Route 66 in Tulsa — Top Things (Tulsa - Part 2 of 4)
When: Monday October 19, 2020 to Saturday October 24, 2020 (five nights)
Where: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Bucket List: Route 66 Monoliths; Neon Signs; Golden Driller Statue
Having fell in love with Route 66 en route to Tulsa, we decided to spend an entire day driving along that road in Tulsa city proper. We started by having (a big!) breakfast at Ollie’s Station (4070 Southwest Blvd) – a restaurant and railroad museum. This is a classic mom-n-pop diner, and the comfort food is just as good as one would expect. The restaurant is located in the famed Red Fork Corner in Tulsa, where the oil and railroad industries merged with Route 66. It is easy to spend an hour or more just looking at all of the railroad memorabilia on the walls.
Just north up the road is the Route 66 Village (3770 Southwest Boulevard), a still-under-construction tourist destination with an oil derrick, several railroad cars, and a Phillips 66-style gas station visitors center (closed for covid-19). We had the place to ourselves, and took a few cheesy pictures.
As we traveled further north, we saw what we think is the largest Goodwill store ever (covering literally 3 blocks!). Shortly thereafter, in Howard Park, we located the Route 66 Monoliths. Constructed in 2016, these three nine-foot stone limestone sculptures created by Patrick Sullivan have the following themes: Transportation, Industry/Native American, and Art Deco/Cultural. They don’t look like much driving up. However, once I got close, I spent quite a bit of time reveling in their simple informative beauty. As I wrote this blog, I discovered that the monoliths were one of my favorite works of art on this trip.
Howard Park in Tulsa - Monoliths
Just before the 11th Street Bridge over the Arkansas River on Route 66 (west side), there are three Retro Neon Signs on a brick plaza just constructed in late 2020. The three signs represent (1) east Tulsa – the Will Rogers Motor Court, (2) west Tulsa – the Oil Capital Motel, and (3) the Admiral Place sections of Tulsa – the Tulsa Auto Court. They all make for good selfies. A chain link fence separates the park from part of the original Route 66 road. There is not much to see there as pavement is not that inspiring.
Tulsa Retro Neon Sign (installed in the fall of 2020)
A Pedestrian/Bike Bridge can be used to cross the Arkansas River. The path contains the names of some of the major stops along Route 66 in faded white paint, and was perhaps one of the most interesting finds of the trip. The decay of the paint perhaps symbolized that of the Mother Road itself. I went back to the bridge later and took photos of each of the city names. Those photos are in the map below. I later incorporated that near the end of my “Tulsa is Okay” song and video.
After crossing the Arkansas River on Route 66 is the Cyrus Avery Plaza, named for the “Father of Route 66”. The parking is across the street (access by car from Riverside Drive), but there is a pedestrian walkway that crosses the busy road that makes the walk worth doing.
Downtown Tula features a lot of art deco, and the path along Route 66 is no exception. However, I think the coolest part starts near the Medal Gold District, which includes the iconic sign of the same name, the Buck Atom's Cosmic Curios statue and signs. A few blocks later, you can see Tulsa University to the north, which is worth parking to explore the beautiful private institution.
Tulsa Golden Driller - with a Mask! I’m as big as this guy’s shoe!
A trip to Tulsa would not be complete without the infamous Golden Driller Statue to the south of Route 66, located in the Expo Square. This 75-foot-tall (23 m) 43,500-pound (19,700 kg) monstrosity is a must do. The engineering to cover this golden boy in a mask was inspiring as well.
If you like to explore, this route will fill up close to an entire day.
The map below contains additional photos that we took on Route 66 in Tulsa. Please enjoy!
Other Blogs in the Tulsa Series:
Route 66 Near Tulsa (Miami to Sapulpa) -- Top Things to See
Route 66 Attractions through Tulsa
