This US City's Classic Car Tribute To Route 66 Is Set To Shatter A Guinness World Record

The city is Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Guinness World Record to be broken is for the most classic cars in a single parade. This Tulsa event is part of the celebration of Route 66 turning 100 years old in 2026. It is the Route 66 Capital Cruise, and it will take place on a 5.5-mile stretch of Tulsa's 11th Street, which follows the original route of Route 66, one of the longest highways in the U.S., on May 30, 2026. 

The current Guinness World Record for a classic car parade is held by Dorado, Puerto Rico, with 2,491 cars participating. On May 13, 2026, Tulsa City Councilor Christian Bengel made an announcement that Tulsa had 3,895 cars registered for its event, with over two weeks remaining for additional classic cars to sign up. It appears that there will be a new Guinness World Record, likely to be broken by a large margin. Local authorities with the tourism industry were originally shooting for 3,000 classic car owners to enter and drive in the event.

The Route 66 Capital Cruise is open to any vehicle that was made during model year 1996 or earlier, meaning that any car participating must be at least 30 years old or older. A special participant in the Route 66 Capital Cruise will be Bob Berghell, the grandson of the man who was known as the "Father of Route 66," Cyrus Avery. Avery, who led the fight for the Chicago-LA Route 66 through Tulsa, was one of five men who developed the U.S. National Highway System.

The theme that Route 66's centennial is built around will also apply to the ages of some of the participants in the Route 66 Capital Cruise. Somewhere between five and 10 people who are 100 years old will ride in the huge parade, including two centenarians, Betty Lee Jones and Morris Neighbors, who will be in the lead car.

Be aware that you do not need to own a classic automobile to be a part of the Route 66 Capital Cruise festivities. A wide variety of interesting activities are planned in conjunction with the event. A total of 16 "party zones" will be set up along and near to the 11th Street route of the Capital Cruise. Each party zone will be sponsored by a local organization hailing from either the not-for-profit or the business worlds. These party zone sponsors include churches, universities and community colleges, convenience stores, supermarkets, cafés, and many others. If you visit all 16 party zones, you will have covered the entire 5.5-mile Route 66 Capital Cruise parade route.

If you have the desire to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the "Mother Road," as Route 66 was called by author John Steinbeck in his classic work, "The Grapes of Wrath," then head out to Tulsa, Oklahoma for the May 30, 2026, Route 66 Capital Cruise. If you have a classic car made in 1996 or before, bring it along and break a Guinness World Record, like this record-breaking Volvo did.