Iconic photo ops, friendly folks, and souvenirs galore make the Jack Rabbit Trading Post outside Joseph City, AZ an enduring Mother Road must-see.
If you’ve been on one of our Route 66 tours, you’ve heard us say over and over again, “the places are great, but the people are truly the best part.” Jack Rabbit Trading Post outside Joseph City, Arizona is one of the very best examples of this on the Mother Road. Not only is it an excellent stop for photos and souvenirs, but it’s the kind of place where you’ll make some friends for life once you meet the owners, Cindy and Tony.
It all started back in the late 1940s when Jim Taylor purchased a spot on Arizona’s stretch of Route 66. While heading there, he just happened to have a statue of a black rabbit in the back seat of his convertible. Of course, people loved the rabbit and started taking pictures of it. Once he made it to Arizona, he put the statue on the ground so folks could pose with it. Just like that, a legendary stop on Route 66 was born. The statue spurred other rabbit-inspired things such as their now iconic “Here it is” sign and the mileage signs you’ll see all over Route 66.
In the early 1960s, Glenn Blansett began leasing the store, eventually buying it in 1967. Since then, it’s passed down from him to his son and daughter-in-law and then to their daughter and son-in-law, Cindy & Tony, who have owned the store since 1995.
The fun of visiting Jack Rabbit honestly starts before you even get there as you start to see billboards for the store. Once you arrive, your first stop should be across the street for photos of the historic and famous “Here it is” sign. Not only does the sign bring back memories of Route 66’s heyday when stores fought to lure traveling motorists in, but it’s also now iconic for inspiring the “Here it is” sign in Pixar’s Cars movie.
After checking out the sign, you’ll want to hop over to their giant jackrabbit that you can even sit on!
Once you’ve gotten all your pictures outside, head inside for a huge selection of Route 66 souvenirs including plenty of Jack Rabbit Trading Post-themed apparel, stickers, mugs, and more.
If you’ve been traveling Route 66, you’ve probably noticed the big yellow signs with the mileage listed for how far you are from the Jack Rabbit. Now is your very own chance to get a miniature mileage sign with the custom mileage to your own house! In our humble opinion, it’s about the best souvenir you can get!
Of course, Route 66 has no shortage of gift ships and roadside attractions, but what makes the Jack Rabbit so special is the people you’ll meet behind the counter: Tony and Cindy (and their other family members!). Like George and Barb at Gary’s Sinclair Station in Missouri or the dozens of friendly innkeepers, Tony and Cindy are the epitome of friendliness and hospitality.
In our years of stopping at the Jack Rabbit, it’s not uncommon for Cindy to have some sort of baked treats for us or to offer people little freebies if it’s their birthday. It’s not uncommon for them to take pictures of folks with their mini mileage signs and cars. They don’t just want to ring you up for your purchases; they want to hear about your Route 66 adventure!
As a tour company, they’re as hospitable as can be to us- being flexible with when we plan to arrive, staying open a few minutes late if need be, and even running things guests left behind to our next hotel. They’re truly friends of Two Lane America and countless other Route 66 lovers across the world.
So if you want to get a full “Route 66 Experience,” in Arizona, make sure you add Jack Rabbit Trading Post to your itinerary. In the meantime, we suggest checking out their Facebook because they do a great job posting all sorts of fun stuff!
Jack Rabbit Trading Post
3386 U.S. Rt. 66, Joseph City, AZ 86032
928-288-3230