Tacoma – October 12, 2026 -- LeMay – America's Car Museum has a busy 2026 lined up: a refreshed Route 66 exhibition, a free monthly Cars & Coffee meetup starting January 17, and a newly approved Washington specialty license plate.
Cars & Coffee meets every third Saturday in 2026
Tacoma Cars & Coffee moves to the museum on January 17, 2026. It runs every third Saturday of the month from 9 to 11 a.m. throughout the year, with coffee from Naomi Joe Coffee. The event is free and open to all years, makes and models. The museum asks attendees to use good judgement when entering, parking and exiting.
Route 66 exhibition gets a centennial makeover
To mark the 100th anniversary of Route 66's opening, the Tacoma museum reopened its longstanding Route 66 exhibition with an aesthetic refresh. It now includes centennial-themed additions and vehicles honoring America's most famous highway. Throughout 2026, it will also show films and artifacts from the upcoming Route 66 Drive Home.
Nine vehicles will drive all of Route 66
The Drive Home began as a partnership between America's Automotive Trust and the Detroit Auto Show. Each edition ends with a drive "home" to Detroit, Michigan. For the seventh edition, the Route 66 Centennial Commission joins as a partner, and the convoy will cover Route 66 in its entirety. Nine vehicles will make the trip, followed by nearly two dozen "privateers" in their own cars. Drivers who want to join can sign up through the trust, which is also sharing updates on its social media channels.
New license plate design wins state approval
The Washington State Department of Transportation has approved the museum's new specialty license plate design. The museum's first proposal, a black-and-white "throwback" look, was adopted by the state for its own retro plate series, so the museum had to create a new concept. It had to meet state requirements for color palette, layout and mandatory design elements.
The plate release date is still unconfirmed. Once the state sets it, drivers can order through the Washington State Department of Licensing website. Purchases support the museum's 501(c)(3) nonprofit work, including preserving automotive history and expanding educational programming.