About
We’ve been drawing travelers off Route 66 since 1938, when Joe Sharber opened a Texaco service station here in the Arizona desert. Jack “Lonesome Jack” Newsum purchased the property in 1941 and expanded it with a trading post selling groceries, gasoline and souvenirs, helping establish the roadside personality that became known as Meteor City. A distinctive geodesic dome joined the property in 1979, and the current dome followed after a 1990 fire. Over the years, Meteor City also became known for oversized roadside curiosities and a long Route 66 map painted by celebrated Mother Road artist Bob Waldmire.
After closing in 2012 and spending more than a decade out of operation, Meteor City returned to life in May 2025. Today, we blend the property’s Route 66 history with a new generation of roadside fun, including a Dino Drive-Thru with more than 30 dinosaurs, gemstone mining, vintage penny arcade games, a Western town and jail, dinosaur rides, interactive games and a gift shop inside the dome. The result is once again what Meteor City was built to be: an unexpected reason to leave the highway, stretch your legs and spend some time enjoying the wonderfully unusual side of Route 66.
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