Road trips, galleries, celebrations and landmarks: the reasons to spend a whole day on Main Street.
Play stories send you somewhere: a Route 66 courthouse square, a gallery in an old depot, a steeple that has stood since 1775. Each pairs the sight with places to shop and eat nearby.

Play · A Sunday read
7 Historic Downtown Churches With Magnificent Steeples
A shingled chapel beneath Castle Rock, a golden hand over Mississippi, and the lanterns of 1775: seven spires that still define their Main Streets.
- Green River, WY
- Savannah, GA
- Port Gibson, MS
- Litchfield, CT

Route 66 Downtowns · Part 1 of 7
Route 66 at 100: An Illinois Road Trip Through Six Main Street Downtowns
The Mother Road turned 100 on Nov. 11. Start the drive west with six Illinois downtowns, two roadside giants and lunch at a café founded in 1924.
- Joliet, IL
- Wilmington, IL
- Pontiac, IL
- Atlanta, IL

Holiday 2026 · Family day trips
Christmas Tree Farm Road Trips: Cut Your Own, Then Lunch Downtown
Six choose-and-cut farms, each paired with a small-town Main Street close by for lunch, a parade or a visit with Santa.
- West Jefferson, NC
- Littleton, NH
- Media, PA
- Wooster, OH

Day trips · Art on Main Street
6 Small Town Art Galleries Worth the Drive
A depot with a caboose out front, a co-op that bought its building with painted pigs, and a schoolhouse full of Georgia pottery.
- Watkinsville, GA
- Brandon, VT
- Lanesboro, MN
- Red Lodge, MT

Holiday guide · Tree lightings
Christmas Tree Lighting 2026: Five Main Street Ceremonies You Don't Want to Miss
A countdown on the courthouse lawn, a brass band, and a whole town gasping at once when the switch flips.
- Grapevine, TX
- Coeur d'Alene, ID
- Rockland, ME
- Holly, MI
Also browse Shop, Dine, Stay, or see all four sections.
The Daily Downtown Digest
Get downtown picks like these in your inbox
New downtown finds, events and deals, two or three times a week, with day trips close to home.
- New downtowns on the map
- Merchants worth the drive
- Events this weekend
- Main Street deals
- A story of the day
- Day trips near you
For downtowns & shop owners
Put your downtown or shop in the Digest
Main Street programs, downtown authorities, chambers, shops, inns and makers: tell us what’s happening and our editors will consider it for an upcoming issue.
Tell us about your downtown or shop
Downtown teams and owners get the Digest every morning. We read every note and our editors choose each issue; featured placement for shops is a simple monthly plan.