Meteor City Trading Post on Route 66: The Dome, the Dreamcatcher, and the Desert

Meteor City Trading Post on Route 66 in Arizona Page Hdr.

Meteor City Trading Post: A Route 66 Dome Rising Again

Between Winslow and Flagstaff on Historic Route 66, an unusual sight rises from the high desert plateau: a geodesic dome with a yellow mohawk down its center, flanked by concrete teepees and a massive dreamcatcher visible from the interstate. This is Meteor City — not a city at all, but one of Route 66’s most distinctive trading posts, a place that has been by turns a Texaco station, a full-service trading post, a film set, an abandoned ruin, and now, as of 2025, a bold new roadside attraction opening a new chapter in its remarkable story.

Where is Meteor City Trading Post?

Location: I-40 Exit 239 (Meteor City Road), southwest corner, near Winslow, AZ

Meteor City sits approximately 11 miles west of Winslow along the Route 66 corridor, accessible from Interstate 40 at Exit 239. It is the first in a cluster of three iconic Route 66 roadside attractions within a 30-mile stretch — followed by the Two Guns Ghost Town and the ruins of the Twin Arrows Trading Post. The nearby turn-off for Meteor Crater (the actual impact site) is at Exit 233, about 6 miles to the east.

The History of Meteor City Trading Post

Origins: Texaco and Lonesome Jack (1938–1970s)

The first business at this location was a Texaco gas station opened in 1938 by Joe Sharber, a local Arizona resident who recognized the opportunity on what was already a busy Route 66 corridor. The property took its name from the nearby Barringer Meteor Crater — a natural marvel that had been attracting Route 66 travelers since the 1920s. In 1941, Sharber sold the property to a colorful Iowan named Jack Newsum, who embraced the nickname “Lonesome Jack” with characteristic Route 66 flair.

Newsum added a trading post store to the existing gas station and immediately demonstrated his showman’s instincts. He erected a city limits sign for “Meteor City” that read “Population: 1” — later updated to “Population: 2” when he married his wife Goldie. Goldie Newsum served as the local justice of the peace for Coconino County, operating out of the trading post property and issuing speeding citations to unwary drivers on Route 66. She earned a reputation in Route 66 lore as the “wicked witch of Route 66,” a nickname that was, by most accounts, affectionately meant.

The Geodesic Dome (1979)

The trading post operated out of a conventional rectangular building through the 1960s and 1970s, but in 1979 it was replaced by the structure that defines the property to this day: a geodesic dome with a distinctive yellow mohawk running down its center. The dome could be seen for miles and immediately established Meteor City’s identity as one of the most visually striking stops on the entire Arizona stretch of Route 66. Inside, the dome housed a gift shop selling souvenirs, Baja jackets, tumbled stones, petrified wood, and Native American goods — all the staples of the classic Route 66 trading post experience.

Around this time, artist and cartographer Bob Waldmire — one of Route 66’s most beloved and unconventional figures — painted a 100-foot mural depicting the entire length of Route 66 along the exterior wall of the trading post. The mural became one of the most celebrated pieces of Route 66 folk art, drawing travelers who drove past specifically to see Waldmire’s quirky, detailed depiction of the Mother Road and its landmarks.

The Film Set: Starman (1984)

In 1984, the Meteor City Trading Post was used as a location in the Columbia Pictures film Starman, starring Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen. In the film, the geodesic dome appears as a roadside restaurant where the characters stop for cherry pie and peach cobbler. The connection to a major Hollywood production added another layer to the trading post’s identity, and for decades the owners considered dedicating a section of the store to the Starman connection.

Decline, Abandonment, and Rescue (2012–Present)

The trading post closed in 2012, and the years that followed were brutal. Left unlocked and unmonitored, the building was badly vandalized. The Bob Waldmire mural collapsed along with its exterior fence. The great dreamcatcher deteriorated. By 2016, when Joann and Michael Brown — a couple from Indiana with childhood memories of Route 66 road trips — heard that the property was scheduled for demolition, they made an immediate offer and saved it from destruction.

The Browns spent years cleaning debris, stabilizing the structure, and protecting it from further vandalism. In May 2025, the property reopened as the “Dino Drive-Thru at Meteor City” under new ownership, bringing the property back to life with a fresh concept that honors its roadside heritage while creating new reasons to stop. The dreamcatcher still stands near the highway — battered but surviving — as one of Route 66’s most recognizable icons.

What to See at Meteor City Trading Post

The Geodesic Dome

The dome itself is the primary visual draw — an architectural novelty visible from the interstate that has no real precedent on Route 66. Its yellow mohawk detail makes it instantly recognizable in any photograph and has been drawing travelers off the highway for nearly half a century.

The World’s Largest Dreamcatcher

A massive dreamcatcher — billed as the world’s largest — stands near the highway adjacent to the dome. Weathered by decades in the desert sun, it remains a striking and photogenic piece of Americana. Despite claims from Guinness (which currently recognizes a Lithuanian dreamcatcher as the largest by precise measurement), the Meteor City dreamcatcher holds an honorary title in Route 66 lore that no measuring tape can truly contest.

The Concrete Teepees

Six concrete teepee structures on the property are relics from the trading post’s heyday, when they served as quirky architectural accents designed to attract passing motorists’ attention. They add to the surreal, kitschy character of the property.

Tips for Visiting Meteor City

Access from I-40 at Exit 239 — the property is on the southwest corner, directly adjacent to the original Route 66 alignment.
Check visitmeteorcity.com for current hours and available services before visiting — the property has changed ownership and concept recently.
Combine with a visit to Meteor Crater at Exit 233 — the two sites share a thematic connection and are just 6 miles apart.
After Meteor City, continue west to Two Guns Ghost Town and Twin Arrows Trading Post ruins for a trio of atmospheric abandoned/revived Route 66 stops.
The dreamcatcher and dome are best photographed in the late afternoon when the desert light is warm and angled.

Final Thoughts on Meteor City Trading Post

Meteor City is Route 66 at its most purely eccentric — a place that exists, at its core, because someone believed that a geodesic dome with a yellow mohawk in the Arizona desert would make people stop their cars. They were right. The fact that Meteor City has survived vandalism, abandonment, demolition plans, and desert weather to reopen in 2025 is a testament to the enduring appeal of the genuinely weird roadside attraction that Route 66 invented and America has never stopped loving. It sits at the heart of a cluster of remarkable northeastern Arizona stops, between Winslow and Flagstaff, that make this corridor one of the most rewarding drives on all of Arizona’s Route 66.