When driving between Kingman and Peach Springs, in the Town of Kingman at about 27 miles east from the town centre, you’ll come across one of the Route 66 gems: the Hackberry General store.
This is one of my favourite site to visit on Route 66, and it has been designated as a major location in Route 66 memories.
A former general shop that was abandoned and then renovated by an iconic owner, an Aladdin’s cave-museum renamed a tourist centre, where a genuine fragrance of authenticity floats.
Hackberry General Store location
Address: 11255 AZ-66, Kingman, AZ 86411, United States
The store can be found in Hackberry, an isolated ghost town in the middle of nowhere between Kingman and Peach Springs.
The store is filled with antique and vintage items, including original fixtures and merchandise from the early 20th century.
Vintage automobiles and Signage
In the parking area, you can see a set of antique automobiles (the highlight is a 1957 red Corvette), vintage billboards, vintage signage, and a donkey.
Inside the store, You’ll meet an elderly dog called Max (Who had a brief career as an advertising star). You’ll also see the following: Jewellery, paintings, items, letters and pins on a world map representing the country of origin of tourists who visit the store.
Also, you will see a lot of pictures of the Route 66, an old restaurant, and rock ‘n’ roll themed toilets.
Don’t hesitate to say hi and have a chat with the really polite old bearded gentleman behind the counter. I found him very knowledgable, and he will tell you all you need to know about the store, and the history of the area.
There are some great products to buy there that are not extremely pricey and can’t be found elsewhere in Arizona. The original station’s petrol pumps are a souvenir of the old times, however they are no longer operational.
It is housed in the former Northside grocery shop, one of the businesses that emerged in the 1930s with the entrance of the Route 66.
Hackberry (took its name from the Hackberry tree) was formed in 1874 and has the distinction of having been a ghost town numerous times.
It is housed in the former Northside grocery shop, one of the businesses that emerged in the 1930s with the entrance of the 66. Hackberry (took its name from the Hackberry tree) was formed in 1874 and has the distinction of having been a ghost town numerous times since its creation.
Originally a mining town, it underwent a revival with Route 66 (in 1926), with multiple gas stations opened before falling back into obscurity in 1978 (with the closing of the final store), after the completion of the I-40, distant from it.
The Griggs were the most well-known family, with numerous generations of them animating the neighbourhood.
Then, in 1992, Bob Waldmire, a nomadic artist best known for his paintings along Route 66, stopped there and made the decision to reopen the shop as the present general store-visitor centre.
He was pivotal of the Route 66’s revival (Apparently he also had an award for it). He will remain in history as the Route 66 legend.
Bob served as the model for the green Volkswagen van Fillmore in the Pixar-Disney animated movie “Cars.”
He also has a tribute at a memorial by the Last Stop Shop (a shop at Santa Monica California) at the end of the Route 66. He sold the shop to John and Kerry Pritchard.
The first weekend in May is the busiest period of the year since Hackberry is one of the official stages of the Route 66 Fun run, an event that attracts hundreds of both new and classic automobiles.
Final Thoughts
The Hackberry General Store is a must-see destination for anyone visiting the Kingman area. Visitors can browse through the store and learn about the history of the area while also picking up a souvenir or two.
When I visited the store, I did buy a cowboy hat and a Route 66 panel. I highly recommend visiting this store on your road trip on the west coast of the United States of America.
