Entry No. 28 — the Albuquerque file — filed under: roadside oddity
Route 66 Musical Highway
Engineered in 2014 by National Geographic and the NMDOT, this quarter-mile stretch of historic Route 66 plays music directly through your vehicle's tires. Driving over the rumble strips at exactly 45 mph creates acoustic vibrations that tune into 'America the Beautiful.'
The story
In 2014, the New Mexico Department of Transportation partnered with the National Geographic Channel and contractor San Bar Construction Corp. to convert a quarter-mile section of historic Route 66 (NM-333) in Tijeras Canyon into an acoustic experiment. By cutting precisely spaced rumble strips into the right side of the eastbound lane between mile markers 4 and 5, engineers transformed ordinary road safety grooves into an analog record player. Drive over them at precisely 45 miles per hour—the posted speed limit—and the tactile vibrations resonate through your tires and chassis, humming out the melody of 'America the Beautiful.'
The project served a dual purpose: it was filmed for a National Geographic series called 'Crowd Control' and functioned as a clever piece of psychological speed control. If you hit the gas or drag your feet, the pitch distorts into a jarring, dissonant squawk, coaxing drivers to stick to the limit without issuing a ticket. Yet after the broadcast crews departed, state highway maintenance tapered off. Subsequent asphalt repaving projects covered portions of the grooved surface, and NMDOT eventually took down the official roadside signs that once alerted travelers to the musical stretch.
What originated as a television publicity stunt has slowly decayed into something far weirder: an unmapped roadside secret fading into the pavement. While the song is quieter and patchier now than when it debuted, the underlying physical cuts remain. If you know precisely where to position your wheels, you can still extract a phantom tune directly from the highway.
What it's like
Take Exit 170 off I-40 East onto NM-333 and head east toward Tijeras, watching for mile marker 4 just past the highway underpass. Because the official state signs are long gone, you'll need to prepare before you arrive: kill the car stereo, turn off the air conditioner, and drop your windows. Align your passenger-side tires roughly a foot inside the white fog line on the right shoulder, holding your speedometer dead on 45 mph. You will feel a distinct vibration rise through the floorboards as the rumble strips buzz out the tune for about fifteen seconds. Local commuters occasionally tailgate along this stretch, so if you miss the groove or get thrown off pitch, simply pull off at the next turnaround and take another run at it.
The move: Roll down your windows, turn off the car radio, hit exit 170 off I-40 East, and keep your right tires steadily aligned over the rumble strips at 45 mph to hear the highway sing.
- 📍 Tijeras / East Mountains
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: NM-333, Tijeras, NM 87059
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Tinkertown Museum — Head six miles up NM-14 after your singing drive to wander through Ross Ward's sprawling maze of hand-carved miniature worlds enclosed by 50,000 glass bottles.
- Cruising San Mateo ("Chevy on a Stick") — Continue west down the Route 66 corridor to inspect Barbara Grygutis's 26-foot-tall arch balancing a turquoise 1954 Chevrolet.
- May Café Lumberjack ("Fidel" the Bunyan Mutant) — Keep the roadside oddity theme going back toward the city center by pulling into the parking lot beneath a 25-foot fiberglass Bunyan mutant from the 1960s.
Good to know
Where exactly is the musical highway located?
It is located on the eastbound lane of NM-333 (historic Route 66) between mile markers 4 and 5, approximately 3.3 miles east of I-40 Exit 170 near Tijeras.
How fast do I need to drive to hear the song correctly?
You must maintain a steady speed of exactly 45 mph; driving faster or slower alters the pitch and distorts the melody.
Are there road signs marking where the music starts?
No, the original state highway signs were removed years ago, so you must rely on mile markers and tire positioning.
Is there any cost or restricted hours to visit?
No, it is an open public state highway accessible 24 hours a day with no fee.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Atlas Obscura · smithsonianmag.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-07-21