Seligman AZ: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Seligman is a few blocks of Route 66 with a railway line beside it, and you can walk the whole of it in an hour. In 1978 the interstate passed it by and traffic almost vanished; nine years later the town's barber started the campaign that turned the old road into a destination. Today coaches stop here on the way to the Grand Canyon, so the street is busiest at midday. Come early or in the evening, when the neon comes on.
A short history of Seligman AZ
Seligman was founded in 1886 as a railway station and named after the Seligman brothers, Jewish bankers from New York who financed the building of the line. In the 20th century Route 66 passed through it, and the traffic kept its motels and restaurants going until Interstate 40 opened in 1978 and bypassed the town. In 1987 the local barber Angel Delgadillo founded the Historic Route 66 Association, and thanks to him the Arizona stretch of the road was declared historic and the town came back to life as a stop for travellers following the road.
The ten best sights in Seligman AZ
1Angel & Vilma's Original Route 66 Gift ShopThe old barbershop of Angel Delgadillo, the man who brought Route 66 back to life; the barber chair is still inside
2Delgadillo's Snow CapBurgers, shakes and practical jokes at the counter since 1953; expect to be teased
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3Supai Motel
A classic Route 66 motel with its old neon sign; best seen lit up after dark
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4Rusty Bolt
The gift shop with figures on the roof and old cars out front; a favourite photo stop
5Mater tow truckAn old tow truck dressed up as Mater from Cars, parked on the main street
6Burma-Shave signsSmall red signs at the edge of town with a rhyme spread over several posts; read them in order
7Grand Canyon CavernsA dry cave 60 m underground, reached by lift, 40 km west on Route 66; tours run all year
8Aubrey CliffsThe long wall of cliffs to the north of the road west of town; best in late-afternoon light
9Hualapai Lodge, Peach SpringsThe tribe's hotel in the capital of the Hualapai Nation, 55 km west; also where Diamond Creek Road begins
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10Ash Fork Route 66 Visitor Center
Small museum and shop in the next town east, 37 km, on Route 66 and the local flagstone
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Seligman AZ →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Seligman AZ:
Free walking tours in Seligman AZ
Main Street, where Route 66 came back
Seligman is a few blocks of Route 66 with a railway line beside it, and you can walk the whole of it in an hour. In 1978 the interstate passed it by and traffic almost vanished; nine years later the town's barber started the campaign that turned the old road into a destination. Today coaches stop here on the way to the Grand Canyon, so the street is busiest at midday. Come early or in the evening, when the neon comes on.
- Burma-Shave signs · From 1925 to 1963 the Burma-Shave shaving cream company advertised with rhymes spread over a row of small roadside signs, read one by one as you drove. The last sign always said Burma-Shave; these are replicas put back along Route 66.
- Seligman railway town · The town grew up around the railway and was named after the Seligman brothers, the Jewish banking family from New York whose firm helped finance the railroad being built across Arizona in the 1880s.
- Angel & Vilma's Gift Shop · In 1987 Angel Delgadillo, the town barber, gathered business owners in Seligman to found the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona. That same year the state named the road a historic highway, the first step in the revival of Route 66 across the country.
- Delgadillo's Snow Cap · Angel's brother Juan built the drive-in in 1953, largely from scrap lumber he collected. He became famous for his jokes on customers, such as a mustard bottle that squirts yellow string, and his family has kept the act going since his death in 2004.
- Mater tow truck · When Pixar's team drove Route 66 while researching Cars, they spent time with Angel Delgadillo, and the story of a town emptied by the interstate became the story of Radiator Springs. Seligman returned the favour with its own Mater.
- Supai Motel · The motel is named after Supai, the Havasupai village at the bottom of a side canyon of the Grand Canyon. It cannot be reached by road, and its post is still carried in and out by mule train.
West on the old road, into the earth and the Hualapai land
West of Seligman the old road makes a long curve north, away from the interstate, across open grassland under a line of cliffs. There are almost no towns, so fill up and buy water before leaving. The cave is 40 km out and makes a good midday stop, cool all year. Peach Springs, the Hualapai capital, is 15 km further, and from there the road goes on to Kingman.
- Burma-Shave signs west of town · The rhymes were usually road-safety jokes as much as adverts. The company ran a yearly contest for new verses, paying a hundred dollars for each one it used.
- Aubrey Cliffs · The cliffs and the valley below are named after François Xavier Aubry, a French-Canadian trader famous for riding from Santa Fe to Missouri in under six days in 1848. In 1853 he crossed northern Arizona looking for a wagon road to California.
- Grand Canyon Caverns · In 1927 a woodcutter named Walter Peck nearly fell into a hole here. He came back with a rope and lantern, found glittering rock and thought he had struck gold; it was only calcite, so he turned the cave into a show for paying visitors.
- Grand Canyon Caverns Inn · During the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 the federal government made the cave a fallout shelter and stocked it with food and water for 2,000 people. The tins and barrels are still down there, and visitors see them on the tour.
- Peach Springs · Peach Springs is the capital of the Hualapai Nation, whose reservation was created in 1883 along the south side of the Grand Canyon. The name Hualapai means people of the tall pines.
- Diamond Creek Road · This dirt road runs about 30 km down a side canyon to the Colorado River, the only road that reaches the river inside the Grand Canyon. It crosses Hualapai land, so drivers need a permit from the tribe in Peach Springs.
East to Ash Fork, the railway and the stone
East of Seligman the old road runs beside the interstate through juniper country to Ash Fork, the next small Route 66 town. Ash Fork grew as a railway junction and a quarry town, and the remains of both are still easy to see. It is a short drive, about 40 km each way, good for a morning before heading on. The steel dam is a few minutes east of Ash Fork, off the frontage road.
- Crookton Road, exit 139 · From this exit the old road runs west without a break through Seligman and on to Kingman, the longest stretch of Route 66 still in use. Interstate 40 bypassed Seligman in 1978.
- Burma-Shave signs east of town · The company put up its first signs in Minnesota in 1925, and at the peak had some 7,000 sets along American roads. Faster cars and the interstates ended the idea, and the last ones came down in 1963.
- Ash Fork Route 66 Visitor Center · Ash Fork calls itself the Flagstone Capital of the USA: the quarries around the town supply the flat red and buff sandstone slabs used for patios and walls across the country.
- Ash Fork station site · Ash Fork was the junction where the line to Prescott and Phoenix left the main railway. It was finished in the 1890s and nicknamed the Peavine for its endless curves.
- DeSoto's · The old filling station has a vintage DeSoto car parked on its roof. DeSoto was a Chrysler brand that ended with the 1961 models, which makes the car on the canopy a piece of history in its own right.
- Ash Fork-Bainbridge Steel Dam · The Santa Fe railway built this dam of steel plates in 1898 to store water for its steam engines, because the area had no reliable supply. It is one of only three steel dams ever built in the United States.
Getting to Seligman AZ and getting around
- I-40 exit 139, Crookton Road · Leave the interstate here, east of town, to drive into Seligman on the old Route 66
- Seligman Airport · A small public airstrip for private planes; no scheduled flights
Cheap eats in Seligman AZ
Seligman eats like the road it lives on: burgers, shakes, chilli and pie, in diners that look much as they did in the 1950s. Portions are big and prices modest for a tourist stop. Most places open for breakfast and lunch and close early in the evening, so eat your main meal by late afternoon. West of town there is nothing until the caverns and Peach Springs.
- Delgadillo's Snow Cap · Burgers, hot dogs and shakes, about $6-12
- Route 66 RoadRunner · Coffee, snacks and sandwiches on the main street, about $4-10
- Westside Lilo's Cafe · Diner breakfasts and lunches at the west end, about $10-18
- Roadkill Cafe · Burgers and steaks under a menu of bad jokes, about $12-22
- Ranch House Cafe, Ash Fork · Old-style diner on Route 66 in Ash Fork, about $10-16
- Diamond Creek Restaurant, Peach Springs · In the Hualapai Lodge; try the fry bread, about $10-18
Museums in Seligman AZ
- Angel & Vilma's Original Route 66 Gift Shop · Barbershop, souvenir shop and Route 66 shrine in one; free
- Hualapai Cultural Center, Peach Springs · The tribe's cultural centre in Peach Springs; check opening hours ahead
- Ash Fork Route 66 Visitor Center · Route 66 memorabilia and the flagstone story
- Grand Canyon Caverns tour · Lift down 60 m; the short tour takes under an hour
- Rusty Bolt · Route 66 junk and memorabilia, more fun to look at than to buy
Nature and day trips near Seligman AZ
- Aubrey Cliffs · The cliff line along the road west; pull over for the view
- Diamond Creek Road · Dirt road to the Colorado River; permit from the Hualapai Lodge, high-clearance car
- Chino Point · A rocky point just west of town for a wide view over the valley
- Picacho Butte · The lone peak south of the interstate, a landmark on the drive east
- Ash Fork-Bainbridge Steel Dam · The rare steel dam in the junipers east of Ash Fork
Things to do in Seligman AZ with kids
- Grand Canyon Caverns · Lift into a big dry cave; steady cool temperature all year
- Mater tow truck · Photo with Mater from Cars on the main street
- Delgadillo's Snow Cap · Ice cream with a side of jokes; kids love being teased
- Burma-Shave signs · A game for the car: read the rhyme aloud sign by sign
- Rusty Bolt · Spot the figures on the roof and the old cars out front
Where to eat in Seligman AZ
- Roadkill Cafe · Steaks, burgers and beer, mains about $14-25
- Black Cat Bar · Old Route 66 bar on the main street; beer about $5-7
- Westside Lilo's Cafe · Comfort food and big slices of pie, mains about $12-20
- Diamond Creek Restaurant · Dinner in Peach Springs if you sleep west of town
- Caverns Grotto at Grand Canyon Caverns · Book a meal served 60 m underground; reservations needed
Frequently asked questions about Seligman AZ
What is there to see in Seligman AZ?
The top sights in Seligman AZ are Angel & Vilma's Original Route 66 Gift Shop, Delgadillo's Snow Cap and Supai Motel. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Seligman AZ?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Seligman AZ without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Seligman AZ?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Seligman AZ, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Main Street, where Route 66 came back.
How do you get to Seligman AZ and get around?
The main ways are I-40 exit 139, Crookton Road and Seligman Airport. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Seligman AZ, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Seligman AZ that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Seligman AZ for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.