise are now sold.

Despite being passed down through different owners, not much of the store has changed since its first inception. "This is a place where people want to see how it was and we still are. I'd say we're pretty close to original," owner Scott Nelson told The Joplin Globe.

Once Route 66 was designated, the Old Riverton Store inevitably grew in popularity, becoming a natural pit stop for those taking the classic American voyage. Over the front door, there's an apt saying painted by a former owner: "Go often to the house of a friend, lest weeds choke the path." Inside, you'll notice the original pressed tin ceiling and Route 66 memorabilia covering the walls. According to Route Magazine, the Pixar crew working on the movie "Cars" stopped by the store in 2001, and someone they met there inspired the character Mater.

The store keeps a stock of groceries, plus flowers and local handcrafts. Its deli makes highly praised sandwiches and adds to the store's reputation as a gathering place. Locals congregate with out-of-towners on the Produce Porch, where you can sit over a cup of coffee.

By car, the town of Riverton is about an hour and 40 minutes from Tulsa International Airport or two and a half hours from Kansas City International Airport. If you're doing the Route 66 trip, Riverton's only about a five-minute drive from Baxter Springs, Kansas, where you'll find Somewhere in Time Antiques, one of the state's best Route 66 attractions. And if you're seeking out other stops to check out along the Midwestern portion of the road trip, consider Tulsa's Admiral Twin Drive-In, one of the most iconic drive-in theaters in America, which was featured in "The Outsiders."