Tijeras Musical Highway
Driving over a specific stretch of Route 66 in Tijeras makes your car play 'America the Beautiful' through tire vibrations. Created as a collaboration between National Geographic and the New Mexico Department of Transportation, it encourages drivers to maintain a safe speed of 45 miles per hour. It is a fun and unexpected auditory roadside attraction nestled in the scenic canyon east of Albuquerque.
- Admission
- Free
- Hours
- Open 24 hours daily
- Duration
- 15 minutes
- Parking
- Pull-off areas are limited along the highway, and visitors should exercise extreme caution when stopping or driving the musical stretch.
- Access
- Can be experienced entirely from inside a vehicle while driving.
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Nestled along historic Route 66 in the mountains east of Albuquerque, the Tijeras Musical Highway is an interactive roadside auditory experiment designed to reward attentive drivers with a familiar tune. Located on a stretch of National Forest Route 333, also known as old Route 66, this stretch of road uses carefully spaced rumble strips carved into the pavement to play music when a vehicle drives over them at a precise speed.
The installation was born out of a collaboration between the National Geographic Channel and the New Mexico Department of Transportation in 2014. Created as part of a promotional campaign for a television series about the iconic highway, the project aimed to encourage safer driving habits by enticing motorists to adhere strictly to the posted speed limit. When drivers hit the designated speed of 45 miles per hour, the vibrations from their tires passing over the grooves produce the unmistakable opening notes of "America the Beautiful."
Visitors approaching the musical highway will first notice specialized road signs featuring a musical note and a speedometer icon, signaling the start of the acoustic zone. As you drive over the textured asphalt, the car's tires create a rhythmic humming sound that mimics a brass band playing the patriotic anthem. The effect is instantaneous and startling for first-time visitors, turning a mundane mountain drive into an unexpected roadside performance.
While the attraction is a clever novelty, it requires precision to experience properly. If a vehicle travels too fast or too slow, the tempo distorts and the melody dissolves into an unidentifiable clatter of road noise. The installation sits in a scenic canyon landscape, making it an easy and fun detour for road-trippers tracing the remnants of Route 66 through Tijeras Canyon.
Ratings
attractionLore & References
- Television Promotion RootsThe musical stretch was originally installed to promote a television series documenting the history and culture of Route 66.
- Speed PrecisionEngineers calibrated the grooves specifically for 45 miles per hour, making it one of the few places where driving the exact speed limit is required to experience the attraction.
Visitor Tips
- ◆ Drive at precisely 45 miles per hour to hear the melody clearly.
- ◆ Keep your windows rolled down slightly to fully appreciate the acoustic effect from inside the vehicle.
- ◆ Pay attention to the roadside signs marking the exact beginning of the rumble strip zone.
- ◆ Visit during off-peak traffic hours so you can maintain the required speed without holding up other drivers.
Heads Up
- ◆ Do not slam on your brakes or slow down abruptly to catch the musical section, as this can create a hazard for following traffic.
Common questions
How fast do you need to drive on the Tijeras Musical Highway to hear the music?
You need to maintain the posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour to hear America the Beautiful correctly. Driving too fast or too slow will distort the tune.
Which lane of the Tijeras Musical Highway plays the song?
The musical rumble strips are installed in the westbound right-hand lane of Historic Route 66. You must drive in this specific lane and direction for the tires to activate the notes.
Which direction is the Tijeras Musical Highway heading?
The musical rumble strips are located on westbound Route 66, heading toward Albuquerque. Traveling eastbound will not play the song.