Powerhouse Visitor Center in Kingman, Arizona: The Heart of Route 66

Powerhouse Visitor Center and Route 66 Museum, Kingman, AZ Page Hdr.

The Powerhouse Visitor Center: Kingman’s Gateway to the Mother Road

At 120 West Andy Devine Avenue — directly on the Route 66 alignment through downtown Kingman, Arizona — a century-old concrete building that once lit the lamps and powered the mines of northwestern Arizona now serves as the most comprehensive Route 66 visitor experience in the state. The Powerhouse Visitor Center houses the Arizona Route 66 Museum, the Route 66 Electric Vehicle Museum, the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona gift shop, 16 Tesla Superchargers, and a team of knowledgeable staff ready to help travelers plan their journey along the Mother Road. It is, by any measure, the ideal first stop for anyone driving Route 66 through Arizona — and one of the finest Route 66 facilities anywhere along the highway’s 2,400-mile length.

Where is the Powerhouse Visitor Center?

Address: 120 W Andy Devine Avenue (Route 66), Kingman, AZ 86401

Hours: Open daily, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Visitor Center); Arizona Route 66 Museum last admission 4:00 PM. Closed major holidays.

Admission: Visitor Center free; Route 66 Museum: $10 adults, $6 seniors/Mohave County residents, children 12 and under free with paid adult. Groups of 3+ $30.

The Powerhouse is located directly across Andy Devine Avenue from Locomotive Park and Steam Engine No. 3759, and steps from the Santa Fe Railroad Depot and Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner. It sits at the geographic and symbolic center of Kingman’s historic downtown Route 66 corridor.

The History of the Powerhouse Building

Electrifying Kingman (1907–1938)

The building now known as the Powerhouse was constructed in phases between 1907 and 1917 at a cost of nearly $300,000 — an enormous investment for a frontier Arizona city in that era. It was built by the Desert Power and Water Company (later absorbed by Citizens Utilities) to generate electricity for Kingman and the surrounding mining operations in the Black Mountains and Cerbat Range.

The Powerhouse began supplying electricity in July 1909, when it began operating its first generators. Kingman and its surrounding mines were “electrically ushered into the Twentieth Century,” as one contemporary account put it — with the company cheerfully reminding customers to “Do It Electrically” while positioning itself as “As Reliable As The Sun Itself.” Expansions in 1911 and 1917 added successive turbine-generators, bringing the total output to over 10,000 horsepower. The plant also supplied power for the construction of Hoover Dam during the early 1930s.

When Hoover Dam began producing cheaper hydroelectric power in 1938, the Kingman Powerhouse was placed on standby as a backup. It never returned to active generation. For the next four decades, the once-grand concrete building sat largely idle, its interior falling into disrepair, its place in the community’s life forgotten.

The Powerhouse Gang and Revival (1978–1997)

In 1978, a community group called the Powerhouse Gang formed with the goal of preserving and repurposing the historic building. They incorporated in 1984, and by 1986, Citizens Utilities donated the Powerhouse to the Gang as a tax write-off. After extensive structural analysis, grants from the State Historic Preservation Office, and years of fundraising and renovation, the Powerhouse reopened in 1997 as the Kingman Visitor Information Center.

The 1997 reopening marked the beginning of a new chapter — not just for the building, but for Kingman’s identity as a Route 66 destination. The restoration transformed a derelict industrial relic into the heart of the city’s tourism infrastructure, setting the stage for everything that followed.

Route 66 Tours in Arizona

The Arizona Route 66 Museum (2001)

On September 29, 2001, during Kingman’s Annual Andy Devine Days celebration, the Arizona Route 66 Museum officially opened inside the Powerhouse. The museum was conceived from the beginning as something more than a collection of memorabilia — it was designed to tell the complete chronological story of Route 66, from the ancient Native American trade routes through the 35th parallel corridor, through the military survey expeditions of Beale and Sitgreaves, through the National Old Trails Highway, through the Dust Bowl migration, through the golden era of postwar road travel, and up to the present day.

What to See at the Powerhouse Visitor Center

The Arizona Route 66 Museum

The museum spans multiple rooms across two floors of the Powerhouse, offering a chronological journey through the history of travel along what became Route 66. Brilliant murals, historic photographs, and life-size dioramas capture each of the major groups who traveled the route: Native American traders, military survey expeditions, Dust Bowl refugees, postwar road-trippers, and the Route 66 preservation pioneers who kept the highway alive after its official decommissioning in 1985.

Specific highlights include a full-scale recreation of a classic 1950s diner, a period service station exhibit, a theater showing a one-hour documentary about Route 66 in Arizona, and the “Guardian Angel of Route 66 StoryFile Experience” — an interactive AI-powered exhibit. For the 2026 Route 66 Centennial, the museum is being enhanced with a new 3D map, interactive kiosks, immersive vinyl wall displays, and a dedicated exhibit honoring Lewis Kingman, the railroad engineer for whom the city was named.

The Route 66 Electric Vehicle Museum

Opened in 2014 — the first museum of its kind in the world — the Route 66 Electric Vehicle Museum presents a fascinating counter-narrative to the gasoline-powered mythology of the Mother Road. Twenty-nine historic electric vehicles (and growing) are displayed on loan from the Historic Electric Vehicle Foundation, tracing the history of electric transportation from the earliest experimental vehicles through modern EVs. The museum draws a direct line from the early 20th century, when electric vehicles competed seriously with gasoline cars, through a century of automotive evolution to the present.

The Building Itself

The Powerhouse is a destination in its own right. The massive concrete structure — built with the confidence of early 20th-century industrial ambition — is photogenic from every angle, and its interior retains genuine character from its power-generation years. Two model railroad layouts circle the interior of the building overhead, delighting children and railroad enthusiasts of all ages. The walls of the gallery spaces feature the Carlos Elmer Gallery, displaying the work of the Arizona Highways photographer who documented the state’s landscapes through much of the 20th century.

Tesla Superchargers and EV Services

In a nod to the electric future that the EV Museum documents, the Powerhouse has installed 16 Tesla Supercharger stations in the parking area — making it one of the most EV-friendly stops on the entire Route 66 corridor. The convergence of Route 66 history and electric vehicle infrastructure at this single location is, in retrospect, entirely appropriate for a building that once generated the electricity that powered a community.

Tips for Visiting the Powerhouse Visitor Center

Start your Kingman visit here — the staff can provide maps, itineraries, and recommendations tailored to your travel plans.
Allow at least 90 minutes for the Route 66 Museum — the chronological layout rewards a thorough walk-through.
Don’t skip the Electric Vehicle Museum, even if you’re not an EV enthusiast — the early automotive history is genuinely fascinating.
Combine with Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner directly across Andy Devine Avenue and Locomotive Park next door for a complete Kingman downtown experience.
The museum has ample free parking, including space for RVs and trailers — it is one of the most accessible stops in downtown Kingman.
School groups are admitted free for local schools; outside groups are asked for a donation if budget permits — contact the museum to schedule a guided tour.

Final Thoughts on the Powerhouse Visitor Center

The Powerhouse Visitor Center is the rare attraction that earns its status as a must-see rather than simply claiming it. The building’s own history — from frontier power plant to Route 66 cultural hub — mirrors the broader story of Kingman itself: a town that was built by railroad and mining, sustained by Route 66, and is now defining itself through heritage tourism and a genuine commitment to preserving what makes it worth visiting. For anyone traveling Arizona’s Route 66, the Powerhouse is the ideal beginning point for everything that follows.