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Dairy Queen fans have some news to flip over: the world's very first DQ is getting a makeover just in time for one of America's biggest birthdays.
Officials in Joliet have announced plans to restore the site of the original Dairy Queen, located along historic Route 66, ahead of the highway's centennial celebration in 2026. While the building at 501 N. Chicago Street hasn't served soft-serve in decades, city leaders and preservationists hope the revamped landmark will become a must-stop destination for road trippers and ice cream lovers alike.
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The Joliet Area Historical Museum acquired the building via lease a few years ago, and has quietly been prepping for a major reveal to be unveiled June 25. "We're in the process right now of installing some of the historic signage that has already been fabricated," Joliet Area Historical Museum's CEO Gregory T. Peerbolte tells Time Out Chicago over the phone from the site. "Things have happened quietly, working hand in hand with the [Dairy Queen] corporation."
The initial debut will be a walk-up experience in what Peerbolte refers to as the "fishbowl," the vestibule where customers would place their orders. "I don't even know if I've seen seating in the [period] images, you were meant to buy your cone, sundae or pint and go enjoy it somewhere else," Peerbolte says. "[Most of the building] encompassed the freezer equipment and the equipment to keep the soft serve at the correct temperature. It required a huge footprint in the building."
The original Dairy Queen opened in Joliet on June 22, 1940, when Sherb Noble sold the chain's first cones and sundaes. From those humble beginnings, Dairy Queen grew into a global empire with more than 7,000 locations around the world. Yet it all started less than an hour from Chicago.
The timing is no accident. November marks the 100th anniversary of Route 66, and communities across Illinois are preparing for an influx of visitors eager to travel the Mother Road. Officials hope the restored Dairy Queen site will serve as both a photo op and a gateway to exploring Joliet's broader Route 66 attractions.
But no, visitors won't be able to order a dipped cone or Dilly Bar at the site once it reopens. The building is expected to function as a historical attraction rather than an operating restaurant. Still, for generations of Midwesterners who grew up making summer pilgrimages to Dairy Queen, standing where it all began may be sweet enough.