Heritage Corridor Destinations, Joliet Area Historical Museum, Wilmington and Wilmington Park District partnered to open The Landing Pad as a new Route 66-themed souvenir shop just outside the popular Gemini Giant statue in Wilmington, Illinois. The new gift shop debuted May 1, with plans to serve as a seasonal store for tourists and locals visiting the roadside attraction.
The large astronaut statue has garnered a lot of attention for the small Illinois community since it was commissioned to be built in the 1960s. For many years, the Giant Gemini stood outside “The Launching Pad” restaurant in town. After the restaurant closed in 2024, the city and Joliet Area Historical Museum decided to move the statue to Wilmington’s South Island Park and open a visitor center and gift shop alongside the attraction.
“Gemini Giant has always been a big stop on the Route 66 tour,” shares Kirsten Van Duyne, executive director of the Wilmington Island Park District. “Its new home puts it into public ownership, so admirers from near and far will always be able to visit him.”
The Landing Pad gift shop features a variety of Gemini Giant and Route 66-themed souvenirs, including T-shirts, magnets, posters, bobbleheads, stickers and hats. Van Duyne says the store also features some locally made gifts and some helpful items for travelers, such as snacks and travel-sized toys and games for kids.
For its debut year, Van Duyne says the Landing Pad visitor center and gift shop will only be open from May to November.
“Long term, we want to expand the hours and even work in the history of the giant as an experience within the visitor center,” she says.
Although Wilmington is home to only about 5,600 people, Van Duyne estimates that over 500,000 people traveling along Route 66 will stop in town at the Gemini Giant attraction each year.
She adds, “We have lots of locals from Chicago come down to visit and even international travelers every single day. Everyone is excited to see Gemini Giant and be a part of the excitement. The gift shop is a great addition for them to be able to take a piece of the giant home with them.”
