Oklahoma Route 66 Association Trip Guide

Welcome to Oklahoma’s 400+ miles of Route 66!

IN THIS GUIDE…

What you are holding is a county-by-county layout of Route 66 through Oklahoma. Each section contains maps, directions, tourist attractions, town overviews, and more. Throughout its history, Route 66 has been an engine of westward exploration; tourists today frequently follow the same east-to-west path when searching for the old highway. This guide is laid out accordingly. We have tried to be as accurate as possible, but

Route 66 is ever-evolving. Changes are inevitable, so be prepared to improvise. It’s all part of the adventure of traveling!

CREDITS…

General copy: Association Board members and local city organizations. A true team effort!

Maps: University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma Scenic Byways Program, updated by Rhys Martin

Trivia/facts: Michael Wallis, author of Route 66: The Mother Road; Jim Ross, author and historian; and the greater Route 66 community of roadies and advocates.

On the cover...

The Timber Creek Bridge east of Sayre was built in 1928 and was bypassed in the 50s. This photo was taken during the 2023 OK/TX Motor Tour!

For additional information about Oklahoma Route 66 and upcoming events, contact us! We are always happy to assist travelers.

(405) 258-0008

www.oklahomaroute66.com

Business Members are listed throughout this guide in each community. There is also a directory at the beginning of each section. East covers Quapaw to Depew, Central covers Stroud to Calumet, and West covers Geary to Texola. The Members listed here are current as of the time of printing - for the most up-to-date listing, please check out our website. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy. The Association assumes no liability for errors or omissions.

Business Directory EAST (Quapaw to Depew)

Without the support of our Business Members, we wouldn’t be here. Support them as you travel Oklahoma Route 66!

COMMERCE

City of Commerce

618 Commerce Ave | 918-6754373

Dairy King

100 Main St | 918-675-4261

Hitch N’ Post Antique & Flea Market

401 Commerce Ave | 918-6754519

MIAMI

Briley’s Silverscreen Ice Cream, Soda, & Gifts

103 ½ N Main St | 918-919-3537

Chapters

31 N Main St | 918-540-0468

The Coleman Theatre Beautiful

103 N Main St | 918-540-2425

Dobson Museum/Ottawa County Historical Society

110 “A” Street SW | 918-5425388

The Donkey’s Den

201 S Main S | 918-544-8020

The Frozen Elephant

329 S Main St | 918-961-7014

Goodfella’s Pizzeria

34 N Main St | 918-919-3803

Pizza Hut Express

101 “A” Street NW | 918-5402471

Pizza Hut of Miami

1320 N Main St | 918-542-6642

Visit Miami OK

111 N Main St | 918-542-4435

Waylan’s Ku-Ku Burger

915 N Main St | 918-542-1696

AFTON

Grand Country Lakeside RV Park 55015 E 270 Rd | 918-257-1959

Town of Afton 201 SE 1 St | 918-257-4304

VINITA

66 Apparel 117 S Wilson St | 918-2568573

Cabin Creek RV 441915 E Hwy 60 | 918-2568000

Clanton’s Cafe

319 E. Illinois | 918-2569053

Eastern Trails Museum 215 W. Illinois | 918-3231338

Gray’s 66 Garage 1587 E Country Club Dr | 918-915-0332

Kelley’s Therapeutic Massage

420 W South Ave | 918-6132246

Hi-Way Café 437918 E Highway 60 | 918256-5465

Holiday Inn Express - Vinita 232 S 7th St | 918-256-4900

Home of Hope

226 W Dwain Willis Ave | 918-236-0212

Park Hills Motel & RV Park 438415 E Highway 60 | 918256-5511

Route 66 Clayworks 121 S Wilson St | 303-5200191

The Route 66 Mercantile 320 S Wilson St | 918-2568406

Vinita Antique Mall on Route 66 127 S Wilson St | 918-3230310

Vinita Friends of Route 66 104 E Illinois | 918-323-1918

Western Motel 437866 E Highway 60 | 918256-7542

CHELSEA

Chelsea Motor Inn 321 E Layton | 918-789-3437

Main Street Diner 251 W 6th St | 918-489-2001

Project Chelsea OK 918-789-2511

CLAREMORE

Bennett’s Route 66 Pharmacy 700 N Lynn Riggs Blvd | 918-3428050

Claremore Area Chamber of Commerce

419 W Will Rogers Blvd | 918341-2818

The Cozy Cottage

416 W Will Rogers Blvd | 918283-2232

Front Porch Bakery

18435 S Highway 66 | 918-3417505

J.M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum

330 N Lynn Riggs Blvd | 918-3415707

Okie Apparel

404 W Will Rogers Blvd | 918340-8385

Rogers County Development

1503 N Lynn Riggs Blvd Ste D | 918-343-8959

Rogers County Historical Society

121 N Chickasaw Ave | 918-3421127

Sailor Antiques and Collectibles

422 W Will Rogers Blvd | 918341-4838

School of Pop Soda Shop

18435 S Highway 66 | 918-9232600

Shepherd’s Cross 16752 E 450 Rd | 918-342-5911

Visit Claremore

400 Veterans Pkwy | 918-3418688

Will Rogers Memorial Museum 1720 W Will Rogers Blvd | 918343-8118

CATOOSA

The Blue Whale 2860 N Highway 66 | 918-2662505

Catoosa Chamber of Commerce

650 S Cherokee Suite C | 918266-6042

OKLAHOMA ROUTE 66 ASSOCIATION TRIP GUIDE

Catoosa Historical Society 207 N Cherokee | 918-2666592

City of Catoosa

214 S Cherokee | 918-2662505

D.W. Correll Museum 19934 E Pine St | 918-2663612

Hampton Inn & Suites

100 McNabb Field Rd | 918739-3939

Visit Cherokee Nation 877-760-6700

TULSA

Admiral Twin Drive-In 7355 E Easton St | 918-878-8099

Agitsi Stained Glass 2615 W 40th Pl #3 | 918-340-8030

Altitude Brand 603-921-2394

American Legion Post #1 1120 E 8th St | 918-584-4274

Apertures Photo 4602 E 11th St | 918-742-0500

Art Emporium 66 2615 W 40th Pl | 918-706-7715

Atlas Automotive Repair 4625 E 11th St | 918-910-2886

Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios on 66 1347 E 11th St | 918-629-4606

Cedar Rock Inn @ Redberry Farm 4501 W 41st St | 918-447-4493

The Campbell Hotel & Event Center 2636 E 11th St | 918-744-5500

Circle Cinema

10 S Lewis Ave | 918-585-3456

Dardee Deals, LLC

102 N Greenwood Ave Ste 510 | 831-292-3865

Decopolis 1401 E 11th St | 918-382-7388

Desert Hills Motel 5220 E 11th St | 918-834-3311

Flo’s Burger Diner 2604 E 11th St | 918-398-7102

Flo’s Smokehouse Eats 310 E Sequoyah St | 918-7940120

Freddie’s Hamburgers 9130 E 11th St | 918-836-5600

Generations Antique Mall 4810 E 11th St | 918-834-7577

Gusher Newspaper

1125 S 110th East Ave | 918-4377470

Hank’s Hamburgers 8929 E Admiral Pl | 918-832-1509

Jesse’s Restaurant 1134 S Memorial Dr | 918-8329052

John’s Classics on Rt 66 8702 E 11th St | 539-867-3000

Joseph Gierek Fine Art 1342 E 11th St | 918-592-5432

Kendall-Whittier Main Street 2205 E Admiral Blvd | 918-6331934

Meadow Gold District PO Box 521094 | 918-695-7249

Mother Road Market 1124 S Lewis Ave | 918-984-9001

Mother Road Real Estate/KW

Advantage

2651 E 21st St Ste 100 | 918-7122252

Mythic Press 2015 E 3rd St | 918-516-8255

Ollie’s Station Restaurant 4070 SW Blvd | 918-446-0524

Red Fork Distillery 3310 Southwest Blvd | 918-3818115

Renaissance Brewing Company 1147 S Lewis Ave | 918-409-0551

Route 66 Alliance PO Box 54214 | 918-629-2984

Route 66 Historical Village 3770 Southwest Blvd | 918-6199473

Splinter Block 3306 Charles Page Blvd | 918724-5150

Standing Horse Acres 8223 Frankoma Rd | 918-7245150

Tonsorial: The Art of Barbering 416 E 11th St | 918-916-6986

Tulsa Air & Space Museum & Planetarium 3624 N 74th E Ave | 918-834-9900

Tulsa Regional Early Ford V8 Club 407-314-0498

Tulsa Route 66 Main Street 2215 W 38th Pl | 918-445-4457

Tulsa Spotlight Theater 1381 Riverside Dr | 918-587-5030

Tulsa Whimsey

5206 S Harvard Ave #203 | 918230-8388

Visit Tulsa

1 W 3rd Street Suite 100 | 918560-0238

SAPULPA

Gasoline Alley Classics 24 N Main | 918-806-1000

Happy Burger 215 N Mission | 918-224-7750

Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum

13 Sahoma Lake Rd | 918-2161171

Route 66 Electric

1003 E Lee Avenue | 918-8502056

Sapulpa Area Chamber of Commerce

101 E Dewey | 918-224-0170

Sapulpa Historical Society 100 E Lee Ave | 918-224-4871

Sapulpa Main Street

15 N Water St | 918-224-5709

Tulsa-Sapulpa Union Railway 701 E Dewey | 918-224-1515

BRISTOW

Bristow Historical Society & Museum

1 Railroad Pl | 918-367-9335

Bristow Tire & Auto Service

115 W 4th Ave | 918-367-2224

City of Bristow 110 W 7th Ave | 918-367-2237

Granny’s Emporium 709A S Roland | 918-367-1727

Oklahoma Venue 66

116 W 8th St | 918-381-4624

From the President of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association

Hello, and thank you for picking up the Oklahoma Route 66 Association Trip Guide!

For over thirty years, the Oklahoma Route 66 Association has been a champion for the Mother Road in the Sooner State. Our mission is to help preserve and protect the historic road while celebrating the new additions that make Route 66 a unique experience. For most of that time, we have been producing this annual guide to help travelers find their way and make the most of their time on the most famous road in the world.

Not only does this guide include maps to keep you on the road itself, but it also provides historical context behind each community you’ll drive through. This guide also highlights attractions along the way and our Business Members. Without their support, this guide would not be possible and we would not be able to execute our mission:

To celebrate and preserve Route 66 in Oklahoma through education, promotion, and advocacy, ensuring the future of the Mother Road while honoring its community and history.

Please stop and visit with as many of them as you can – and show YOUR support by spending some money when you do.

We want to continue serving Oklahoma’s 400+ miles of Route 66 far into the future. If you find value in this Trip Guide and want to be a part of our journey, join the Oklahoma Route 66 Association today! You can join via our website, by calling us, or by sending us a check in the mail. Check out the Membership Application near the end of this guide.

As Oklahoma author and historian Michael Wallis says: Life begins at the off-ramp.

We’ll see you on the road!

Rhys Martin

A BIT ABOUT SIGNS

Since Route 66 was federally de-certified in 1985, the road itself now carries many names and numbers Modern highways overlay the original pavement or bypass it nearby. In Oklahoma, there’s even a State Highway 66 - which is sometimes but not always Historic Route 66 Even when Route 66 was in full swing the road was re-aligned multiple times for various reasons It can be confusing! That’s why our guide gives you maps and calls out alternative street names to help you find your way

Oklahoma was the first state to mark former US Highway 66 with what became the distinctive Historic Route 66 signage The first one was installed in Warr Acres on June 6 1990 thanks in part to the fundraising and awareness efforts that the Oklahoma Route 66 Association led Thirty years later the Association once again led the effort to replace those signs with a new version, working with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to identify areas where signage was lacking

State Highway 66 (SH 66) exists in northeastern and central Oklahoma. Specifically, it starts just east of Vinita and goes all the way to El Reno This can be deceiving however In Tulsa SH 66 signs mirror Interstate 44; following them will cause you to miss the historic road entirely When State Highway 66 ends in El Reno, Business Loop I-40 signs begin These will put you on the Interstate, too, if you ’ re not careful

It’s a good idea to look through this guide before you travel and keep it with you while you ’ re on the road Signage is there to help you but it’s not perfect If you get lost one of our many Business Members would be more than happy to help you find your way again It’s part of the adventure!

OGERS HIGHWAY

Will Rogers was the most famous public figure of the early 20th century A radio and movie star known for his wit and wisdom, he was at the peak of his prosperity as a humorist-philosopher entertainer when he tragically died in an airplane crash on August 15, 1935

Just days later, a group of leaders from Tulsa suggested that US Highway 66, which connected Rogers’ hometown to Hollywood, be symbolically named The Will Rogers Highway In January of 1936, the US Highway 66 Association made it official with a logo and a formal proclamation.

ROADSIDE ATTRACTION SIGNS

The Oklahoma Route 66 Association has replaced many of the early 2000s Hampton Inn signage, which had gone missing or were faded by the Oklahoma sun New signs have been added, too! Keep an eye out for these signs, signaling that a Route 66 roadside attraction or side trip are nearby

Each sign provides bitesized content and history for the location you're visiting

US BIKE ROUTE 66 SIGN

Mortar restoration at the Threatt Filling Station

Photo by Rhys Martin

SIGNAGE

General Information

Starting at the Kansas border and continuing through Ottawa and Delaware counties, Historic Route 66 has multiple designations: US 69 Alt., US 69, US 59, and US 60. It can be confusing!

In Miami, if you are westbound, take care that you don’t turn off Main when you see a sign for US 69 South. The modern alignment bypasses the beautiful downtown district and you’ll miss the Coleman Theatre Beautiful….among many other places!

Continue south on Main until you reach the major intersection that indicates State Highway 10/Steve Owens Blvd. Either turn right (west) here to take the newer way out of town, or go straight to access the 9-foot road. (See separate directions.)

Street names of Route 66 in towns (east to west):

Quapaw: 69 Alt.

Commerce: 69

Main • 69 Alt.

Mickey Mantle Blvd.

• 69 (or 69

Commerce St.

Miami: 69 • Main

• Main St.

69 for older alignment)

• Third Ave. SW/Steve Owens Blvd./SH 10

• 69

Afton: 60/69

• South First

• 60/69

ROAD FACTS

Ottawa County has a unique stretch of historic highway. The 9-foot-wide segment that connected Miami and Afton through a series of zigzags has been known by various nicknames, including the Scotch Highway, Ribbon Road and Sidewalk Highway. The road is rough, but a cautious, careful driver can handle it just fine.

Drive slowly, as the road is narrow (you’ll have to pull over to the shoulder if you meet another vehicle), and gravel is periodically spread across the road surface. If you look carefully, you will see white curbs on either side of the road.

The county has plans to resurface this road and we’re working to preserve as much as possible. Stay tuned!

Directions for driving the 9-foot segments:

Miami segment:

Westbound: At the Steve Owens and Main intersection in Miami, stay on Main Street. This will turn into E. Street SW and 125 as you cross over the Neosho River. Continue straight until you reach a T intersection (E 130 Rd), then turn right. After a half-mile, the asphalt ends and the 9-foot roadbed begins.

Eastbound: One mile north of Narcissa (a half-mile after the blue cylindrical water tower), turn right. This road is marked E 140 Rd. on the other side of the highway. There is a granite historic marker on the right.

Southern segment:

Westbound: Look for the NE Tech Center on the right side of current 66. The interstate will be in front of you. Turn right onto E 200 Rd in front of the Center.

Eastbound: One mile east of Afton, there is an old fragment on the right side of the road with a Will Rogers Highway marker. Look to the left and you’ll see a gravel road marked S 520 Rd opposite the end of the fragment on the right. Turn left here.

ROADSIDE HIGHLIGHTS

See if you can find the following landmarks (listed in no particular order):

• Dead Man’s Corner w/gas station ruins on the north side.

• Chat piles. These are the tailings (leftovers) from mining.

• Abandoned motor court southwest of Miami (on the newer

alignment, past the Neosho River.) These were the Riviera Courts / Holiday Motel and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

• Brick farm silo.

• Eagle-Picher Plant.

QUAPAW

The first town east-to-west travelers encounter on Historic Route 66 is Quapaw. The town is named for Chief John Quapaw of the Quapaw Tribe, one of the founders of the community. It was a railroad stop in the early days but the discovery of nearby lead and zinc deposits brought rapid prosperity.

It was also an early celebrator of the Good Roads Movement; in 1933, the town held a big celebration when the road was paved. A zinc tablet (since gone missing) was laid on Main Street commemorating the spot as where “East Meets West” since the road completion linked Ottawa County pavement all the way to Chicago, IL.

The Quapaw Tribe hosts one of the state’s oldest powwows, held around Independence Day annually. It lasts several days and brings in nearly 50 tribes from the region.

Quapaw is also close to the famous Spook Light, an unexplained phenomenon on a section of road known as the Devil’s Promenade! Dusk sightings of this mysterious ball of light date back to the late 1800s. It’s not directly on Route 66 and is on the east side of I-44; check online or ask locally for directions. Please be respectful of local residents and private property.

LANDMARKS

-Historic Marker: Entering Indian Territory (KS/OK Border)

-Quapaw Signing Stone (403 S Main St)

COMMERCE

Like its northern neighbor, Commerce was a mining town in the heyday of the Tri-State Mining District (the nearby town of Picher was entirely abandoned due to over-mining; you can see the tall piles of gravel from Route 66). Check out the Will Rogers Highway Marker on the NE side of town (as Historic Route 66 curves south) for more!

Commerce is better known for its famous resident: Mickey Mantle. There’s a statue honoring the New York Yankee baseball player next to the 1952 bypass alignment of Route 66 – but don’t skip the original route that goes through downtown. Otherwise, you’ll miss some great shops and converted service station photo ops! Mickey Mantle’s Boyhood Home is also here on Quincy Street.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-City of Commerce, 618 Commerce Ave, 918-675-4373

-Hitch N’ Post Antique & Flea Market, 401 Commerce Ave, 918-675-4519

-Dairy King, 100 Main St, 918675-4261

LANDMARKS

-Will Rogers Highway Marker (56050 E 50 Rd)

-Commerce Water Tower (400 Commerce Ave)

-Mickey Mantle’s Boyhood Home (319 S Quincy)

-Mickey Mantle Statue (400 S Mickey Mantle Blvd)

-Hole in the Wall Conoco Station (101 S Main)

MIAMI

Pronounced “My-am-uh” after the Native American tribe for which it’s named, the eventual seat of Ottawa County was founded by Congressional Decree in 1891 (fun fact: Miami, Florida wouldn’t come along for another five years!) It started as a cattle town and then also prospered from the local mining industry. George L. Coleman, Sr. built his stunning vaudeville theatre and movie palace in 1929 because he couldn’t convince the top acts to stop here without such a venue.

Miami was also the site of World War II aircraft training by British pilots. There is a Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) section of the cemetery on the north side of

Art by Bob Waldmire

town that flies a Union Jack flag at the grave sites of several fliers that tragically died during flight exercises.

Miami today is the home of many local-owned businesses, shops, and colorful murals. There are nearly a dozen Native American tribes in or near town and a variety of cultural sites in the area. South of Miami are two sections of Route 66 called the Sidewalk Highway, or Ribbon Road In 1922, there was only enough money to either pave half the road from Miami to Afton or pave it the whole way…only half as wide. The single asphalt lane is nine feet wide with concrete curbs. Although most of it is covered in gravel currently, plans are to restore this section in time for the Centennial in 2026.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Briley’s Silverscreen Ice Cream, Soda, & Gifts, 103 ½ N Main St, 918-919-3537

-Chapters, 31 N Main St, 918540-0468

-Coleman Theatre Beautiful, 103 N Main St, 918-540-2425

-Dobson Museum / Ottawa

County Historical Society, 110 A Street SW, 918-542-5388

-The Donkey’s Den, 201 S Main St, 918-544-8020

-The Frozen Elephant, 1931 N Main St, 918-961-7014

-Goodfella’s Pizzeria, 24 Main St, 918-919-3803

-Pizza Hut Express, 101 A Street NW, 918-540-2471

-Pizza Hut of Miami, 1320 N Main St, 918-542-6642

-Visit Miami OK, 111 N Main St, 918-542-4435

-Waylan’s Ku-Ku Burger, 915 N Main St, 918-542-1696

LANDMARKS

-G.A.R. Cemetery (2801 N Main St)

-Murals (throughout downtown)

-Coleman Theatre Beautiful (103 N Main St)

-Marathon Station (331 OK-125)

-Former Riviera Courts (Intersection of US Rt 66 and S 545 Rd; Private Property)

-Sidewalk Highway Historic Marker (Intersection of US Rt 66 and E 140 Rd)

AFTON

Afton has been around since 1886 and is either named after the daughter of a Scottish railroad surveyor or the Robert Burns poem, “Flow Gently Sweet Afton.” Both claims honor the Afton River in Scotland. This railroad town (along the Frisco line) has always counted on local agriculture as a primary industry but also serves as a gateway to the Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees to the east.

Unfortunately, several historic buildings and sites have been lost in the last few decades – including the Palmer Hotel and the Horse Creek Bridge – and Afton Station closed after long-time Route 66 advocate and roadie Laurel Kane passed away. Still, there are a few sites that recall the so-called glory days of the road. Afton is also the home of 2022 Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame inductee Betty Wheatley.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Grand Country Lakeside RV Park, 55015 E 270 Rd, 918-2571959

-Town of Afton, 201 SE 1 Street, 918-257-4304

LANDMARKS

-Buffalo Ranch Historic Marker (21600 S US-69)

-Will Rogers Highway Marker (21875 S 520 Rd)

-Former Avon Courts (703 S 1st St)

Photo Photo Photo

SCAVENGER HUNT

A fun photo challenge for your whole road trip crew! Snap a photo of an item below and cross it off your list. Whoever has the most by the end of the trip wins!

SIGNAGE

General Information

In Craig County, Historic Route 66 is overlaid with US 60 and US 69. As you enter Vinita, State Highway 66 signs begin to appear and you’ll see them off-and-on until you reach El Reno in Western Oklahoma (see note on Page 9).

The route takes a south turn at Wilson Street and Illinois Ave in town and continues east-southeast towards Rogers County.

Street names of Route 66 in Vinita (east to west): Illinois

• Dwayne Willis Ave./Wilson

ROADSIDE HIGHLIGHTS

See if you can find the following landmarks (listed in no particular order):

• A single arch truss bridge.

• Will Rogers Memorial Highway sign commemorating the Grand River Dam.

• McDougal Filling Station; a small giraffe stone building right by the Will Rogers sign. On the National Register of Historic Places.

VINITA

Vinita planted their flag in Indian Territory in 1871, making it the oldest incorporated town on Oklahoma’s 400+ miles of Route 66. It became the county seat when Oklahoma was founded 36 years later. The name of the town is in honor of Vinnie Ream, the sculptor behind the life-size statue of Abraham Lincoln at the US Capitol. Vinita served as a railroad junction of the BNSF and Katy lines, both of which are still in use today.

Will Rogers went to school here and suggested the town start a rodeo, which has been going annually since 1935. Cyrus Avery, the Father of Route 66, operated a land office here for a time which still stands on Wilson Street, part of the famous highway Avery would later have a part in creating.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-66 Apparel, 117 S. Wilson, 918256-8573

-Cabin Creek RV, 441915 E Hwy 60, 918-256-8000

-Clanton’s Cafe, 319 E. Illinois, 918-256-9053

-Eastern Trails Museum, 215 W. Illinois, 918-323-1338

-Gray’s 66 Garage, 1587 E Country Club Dr, 918-915-0332

-Kelley’s Therapeutic Massage, 420 W South Ave, 918-613-2246

-Hi-Way Cafe, 437918 E Highway 60, 918-256-5465

-Holiday Inn Express, 232 S. 7th Street, 918-256-4900

-Home of Hope, 226 W Dwain

Willis Ave, 918-236-0212

-Park Hills Motel & RV Park, 438415 E Highway 60, 918-2565511

-Route 66 Clayworks, 121 S Wilson St, 918-256-8406

-The Route 66 Mercantile, 320 S Wilson St, 918-256-8406

-Vinita Antique Mall on Route 66, 127 S Wilson St, 918-3230310

-Vinita Friends of Route 66, 104 E Illinois, 918-323-1918

-Western Motel, 437866 E Highway 60, 918-256-754

LANDMARKS

-Little Cabin Creek Bridge (East of town, near S 4420 Rd)

-Cherokee Nation Visitor’s Center (953 E Illinois Ave)

-Historic Marker: FDR (319 E Illinois Ave)

-Vintage service stations (south of downtown on S Wilson St)

SIGNAGE

General Information

State Highway 66 signs will lead you across Rogers County, but you also have the option of taking older alignments through Foyil, Claremore, and Catoosa. Consult Jim Ross’ Oklahoma Route 66 for more details.

Street names of Route 66 in towns (east to west):

Chelsea: 66/Layton turns into 66/Walnut. Foyil: Poplar St. • Andy Payne Blvd.

ROAD FACTS

Back when Route 66 was the main road through the area, it was so busy that crossing it on foot was dangerous. That’s why some communities, like Chelsea, constructed pedestrian underpasses to allow safe passage. Check theirs out at the 6th Street stoplight.

There is a segment of original Portland cement in Foyil, on the original alignment that goes through town. It starts just south of City Hall and goes down past Andy Payne’s statue before reconnecting with SH-66 on the south side of town.

ROADSIDE HIGHLIGHTS

See if you can find the following landmarks (listed in no particular order):

• Water tower with a town’s name and the 66 shield on it.

• Old 1926 steel truss bridge. Hint: look on the east end of Chelsea, south side of 66.

• A restored Texaco station. Hint: it’s on an older alignment.

Andy Payne Statue in Foyil

Photo by Rhys Martin

WISH YOU WERE HERE!

EL AZTECA

Located in Historic Downtown Claremore, Sailor Antiques & Collectibles has two floors of antiques, vintage, collectibles, home decor, unique gift ideas, architectural salvage and so much more! Stop by and see what treasures you can find for yourself or find unique gifts for friends and family.

Mon-Sat 10am-5pm

422 W. Will Rogers Blvd 918.341.4838 •

Claremore’s newest hot spot serving artisan style pizza, or build your own while enjoying a relaxing libation in historic downtown.

Mon-Thu 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm

408 E. Will Rogers Blvd

• 918.387.8510 OKPizzaCo.com •

A full service salon offering the best in hair, pedicures, manicures, massages, facials and waxing services. Our boutique carries the latest trendy styles in apparel for your shopping enjoyment.

318 W. Will Rogers Blvd rhapsodyboutiquespa.com •

Americanized Irish Pub, serving traditional pub fare along with some Irish selections in our “Across the Pond” menu category. J. Farley’s is one of Claremore’s favorite places for great food and entertainment for the whole family. Let us take care of your groups and private events.

Mon-Thu 11am-10pm Fri 11am-12am, Sat 10am-12am Sun 11am-10pm

820 S Lynn Riggs • 918.923.6130 JFarleysPub.com •

El Azteca is a favorite with visitors and locals alike, especially because of its proximity to the Claremore Expo Center in the West Bend district. Locally owned and operated, El Azteca has been voted “Best of Claremore” numerous years running—for best tacos, best margaritas, and best dinner.

15901 OK-66, Claremore, OK (918) 342-2577

441 S Brady St, Claremore, OK (918) 342-2401

Bakery, smokehouse and gift shop offering fresh baked goods, the best smoked meats in the area, take and heat meals, and gifts including candles, lotions, and more.

Catering services available.

Smoking meats and baking treats!

Where we house “the surrey with the fringe on top,” along with exhibits showcasing Lynn Riggs, Patti Page, Stuart A. Roosa and Apollo 14, Andy Payne, Claremore’s Black History, Early Inhabitants, Early Claremore History and our Schools. Share your creativity, celebrate history, connect with our community, and enjoy an engaging museum experience!

Free Admission - Open 10am-5pm 121 N. Weenonah Ave • 918.923.6490 ClaremoreMOH.org •

A historic Victorian style, three-story, 9,000 sf mansion, completed in 1907. Within the mansion, the Pink House Restaurant offers lunch, a gift shop, and space for parties and receptions. The Pink House Restaurant was recently voted “Best Place for Lunch” by Claremore Daily Progress readers.

Open Mon-Sat 11am-2pm PinkHouseOfClaremore.com 918.342.2544

Mansion Tours 918.342.1127 121 N. Chickasaw • RCHS1.org •

Experience 12 magnificent galleries of the life and times of a man who brought laughter to the world. View a vast collection of world class art and artifacts. Learn. Laugh. Be Inspired.

Free Admission

Park Open dawn to dusk

Gift Shop Open Mar-Dec, 10am-4pm

21300 Hwy 28A • 918.283.8035

rchs1.org/totem-pole-park

1720 W. Will Rogers Blvd 918.341.0719 • WillRogers.com

Home to the unique collection of J.M. Davis including over 12,000 firearms and thousands of non-firearm artifacts ranging from Old West saddles and spurs, John Rogers statuary, Toby mugs and Beer Steins, World War I posters, Native American artifacts and local Claremore and Rogers county history. Multi-media exhibits for a family-friendly walk through history.

World’s largest privately-held firearms collection.

Tues-Sat 10-5 Admission By Donation

5th & JM Davis Blvd • 918.341.5707

TheGunMuseum.com

CHELSEA

Chelsea is another town named by a homesick railroad worker –this time for a town in England. This has been a ranch and farm town for the most part, though it’s also where the first oil well was drilled for the lucrative ChelseaAlluwe field. Gene Autry lived here when he worked for the Frisco Railroad and Will Rogers visited often to see his sister, Allie McSpadden. A local park here is named after her.

Chelsea is also home to the Hogue House, a Sears Kit Home from 1913. The house was ordered via catalog and the materials (nails, lumber, and all) were shipped via rail. It was the first Sears Kit Home built in Oklahoma. It’s a private residence today so be respectful. The Pedestrian Underpass, once an absolute necessity due to the high volume of traffic on Highway 66, contains several colorful murals about the town’s history. Downtown Chelsea has some great historic buildings and shops!

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Chelsea Motor Inn, 321 E Layton, 918-789-3437

-Main Street Diner, 251 W 6th Street, 918-489-2001

-Project Chelsea OK, 918-7892511

LANDMARKS

-Pryor Creek Bridge (58 S4260 Rd)

-Former Chelsea Motel (185 OK-66)

-Pedestrian Underpass (Intersection of US Rt 66 and E 6th St)

-Murals (downtown)

-Relocated 1930 Pony Bridge in Bud Beck Park (1101 Walnut St)

-Hogue House (1001 Olive St; private property)

FOYIL

Although it contains less than 500 people, Foyil has some great

history. It’s named after the first postmaster, who also owned the first general store.

In 1928, local boy Andy Payne entered the Transcontinental Footrace (popularly known as the Bunion Derby). The race was organized by Charles C Pyle and the US Highway 66 Association to promote the new road that would take runners from Los Angeles to Chicago and then on to New York City. 275 men entered the race and 20-year-old Cherokee Andy Payne won the $25,000 prize. He paid off the family farm with the money.

There’s a statue commemorating Andy’s triumph on the south side of town, right next to a segment of curbed, original Portland Cement roadway. This was the original alignment of Route 66 through town. The restored Texaco Service Station (also on the original alignment) is a passion project by local owner Kean Isaacs. Totem Pole Park is a short side-trip down OK-28A and is a remarkable folk-art roadside attraction that is well worth the de-

tour. Learn more about Oklahoma’s authentic Tribal Nations by visiting oklahomaroute66.com/ tribal-nations.

LANDMARKS

-Totem Pole Park (21300 OK-28 A)

-Bunion Derby Historic Marker (Intersection of E 4th St and E

Andy Payne Blvd)

-Foyil Filling Station (12243

Andy Payne Blvd)

-Andy Payne Statue (Andy Payne Blvd on the southwest side of town)

SIGNAGE

General Information

Street names of Route 66 in towns (east to west):

Claremore: 66/Lynn Riggs Blvd., J.M. Davis Blvd.

Catoosa: 66 • N. 225th E. Ave. • 66 • Ford St. • S. Cherokee St. • 193rd E. Ave.

ROAD FACTS

Claremore has two alignments of 66 that parallel each other. The older alignment, J.M. Davis Blvd, runs alongside the railroad tracks west of the newer, SH 66 alignment. Another partial older alignment exists just south of the Verdigris River, but it’s a residential street today. Be respectful of private property.

ROADSIDE HIGHLIGHTS

See if you can find the following landmarks (listed in no particular order):

• A gorilla statue at Kong’s Korner

• A real army tank

• A wooden ark

To take the Old Hwy. 66 loop on east side of Catoosa:

Eastbound: Turn right just before the Arrowood Trading Post. You might want to visit the Blue Whale first on current 66 before taking the older alignment as you will bypass it. Follow it around to the north and it will take you back to SH 66.

Westbound: After you cross the Verdigris bridge, you will

Navigating I-44 junction in Catoosa:

Eastbound: Do not get on I-44 from 193rd E. Ave; go under the interstate and take a right on Cherokee Street.

Westbound: Stay on SH 66 as it merges with I-44 and take the immediate 193rd E. Ave. Exit; turn left (south) towards Tulsa.

see a gravel road to the left. Ignore it and look for the next left, which is paved and goes up a hill. There is no median crossover point there, so go about a tenth of a mile farther to the next crossover and make a U-turn to head back and pick up the old loop.

Drive south for about half-a-mile and curve right; this will lead you back to SH 66. Take a right and backtrack slightly to see the famous Blue Whale!

CLAREMORE

Claremore, named after a chief of the Osage tribe, is best known as the Home of Will Rogers…though Oklahoma’s Favorite Son was actually born in nearby Oologah. He famously said that Claremore was easier to spell! The Will Rogers Memorial Museum overlooks the city a few blocks off of Route 66 and is the site of his tomb. The former hotel that bears his name was famous for its radium baths, supposedly good for the health.

This is also the home of Lynn Riggs, author of “Green Grow the Lilacs” which was made into the musical Oklahoma! The Claremore Museum of History houses the original “surrey with the fringe on top” from the movie version. Singer Patti Page and astronaut Stuart Roosa also hail from the seat of Rogers County.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Bennett’s Route 66 Pharmacy, 700 N. Lynn Riggs Blvd, 918342-8050

-Claremore Area Chamber of Commerce, 419 W. Will Rogers

Blvd, 918-341-2818

-The Cozy Cottage, 416 W Will Rogers Blvd, 918-283-2232

-Front Porch Bakery, 18435 S. Highway 66, 918-341-7505

-J.M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum, 330 N. Lynn Riggs Blvd, 918-341-5707

-Okie Apparel, 404 W Will Rogers Blvd, 918-340-8385

-Rogers County Development, 1503 N Lynn Riggs Blvd Ste D, 918-343-8959

-Rogers County Historical Society, 121 N. Chickasaw Avenue, 918-342-1127

-Sailor Antiques and Collectibles, 422 W. Will Rogers Blvd, 918341-4838

-School of Pop Soda Shop, 18435 S Highway 66, 918-9232600

-Shepherd’s Cross, 16752 E. 450 Road, 918-342-5911

-Visit Claremore, 400 Veterans Parkway, 918-341-8688

-Will Rogers Memorial Museum, 1720 W. Will Rogers Blvd, 918343-811

LANDMARKS

-Former El Sueno Motor Court (402 N J.M. Davis Blvd; private

property)

-Will Rogers Highway Markers (in the median of OK-66 through town; use caution)

-Former Will Rogers Hotel (524 W Will Rogers Blvd)

-Will Rogers seated statue (315 W Will Rogers Blvd)

-Murals (115 N Missouri Ave)

-Belvidere Mansion (121 N Chickasaw Ave)

CATOOSA

From its frontier days as a cow town to its modern status as the farthest inland seaport in the country, Catoosa has always been a unique stop along the Mother Road. Although the Twin Bridges over Bird Creek near the Verdigris River are down to a single truss bridge, the relocated span can be seen at Rogers Point Park on the east side of the highway.

The world-famous Blue Whale is here, built by Hugh Davis in the 1970s as an anniversary present to his wife, Zelta. The Whale and the grounds (including the ARK, which pre-dates the Whale by several years) are now cared for by the City of Catoosa. Don’t miss the

original alignment of Route 66 here, which goes by the Catoosa Historical Museum and other sites.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-The Blue Whale, 2860 N Highway 66, 918-266-2505

-Catoosa Chamber of Commerce, 650 S Cherokee Suite C, 918-266-6042

-Catoosa Historical Society, 207 N Cherokee, 918-266-6592

-City of Catoosa, 214 S Cherokee, 918-266-2505

-D.W. Correll Museum, 19934 E Pine Street, 918-266-3612

-Hampton Inn & Suites, 100 McNabb Field Road, 918-7393939

-Visit Cherokee Nation, 777 W Cherokee St, 877-779-6977

LANDMARKS

-Relocated Truss Bridges at Rogers Point Park (4000 US Rt 66)

-Restored Frisco Caboose (217 S Cherokee St)

-65-ft tall Musical Guitar (777 W Cherokee St)

Art by Bob Waldmire

SIGNAGE

General Information

Once you are in Tulsa proper, DO NOT follow the SH 66 signs. They will put you on the interstate.

Detailed directions for Central Downtown:

Westbound: Eleventh Street curves to the right as you pass the Art Deco Warehouse Market Building on the edge of downtown. At Elgin, enter the traffic circle and exit on 10th street, which is going the same general westbound direction. You’ll continue on 10th past Denver, where the road bears left slightly and passes over the interstate. After passing a stop sign, you’ll come to a T-junction at Southwest Blvd. Turn left here, passing under a pedestrian bridge and beside the Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza, home of the East Meets West statue.

ROADSIDE HIGHLIGHTS

See if you can find the following landmarks (listed in no particular order):

• Neon sign with a cactus on it (hint: there are two!)

• Avery Southwest Neon Park

• Replica Phillips 66 gas station.

• East Gateway interpretive plaza

• East Meets West sculpture with Model T Ford

Stay on Southwest Blvd all the way out of town.

Eastbound: You’ll enter Tulsa on Southwest Blvd. Stay on that road until you cross the Arkansas River.

Once you drive past Cyrus Avery Memorial Plaza and under the Route 66 Pedestrian Walkway, turn right on 12th Street. Stay on this road (through a stop sign and several stoplights) until you come to a traffic circle at Elgin Avenue (the Art Deco Warehouse Market building will be in front of you.) Enter the traffic circle and exit at your first opportunity (11th Street) and continue east. Stay on 11th through the rest of town. After you’ve driven through the eastern countryside of Tulsa County a few miles, you’ll eventually come to 193rd East Avenue. Take a left here and head into Catoosa..

• An intersection with churches on three corners

• 29 Historical Markers with vintage photos

• Spaceman themed Muffler Man

• Meadow Gold neon sign

• Blue Dome Filling Station (1924 Gulf White Star Service Station)

• Route 66 Rising sculpture

TULSA

Tulsa began as a Muscogee (Creek) settlement on the Arkansas River in 1836, following removal of the Creek from their ancestral homelands in Georgia and Alabama. The Creek called their new community Tallasi, which means “old town” in the Muscogee language. The name officially became Tulsa when the first post office was established in 1879.

Tulsa is the only place in the United States where the borders of three sovereign nations touchMuscogee (Creek), Osage, and Cherokee Nations. The railroad was the lifeblood of this town until oil was discovered in the early 1900s. The site of the first oil well in Tulsa County, in what was then the community of Red Fork, is marked with a historic marker right alongside Route 66 on the southwest side of town. The oil fields in and around Tulsa were so vast that it earned the city the title, “Oil Capital of the World.” The wealth generated from them is responsible for the many Art Deco architectural treasures downtown and the city’s vibrant arts community.

There are several sites in town that contain historic markers that tell more of the Tulsa and Route 66 story. Nearly 30 historic markers are scattered along both alignments of Route 66 itself, but there are dedicated plazas in the east (south of the 11th and Mingo directional sign), the west (at the Crystal City Shopping Center), under the Meadow Gold sign near 11th and Peoria, and perched on the eastern bank of the Arkansas River at Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza.

Tulsan Cyrus Avery, known as the Father of Route 66, was a leader in the Good Roads movement and a designer of the National Highway System in 1926. A larger-than-life sculpture of him and his family in a Model T sits in the plaza bearing his name, forever surprised at their encounter with an oil field wagon. Because of Avery’s involvement in establishing Route 66 and because it served as headquarters for the US Highway 66 Association for many years, Tulsa is today known

TULSA COUNTY

as the Capital of Route 66.

On the west side of the river, next to the historic (but closed) 11th Street Bridge, is a Neon Sign Park that also pays tribute to the multiple eras of Route 66 growth and development in the city. Further west takes you past the Route 66 Village attraction and towards the West Gateway.

Tulsa’s Route 66 Corridor covers 28 miles over two different alignments and navigates through multiple defined business districts. Dozens of historic markers and neon signs line the street here thanks to the Tulsa Route 66 Commission. There are also multiple defined districts along and near Route 66, such as the Market District (anchored by Mother Road Market.) The Blue Dome District downtown, part of the original alignment, is close to historic Greenwood and the Tulsa Arts District, home of museums like the Woody Guthrie Center and the Bob Dylan Center.

There is much to see; the only limit is how much time you have to spend in Tulsa!

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Admiral Twin Drive-In, 7355 E Easton Street, 918-878-8099

-Agitsi Stained Glass, 2615 W 40th Pl #3, 918-340-8030

-Altitude Brand, 603-921-2394

-American Legion Post #1, 1120 E 8th St, 918-584-4274

-Apertures Photo, 4602 E 11th St, 918-742-0500

-Art Emporium 66, 2615 W 40th Pl, 918-706-7715

-Atlas Automotive Repair, 4625 E. 11th Street, 918-910-2886

-Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios on 66, 1347 E. 11th Street, 918-6294606

-Cedar Rock Inn at Redberry Farms, 4501 W. 41st Street, 918447-4493

-The Campbell Hotel & Event Center, 2636 E. 11th Street, 918744-5500

-Circle Cinema, 10 S. Lewis Avenue, 918-585-3456

Route 66 sign going up in 1992

From the Jim Brown collection

-Dardee Deals, 102 N Greenwood Ave Ste 510, 831292-3865

-Decopolis, 1401 E. 11th Street, 918-382-7388

-Desert Hills Motel, 5220 E. 11th Street, 918-834-3311

-Flo’s Burger Diner, 2604 E 11th St, 918-398-7102

-Flo’s Smokehouse Eats, 310 E Sequoyah St, 918-794-0120

-Freddie’s Hamburgers, 9130 E. 11th Street, 918-836-5600

-Generations Antique Mall, 4810 E 11th St, 918-834-7577

-Gusher Newspaper, 1125 S. 110th East Ave, 918-437-7470

-Hank’s Hamburgers, 8929 E Admiral Pl, 918-832-1509

-Jesse’s Restaurant, 1134 S Memorial Dr, 918-832-9052

-John’s Classics on Rt 66, 8702 E 11th St, 539-867-3000

-Joseph Gierek Fine Art, 1342 E. 11th Street, 918-592-5432

-Kendall-Whittier Main Street, 2205 E. Admiral Blvd, 918-6331934

-Meadow Gold District, PO Box 521094, 918-695-7249

- Mother Road Market, 1124 S. Lewis Avenue, 918-984-9001

-Mother Road Real Estate, 2651 E 21st St Ste 100, 918-712-2252

-Mythic Press, 2015 E. 3rd Street, 918-516-8255

-Ollie’s Station Restaurant, 4070 Southwest Blvd, 918-4460524

-Red Fork Distillery, 3310 Southwest Blvd, 918-381-8115

-Renaissance Brewing Company, 1147 S Lewis Ave, 918-409-0551

-Route 66 Alliance, PO Box 54214, 918-629-2984

-Route 66 Historical Village, 3770 Southwest Blvd, 918-6199473

-Splinter Block, 3306 Charles Page Blvd, 918-724-5150

-Standing Horse Acres, 8223 Frankoma Rd, 918-724-5150

-Tonsorial: The Art of Barbering, 416 E 11th St, 918-916-6986

-Tulsa Air & Space Museum, 3624 N 74th E Ave, 918-834-9900

-Tulsa Regional Early Ford

V8 Club of America, P.O. Box 4109, 918-371-2437

-Tulsa Route 66 Main Street, 2215 W 38th Pl, 918-445-4457

-Tulsa Spotlight Theater, 1381

Riverside Dr, 918-587-5030

- Tulsa Whimsey, 5206 S. Harvard Ave #203, 918-230-8388

-Visit Tulsa, 1 W. 3rd Street Suite 100, 918-560-0238

LANDMARKS

-Station 66 Fire Station (14333 E 11th St)

-East Gateway (11707 E 11th St)

-Route 66 Rising (Traffic Circle at E Admiral Pl and S Mingo Rd)

-Whittier Square (1 S Lewis Ave)

-Meadow Gold Neon Sign (1324 E 11th St)

-Blue Dome Station (320 E 2nd St)

-Council Oak Tree (1750 S Cheyenne Ave)

-Cyrus Avery Plaza + 11th Street Bridge (Intersection of Southwest Blvd and Riverside Dr)

-Avery Plaza SW Neon Park (1450 Southwest Blvd)

-Howard Park Monuments (2500 Southwest Blvd)

-West Gateway (4207 Southwest Blvd)

MEMBERSHIP

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Upon completion of each challenge, kids will receive a prize. When they complete all four challenges, they get a special gift & certificate! All year-long, they will enjoy special kids member benefits.

Membership

$20 FORKIDS AGED8-18

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SIGNAGE

General Information

Follow the State Highway 66 signs to navigate through towns and to remain on the current alignment of 66 throughout Creek County.

Street names of Route 66 in towns (east to west):

Sapulpa: 66/New Sapulpa Road OR Frankoma Road/Old Sapulpa

Road • 66/Mission • 66/Dewey • 66

Kellyville: 66/no special name given

Bristow: 66 • 66/Main • 66/4th Ave. • 66/Roland St.

Depew: Flynn Ave. • Main • Ladd Ave.

ROAD FACTS

There are many older surviving sections of Route 66 in Creek County — especially west of Depew and between Bristow and Sapulpa. We have highlighted the most drivable ones.

Accessing an older alignment usually requires a slight jog, so keep your eyes open and check your distances on the map. They are generally signed as Old Hwy 66. Jim Ross’ Oklahoma Route 66 can also help you locate these old stretches.

The Ozark Trails Loop west of Sapulpa is especially great, though it can be rough. Although most of the Portland cement concrete is lightly covered with asphalt, you can catch a few glimpses of it along the edges. It is bumpy and curvy and has an old brick-decked through truss bridge.

If you are eastbound, access to this stretch is across the street from a gas station, just east of the interchange of Highway 33 and I-44. If you are westbound, take a right after the Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum, as you approach the Rock Creek Bridge. The road is street-signed “Ozark Trail” and you’ll also see a large water tank here with a colorful mural.

ROADSIDE HIGHLIGHTS

See if you can find the following landmarks (listed in no particular order):

• Old manufacturing plant — west of Kellyville.

• Old telephone poles. Hint: look just north of Bristow on old alignment by a cemetery.

• Rock Creek Bridge. This is the brick-decked bridge on the old alignment west of Sapulpa.

SAPULPA

“Chief” James Sapulpa wasn’t an actual chief, but the Creek elder opened a trading post here circa 1850 where he served fellow Creek tribesmen, the Yuchi, and eventually white settlers. The town wasn’t incorporated until the railroad came to town three decades later. Sapulpa became known for glass and brick manufacturing in addition to the oil industry. The Glenn Pool oil field, the largest oil field in the region discovered during the oil boom days, is only six miles southeast of town.

World-renowned Frankoma Pottery was also based in Sapulpa and made using local clay; there is a Manufacturing Sculpture on the north side of town that features a facsimile Frankoma plate and glass bottle. Downtown Sapulpa is well preserved with many historic brick buildings that date back to the 1920s. Sapulpa is also home to one of the largest annual car shows on Oklahoma Route 66. TheTeePee Drive-In, on the west side of town, has been recently restored.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Gasoline Alley Classics, 24 N. Main, 918-806-1000

-Happy Burger, 215 N. Mission, 918-224-7750

-Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum, 13 Sahoma Lake Road, 918-2161171

-Route 66 Electric, 1003 E Lee Avenue, 918-850-2056

-Sapulpa Area Chamber of Commerce, 101 E. Dewey, 918-224-0170

-Sapulpa Historical Society, 100 E. Lee Avenue, 918-224-4871

-Sapulpa Main Street, 15 N. Water Street, 918-224-5709

-Tulsa-Sapulpa Union Railway, 701 E. Dewey, 918-224-1515

LANDMARKS

-Guardian of the Plains sculpture (10169 OK-66)

-Frankoma/manufacturing sculpture (901 N Mission St)

-Murals (throughout downtown)

-Vintage Barnsdall service station (26 E Lee Ave)

-Giant gas pump (13 Sahoma Lake Rd)

-Rock Creek Bridge + Original Ozark Trail alignment (Ozark Trail Rd and W Dewey Ave)

KELLYVILLE

Historic Route 66 doesn’t go through the heart of the community; rather, it clips the northwest edge of town. Kellyville didn’t enjoy the same robust growth from the local oil and gas industries like neighboring Sapulpa and never had more than 1,000 residents.

The town has two “claims to fame” as it were: it’s the site of Oklahoma’s worst train disaster (two Frisco trains collided in 1917) and it was almost the state’s only ski resort. SNOW skiing, that is! SnowValley was the idea of California ski instructor Willis Barrows. In 1971, after hounding locals for money and other support, the “resort” opened…but failed immediately. C

Route 66 Navigation app is the first and only reliable Route 66 offline turn-by-turn navigation for iPhone and Android

Stay on historic sections of Route 66 without worry about getting lost all the way from Chicago to Santa Monica or vice versa

Never miss an attraction on historic Route 66 thanks to interactive notifications

WESTBOUND & EASTBOUND DIRECTIONS

Route 66 Navigation is a reliable guide for every traveller on Route 66, whether travelling from west to east or vica-versa

ROUTE A OR ROUTE B

On ROUTE A you will find all the most famous attractions of the Mother Road. Route B will help you discover chosen older or less known parts of Route 66

OFFLINE NAVIGATION

Offline navigation will still reliably and safely take you through sections of Route 66 without mobile signal

ALWAYS UP TO DATE

During the whole year we are watching closures on Route 66 and always navigate you around current detours. We are constantly updating the POI directory, so you won’t miss anything interesting on Route 66

TURN BY TURN NAVIGATION

Enjoy advantages of our turn by turn navigation which will safely keep you on historic Route 66 and will show you all the attractive points of interest on the road

MORE THAN 1000 POIs

Discover more than 1000 interesting sites on Route 66. We are constantly looking for new sites and points of interest. Descriptions written by respected author Jim Hinckley

EASY TO USE

If you are riding a motorbike or drive a car, our app is always easy to use. It is designed for your comfortable travels

SAVE YOUR TRIPS

Prepare your itinerary in advance and then you can activate the saved routes when you need them on your trip

LANDMARKS

-Original 66 pavement (19839 OK-66)

BRISTOW

The town of Bristow, known as “the Woodland Queen” of the Creek Nation, was the original county seat when Oklahoma was established in 1907 but Sapulpa took that crown after just one year. The Frisco Railroad was key to the town’s growth along with the local cotton, oil, and gas industries. It was also where one of Oklahoma’s first radio stations went on the air in 1925. It’s said that Bristow has more brick streets than any other town in the state.

Many of the brick buildings downtown are well-kept, including listings on the National Register of Historic Places. The former railroad depot houses a museum and sits next to one of only two

Frisco water towers in existence. Don’t miss the Wake Island Memorial on the west side of town; it’s the only one in the United States!

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Bristow Historical Society & Museum, 1 Railroad Pl, 918-3679335

-Bristow Tire & Auto Service, 115 W. 4th Avenue, 918-367-2224

-City of Bristow, 110 W. 7th Avenue, 918-367-2237

-Granny’s Emporium, 709A S. Roland, 918-367-1727

-Oklahoma Venue 66, 116 W. 8th Street, 918-381-4624

LANDMARKS

-Chrysler-Plymouth Sign (210 E 9th Ave)

-Town Plaza (111 N Main St)

-Frisco Depot (1 Railroad Pl)

-Post Office (124 W 6th Ave)

-Wake Island Memorial (37033 Veterans Memorial Dr)

DEPEW

This little town has the distinction of being the first one bypassed by a re-alignment of US Highway 66 (October 1928) but don’t let that stop you from taking the short detour to the picturesque main street district. Since the road changed so early, it retains much of its character from when Route 66 was new.

It’s quiet today, but once upon a time Depew held multiple drugstores, grocery stores, movie theaters, an auto dealership, hotels, and more. The road through town is still the original 1920sera concrete that Route 66 is known for. Take a look around and visit with the locals here; they are proud of their little piece

of Route 66 history!

LANDMARKS

-Historic downtown district (412 Main St)

-Former Gimmel gas station (325 Main St)

Sheriff of Radiator Springs

Photo by Rhys Martin

Business Directory CENTRAL (STROUD TO CALUMET)

Without the support of our Business Members, we wouldn’t be here. Support them as you travel Oklahoma Route 66!

STROUD

City of Stroud

220 W 2nd St | 918-968-2571

Rock Cafe

114 W Main St | 918-968-3990

Route 66 Spirit of America Museum

220 W Main St | 646-221-1933

Stroud Chamber of Commerce

216 W Main St | 918-968-3321

DAVENPORT

Central Oklahoma Telephone Company

223 Broadway | 800-252-8854

Davenport Chamber of Commerce

223 Broadway | 918-377-2241

The New Era Community Newspaper

209 Broadway | 918-377-2259

Tammy’s Route 66 Round-up Cafe

1023 N Broadway | 918-3772230

CHANDLER

Chandler Area Chamber of Commerce

400 East Route 66 | 405-2580673

City of Chandler

414 Manvel Ave | 405-258-3200

LD’s Wrecker Service

341723 E Highway 66 | 405258-2120

Lincoln County Hist. Society/ Museum of Pioneer History

719 Manvel Ave | 405-258-2425

Lincoln Motel

740 E 1st St | 405-258-0200

Manvel Avenue Coffee Company

905 Manvel Ave | 405-258-0905

McJerry’s Route 66 Gallery

306 Manvel Ave | 405-240-7659

Nostalgic Chandler OK 1123 Manvel Ave | 405-8160536

Quilt 66 907-699-6696

Route 66 Interpretive Center

400 East Route 66 | 405-2581300

WARWICK

Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum

336992 E Hwy 66 | 405-2589141

WELLSTON

Butcher BBQ Stand

3402 W Hwy 66 | 405-240-3437

Mossy’s Milk Soapery

316 2nd St | 405-356-2839

LUTHER

Cocina Doña Ceci 204 N Ash | 405-277-0514

Luther Register News PO Box 311 | 405-888-9946

Threatt Filling Station Foundation 21940 OK-66 | 240-605-1062

Town of Luther

108 S Main St | 405-277-3833

ARCADIA

Arcadia Farmer’s Market 101 OK-66 | 405-226-0346

Arcadia Farmers Market Gen. Store

210 N Odor St Ste 210 | 405226-0346

Arcadia Historical & Preservation Society / The Round Barn 107 E Highway 66 | 405-3960824

Arcadia Tag & Title 230 N Odor St | 405-396-0824

The Chicken Shack 212 OK-66 | 405-277-5020

POPS

660 W Highway 66 | 405-9277677

EDMOND

Edmond Historical Society & Museum

431 S Boulevard | 405-340-0078

Visit Edmond

2901 Conference Dr | 405-3414344

OKLAHOMA CITY

39th Street District

3926 Flynn Ave | 405-301-1888

Collision Clinic

444 W Wilshire Blvd | 405-8487035

Craig’s Emporium 1209 NW 23rd St | 405-524-9447

Jimmy Dale Richardson Music and Oklahoma Showgirls

1112 N Broadway Ave | 405404-9493

Oklahoma History Center

800 Nazih Zuhdi Dr | 405-5220765

Oklahoma Railway Museum

3400 NE Grand Blvd | 405-4248222

Voorhees & Voorhees, P.C.

2200 Shadowlake Dr | 405-6825800

Watches, etc. 5934 NW 39th St | 405-789-2824

BETHANY

Anderson Productions

PO Box 1032 | 405-341-1646

Apple Tree Antique Gallery 6740 NW 39th Expy | 405-4950602

Route 66 Visitor Center of Metro OKC

6644 NW 39th Expy | 405-7891256

YUKON

Archery Traditions 328 Elm Ave | 405-350-1100

BancFirst

120 S Mustang Rd | 405-3249615

City of Yukon

500 W Main St | 405-350-3938

Green Chile Kitchen Rt. 66

12 E Main St | 405-265-4346

Mother Road RV, Boat & Trailer Storage

16245 W Hwy 66 | 405-577-6617

Route 66 Train Town 328 Elm Ave | 405-350-1100

Yukon’s Best Main Street 500 W Main St | 405-350-5999

Yukon Chamber of Commerce

10 W Main St Suite 130 | 405354-3567

EL RENO

Bill & Clara’s Prairie Land Ranch 2701 W 10th | 405-650-6651

CDT Synthetics

1804 Mulberry Lane | 405-8318741

El Reno Chamber of Commerce

206 N Bickford | 405-262-1188

El Reno Main Street 119 S Rock Island Ave | 405-2628888

Historic Fort Reno 16705 SW 29th St | 405-262-3987

US Cavalry Association 3220 N Jesse Reno St | 405-4226330

Vices Bar and Venue 1701 E Highway 66 | 405-2956426

Visit El Reno 101 N Choctaw | 405-262-4070

CALUMET

Cherokee Trading Post 301 S Walbaum Rd | 405-8842502

SIGNAGE

General Information

Follow SH 66 signs both in town and out in the country. Follow 66B to go through the downtown business district of Wellston.

Street names of Route 66 in towns (east to west):

Stroud: Main St.

Davenport: Broadway/6th St.

Chandler: 1st St. • Mickey Clarkson Ave for sweeping curve • Manvel Ave • 66/W 15th St just west of hard curve by old gas station

Warwick: 66/no alternate name

Wellston: Ash/66B • 2nd/66B • 66B ROAD FACTS

Lincoln County has two single arch steel truss bridges. The first one is on an older fragment about half a mile east of Stroud on the north side of the road off in the brush off of E Seventh Street. The second bridge is on 66B on the west side of Wellston over Captain Creek; notably, this bridge was replaced in 2021 but the original trusses were re-attached to keep the historic aesthetic. You can spot old alignments east of Stroud on into Creek County. Please consult Jim Ross’ Oklahoma Route 66 for details.

There’s a replica Ozark Trail obelisk in downtown Stroud, too. These markers predated Route 66 and helped early travelers find their way on mostly-unpaved roads. The original obelisk is west of town on a dirt road.

Historic Route 66 is called Broadway in Davenport and curves west, avoiding downtown. Take a few moments to detour slightly and check out their brick Main Street and murals!

ROADSIDE HIGHLIGHTS

See if you can find the following landmarks (listed in no particular order):

• Spherical Magnolia Oil Co. Storage Tank. Hint: it’s on the short Ozark Trail segment on the north side of Davenport.

• Meramec Caverns Barn. If you are traveling east, you can’t miss it. If you are westbound, here’s a hint: It’s about 3.5 miles west of Chandler and faces west, so you’ll have to keep looking over your shoulder or into your rear view mirror to find it. This is the only remaining Meramec Caverns structure left on Oklahoma Route 66. This landmark was heavily damaged in a 2023 windstorm but was restored thanks to a generous donation from the Tillison Christian Opportunities Foundation!

STROUD

Prior to Oklahoma statehood, this town was one mile from the Indian Territory border and already had quite a reputation as a roughand-tumble place. It didn’t help when the Henry Starr gang robbed both banks in town at the same time in 1915. Today, Stroud is a tight community and the headquarters of the Sac and Fox Nation. Stroud Lake is just a few minutes from the Mother Road and offers a professional-level disc golf course as well as fishing, boating, and swimming from a white sand beach.

The Stroud Public Library on 7th Street is a notable Art Deco building that contains historic documents and artifacts. Downtown boasts several colorful murals, neon signs, a replica Ozark Trail obelisk, and a beautifully carved tree sculpture. The Rock Cafe is built out of the native stone that was excavated when Route 66 was paved. It survived a devastating fire in the mid-2000s and continues to serve locals and travelers alike. For an interesting mobile ex-

perience to visualize the town’s history, check out www.TimeFrameTours.com.

There’s an original Ozark Trail marker between Stroud and Davenport, the only one along Oklahoma’s Route 66 corridor! Check the Lincoln County map page for details.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-City of Stroud, 220 W. 2nd Street, 918-968-2571

-Rock Cafe, 114 W. Main Street, 918-968-3990

-Route 66 Spirit of America Museum, 220 W. Main Street, 646-221-1933

-Stroud Chamber of Commerce, 216 W. Main St, 918-968-3321

LANDMARKS

-Lincoln County Express childsize train (215 E Main St)

-Replica Ozark Trail Obelisk (212 W Main St)

-Murals (throughout downtown)

-Original Ozark Trail Obelisk (N 3540 Rd and E 890 Rd)

DAVENPORT

Route 66 weaves through Davenport with graceful curves, but if you drive straight through you’ll miss a lot! From the Y at Seventh and Broadway, travelers can take a short detour to Davenport’s historic brick main street. The bricks were made right in town at the Davenport Brick and Tile Company (gone since 1930) and the road segment is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are also several large, colorful murals in the downtown area, one of which is a tribute to their first postmaster and the town’s namesake, Nettie Davenport.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Central Oklahoma Telephone Company, 223 Broadway, 800252-8854

-Davenport Chamber of Commerce, 223 Broadway, 918377-2241

-The New Era Community Newspaper,209 Broadway, 918377-2259

-Tammy’s Route 66 Round-up Cafe, 1023 N. Broadway, 918377-2230

LANDMARKS

-World’s First Spherical Oilfield Tank (north of E 890 Rd and N 3503 Rd)

-Brick Main Street and Downtown Murals (2nd and Broadway)

-Historic Sinclair station (615 Broadway)

-WPA chapel at Davenport Cemetery (Route 66 and N 3490 Rd)

CHANDLER

Chandler is one of only two towns in Oklahoma that was settled by its own land run in 1891. It survived a devastating tornado six years later and today it’s the seat of

905 Manvel Avenue - Chandler, OK

405-258-0905

Mon - Fri: 7:30 a m - 2:00 p m Sat: 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

www.manvelavecoffee.com @manvelavecoffee

Open since 2018, we’re located on historic Route 66 Stop in for a a delicious cup of coffee, a hand-crafted espresso drink or a nice glass of tea We also feature an assortment of sweet and savory breakfast items and our lunch menu offers a variety of soups, salads, and panini-pressed sandwiches

ROAD FACTS

Wellston has the only segment designated ‘66B’ in the entire country. It dates back to a controversy about paving the original downtown alignment versus a bypass to the south, known as the ‘Wellston Gap’.

Lincoln County and has nearly 20 sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Two blocks of pioneer-era homes and churches (known as Silk Stocking Row) can be seen on 8th Street west of the courthouse. A walk downtown will reveal ghost signs, historic horse hitching posts, and more.

The route through the heart of town is known as Manvel Avenue, in honor of the Santa Fe Railroad president. The historic National Guard Armory has been fully restored and houses the Route 66 Interpretive Center. The Lincoln County Historical Society downtown houses a large collection of artifacts (including a local teacher’s vintage marionette collection) and a cottage-style Phillips 66 station is currently being renovated. Chandler is also the home of Jerry McClanahan, artist and author of the EZ-66 Guide for Travelers, a well-known and highly recommended book that provides turn-by-turn directions along all 2,448 miles of Historic Route 66. Stop by McJerry’s Route 66 Gallery and say hello!

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Chandler Area Chamber ofCommerce, 400 East Route 66, 405-258-0673

-City of Chandler, 414 Manvel Ave, 405-258-3200

-LD’s Wrecker Service, 341723 E. Highway 66, 405-258-2120

-Lincoln County Historical Society/Museum of Pioneer History, 719 Manvel Avenue, 405-258-2425

-Lincoln Motel, 740 E. 1st Street 405-258-0200

-Manvel Avenue Coffee Company, 905 Manvel Avenue, 405-258-0905

-McJerry’s Route 66 Gallery, 306 Manvel Avenue, 405-2407659

-Nostalgic Chandler OK, 1123 Manvel Avenue, 405-816-0536

-Quilt 66, 907-699-6696

-Route 66 Interpretive Center, 400 East Route 66, 405-2581300

LANDMARKS

-Restored 66 Bowl neon sign (920 E 1st St) – originally in Oklahoma City

-Vintage Sonic Drive-In sign (801 E 1st St)

-Historic WPA Armory (400 E 1st St)

-Phillips 66 Cottage station (701 Manvel Ave)

-Murals (throughout downtown)

-Meramec Caverns mural (restored in 2024) Route 66 and S 3400 Rd)

WARWICK

There isn’t much left of Warwick today beyond a collection of houses and a 1920s-era brick service station, which today houses the Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum. Actually, even though the town was settled in 1903 it wasn’t formally incorporated for sixty years to preserve their school district from being annexed by nearby Wellston. When it was, the citizens marked it as 1,800 acres making it the largest “town” in the county! Despite their efforts, the schools were consolidated in 1968 and theWarwick post office closed in 1972. The WPA-era schoolhouse still stands on Commercial Street.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum, 336992 E Hwy 66, 405-258-9141

LANDMARKS

-WPA Schoolhouse (Commercial St and S Broadway)

WELLSTON

When US Highway 66 was first established, the road wove

through downtown Wellston. However, it wasn’t paved and in 1932 the state re-aligned the highway south of town. The town sued the state, fearing the change would doom their survival. The Wellston Gap, as it was known, remained but did eventually get paved. It is now marked as OK66b.

The 1930s-era Captain Creek Bridge on the west side of downtown was replaced in 2021. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation re-attached the original truss elements of the bridge to maintain the historic aesthetic, making it a landmark project showing a compromise between modern safety requirements and historic preservation. Wellston also serves as the mid-point of Oklahoma Route 66, located exactly halfway between the Kansas and Texas borders on the old pavement.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Butcher BBQ Stand, 3402 W Highway 66. 405-240-3437

-Mossy’s Milk Soapery, 316 2nd St, 405-356-2839

LANDMARKS

-Murals (throughout downtown)

-Captain Creek Bridge (OK-66b west of downtown)

SIGNAGE

General Information

State Highway 66 signs are used east of Edmond and from the I-44 interchange to Bethany. Follow street names everywhere else. New Historic Route 66 signs were placed throughout the Oklahoma City Metro area in recent years but it can still be difficult to navigate without preparation.

Street names of Route 66 in towns (east to west):

Luther: 192nd

St./Danforth/66

Arcadia: 66/no alternate name

ROAD FACTS

Just west of Luther Road (the turn-off to downtown Luther) you’ll notice some former bridge abutments to the north. These date back to the 1930 alignment of the road, which is on private property now. The 1926-1952 alignment east of Arcadia is a remarkably well-preserved segment of Portland cement, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

ROADSIDE HIGHLIGHTS

See if you can find the following landmarks (listed in no particular order):

• Three historical markers

• Old stone gas station with a criminal past.

• House built to resemble a Phillips 66 cottage-style gas station on old alignment east of Arcadia

• Old PC alignment fragment just west of Luther

• A Volkswagen emerging from house and tribute to 66 sights on SH 66 east of Arcadia

(Note: Since Oklahoma City is so urbanized, these items are only for the stretch east of Edmond.)

Voorhees&Grant,P.A. AttorneysatLaw V&G

2200 Shadowlake Drive Oklahoma City OK 73159

Phone: 4056825800 | Fax: 4056911950

wwwlawofficeokccom

LUTHER

Historic Route 66 runs along the north side of town – but don’t drive past Luther without taking a closer look. The town was established in 1898 along what became the Frisco rail line near the Deep Fork River. When Oklahoma became a state in 1907, more cotton gins operated here than anywhere else in the new state. The Booker T Washington High School was considered one of the premier high schools for black students in the United States; local Allen Threatt, Sr. operated a service station on Highway 66 that was the only black-owned-and-operated station on the entire route during the Jim Crow era.

Luther is not just a community of the past – the town holds a vibrant Pecan Festival every autumn and prides itself on a continuing legacy as an agricultural hub. The Threatt Filling Station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is currently being restored by the family. The site of the former Booker T Washington High School is a city park and memorial. Downtown Luther has several shops, restaurants, and colorful murals that make for lovely photo ops.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Cocina Doña Ceci, 204 N Ash, 405-277-0514

-Luther Register News, P.O. Box 311, 405-888-9946

-Threatt Filling Station Foundation, 21940 OK-66, 240605-1062

-Town of Luther, 108 S. Main Street, 405-277-3833

LANDMARKS

-Threatt Filling Station (21940 OK-66)

-Old bridge abutments (18725 E US Rt 66)

ARCADIA

Arcadia gets its name from a region of Greece that was known as a rural paradise. Indeed, this town has always been seen as a quiet and peaceful place away from the hustle and bustle of Oklahoma City. In fact, there’s a historic marker on the east side of town that marks the occasion that Washington Irving set up camp here during his Tour of the Prairies.

There’s also a stretch of original pavement on the east side marked by National Historic Register signage and a marker that tells the story when Paul McCartney, the famous Beatle, stopped by on a road trip to make sure he was on ‘THE’ Route 66!

These days, Arcadia is perhaps bestknown for the iconic Round Barn, built in 1898 by William Odor. Supposedly he built it that way to help avoid damage from high winds and tornadoes. The barn survived a fire in 1924 that destroyed much of the rest of the town and has since gone on to become the “most photographed attraction” on all of Route 66. By the early 1990s, the barn had fallen into serious disrepair – the roof had even collapsed. Local efforts led by Luke Robison of Midwest City were successful in restoring the barn for future generations to enjoy. When you stop by, don’t forget to visit the second floor to check out the beau-

tiful craftsmanship!

The other big – and we do mean BIG – landmark here is the 66-ft tall soda bottle outside of Pops Soda Ranch. It’s a stunning sight day OR night!

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Arcadia Farmer’s Market, 101 OK-66, 405-226-0346

-Arcadia Farmer’s Market General Store, 1210 N Odor St, Ste 210, 405-226-0346

-Arcadia Historical & Preservation Society/ The Round Barn, 107 E. Highway 66, 405396-0824

-Arcadia Tag & Title, 230 N Odor St, 405-396-0824

-The Chicken Shack, 212 OK-66, 405-277-5020

-POPS, 660 W. Highway 66, 405-927-7677

LANDMARKS

-Rock of Ages Station (west of N Choctaw Rd and US Rt 66)

-Original pavement (13222 E Old Hwy 66)

-Historic Marker: Paul

McCartney (13162 E Old Hwy 66)

-Historic Marker: Washington

Irving (US Rt 66 and N Anderson Rd)

-1898 Round Barn (107 OK-66)

-66-ft tall soda bottle (660 US Rt 66)

EDMOND

Edmond is 20 miles north of Oklahoma City and has a growing culture of arts and history. Situated near Arcadia Lake (where bike trails and camping opportunities abound) it is the home of the University of Central Oklahoma, the first institution of higher learning in the state. Edmond sits along Route 66 and is punctuated by an 18-ft-tall bronze statue of Miniconjou Chief Touch the Clouds In fact, Edmond boasts more than 300 sculptures and other public art; a walk around downtown reveals many of them! Edmond is also home to Cycle 66, an annual cycling event that takes over the heart of downtown.

The 1889 Territorial Schoolhouse is the earliest one-room schoolhouse from the days before Oklahoma statehood. It’s open for tours on Saturday afternoons, but you can email ehptcontact@gmail.com to make an appointment. Edmond is also the home of Shannon Miller, the most decorated gymnast in United States history.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Edmond Historical Society & Museum, 431 S. Boulevard, 405340-0078

-Visit Edmond, 2901 Conference Dr, 405-341-4344

LANDMARKS

-Chief Touch the Clouds statue (732 US-77)

-1889 Territorial Schoolhouse (124 E 2nd St)

-Blue Hippo (1129 S Broadway)

ROAD FACTS

In 1954, 66 was shunted over to what is now the I-35 corridor, bypassing Edmond. Although there are several alternate alignments through Oklahoma City, we have shown only two. Please consult Jim Ross’ Oklahoma Route 66 for the other alignments. If you are westbound, as you leave Bethany, consider taking the older route around Lake Overholser. And no matter which direction you are traveling, try to take the older alignment loop just east of Arcadia. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Street names of Route 66 in towns (east to west):

Edmond: 66 • 2nd St. • Broadway jog to Kelley Ave.

Oklahoma City: Kelley Ave. • NE 50th OR I-44 • Lincoln • 23rd St. •May Ave. • 39th St. frontage road to merge with I-44 traffic exiting on 66 (do not cross lanes!)

Warr Acres: 66/NW 39th Expressway

Bethany: 66/NW 39th Expressway

OKLAHOMA CITY

Did you know that Oklahoma is the only state that has oil derricks on the grounds of the Capitol? It’s also one of three where US Highway 66 ran right past the seat of state government (Springfield, IL and Santa Fe, NM being the others) though the other two states realigned away from their Capitol buildings in the early days. Route 66 in OKC did have many realignments over the years, though, which can make following the historic path(s) a bit difficult.

Thankfully, the city has placed many new Historic Route 66 signs along several alignments to help travelers navigate the road through our largest city. You can get full details of the various alignments in Jim Ross’ book Oklahoma Route 66 or at www.jimross66.com

No matter which alignment of Route 66 you choose to follow in OKC, there are plenty of things to see and do on and near old 66. The 23rd Street Corridor just west of the Capitol has some great neon

and a Route 66 Robot across from the Tower Theatre. At 23rd and Classen, you can see the historic Gold Dome and the Milk Bottle Grocery building. This area is also home to “Little Saigon”, the city’s Asian District. There’s a Vietnam Memorial just north of the Milk Bottle.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial is a somber but worthwhile side-trip in downtown Oklahoma City.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-39th Street District, 3926 Flynn Ave, 405-301-1888

-Collision Clinic, 444 W. Wilshire Blvd, 405-848-7035

-Craig’s Emporium, 1209 NW 23rd St, 405-524-9447

-Jimmy Dale Richardson Music and Oklahoma Showgirls, 1112 N Broadway Ave, 405-404-9493

-Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 405-522-0765

-Oklahoma Railway Museum, 3400 NE Grand Blvd, 405-4248222

-Voorhees & Voorhees, P.C., 2200 Shadowlake Dr, 405-6825800

-Watches, etc., 5934 NW 39th St, 405-789-2824

LANDMARKS

-Capital Building (2300 N Lincoln Blvd)

-Uptown Robot (432 NW 23rd St)

-Gold Dome (1112 NE 111 23rd St)

-Milk Bottle Grocery & Vietnam Memorial (2426 N Classen Blvd)

-Will Rogers Gardens (3400 NW 36th St)

WARR ACRES

The community of Warr Acres lobbied strongly to relocate the origi-

nal state capital from Guthrie after statehood, but they were unsuccessful. The town wasn’t formally incorporated until 1948 and although it only covers about three square miles it has a notable spot in Route 66 history. On June 4, 1990 it was the very first location – in any state – to have a brown Historic Route 66 road sign installed.

BETHANY

Bethany, immediately to the west of Warr Acres, has a well-kept stretch of historic brick buildings that contain a variety of boutique shops, restaurants, and antique stores. Murals painted by internationally-known artist Dr. Bob Palmer tell the town’s story in beautiful detail. On the west side of town, the 1924 Lake Overholser Bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places and even had a mention in John Steinbeck’s famous novel The Grapes of Wrath. It was bypassed in the 1950s but still carries local traffic!

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Anderson Productions, P.O. Box 1032, 405-341-1646

-Apple Tree Antique Gallery, 6740 NW 39th Expy, 405-4950602

-Route 66 Visitors Center of Metro OKC, 6644 NW 39th Expy, 405-789-1256

LANDMARKS

-Murals (6698 NW 39th Expy)

-Lake Overholser Bridge (8703 Overholser Dr)

SIGNAGE

General Information

Coming out of Bethany, we suggest you follow the older 36th Street/Lakeshore Drive alignment as you head towards Yukon. State Highway 66 signs will continue to serve as a guide until you enter El Reno, where Historic Route 66 becomes Business Loop 40. Follow Business 40 signs through El Reno, being careful you don’t wind up on I-40 at either end. See the next map for details on the west side of town.

Street names of Route 66 in towns (east to west):

Yukon: 66 • 66/Main

El Reno: 66 • Business 40/Rock Island • Business 40/Wade • Business 40/Choctaw • Business 40/Sunset Drive

ROAD FACTS

The older alignment in El Reno goes north at the intersection where SH-66 ends. Be mindful of the zig-zag downtown; it’s all signed Business Loop 40 but each street has a local name, too.

YUKON

The Chisolm Trail crossed what would become US Highway 66 in Yukon as cattlemen guided their herds from Texas to the railroad stockyards in Kansas. There are multiple markers and murals in town dedicated to the region’s early heritage. The town is a crossroad of culture, too: it is the Czech Capital of Oklahoma and holds an annual festival every October.

For a time, the largest flour mill in the southwest operated here. The silo for Yukon Mill and Grain (complete with restored “Yukon’s Best” neon sign!) sits on the south side of Route 66 while competitor Dobry Mills’ silo stands on the north side. Both are vacant today but overlook the rest of the town as silent monuments to the industry that made the town what it is today.

Yukon is also the hometown of country music legend Garth Brooks!

Business members

-Archery Traditions, 328 Elm Avenue, 405-350-1100

-BancFirst, 120 S Mustang Rd, 405-324-9615

-City of Yukon, 500 W. Main Street, 405-350-3938

-Green Chile Kitchen Rt. 66, 12 E. Main Street, 405-265-4346

-Mother Road RV, Boat, & Trailer Storage, 16245 W Hwy 66, 405-577-6617

-Route 66 Train Town, 328 Elm Ave, 405-350-1100

-Yukon’s Best Main Street, 500 W. Main Street, 405-350-5999

-Yukon Chamber of Commerce, 10 W Main St Suite 130, 405354-3567

LANDMARKS

-Yukon’s Best Flour Silo (S 3rd St and US Rt 66)

-Chisholm Trail Marker (just west of the railroad track on the north side of 66)

-Yukon Sunset Mural (528 W Main St)

EL RENO

El Reno is famous for the onionfried hamburger – a local dish popularized during the Great Depression. It’s not just any old burger with some onion on it, either. Shredded onion is mixed with ground beef and grilled together on a flat-top, unlocking delicious flavor! There’s a big festival the first Saturday in May honoring this local culinary cornerstone and there are multiple establishments in town that serve them the same way they’ve been served since the 1920s. Come hungry!

Strolling down El Reno’s Historic Downtown you will find the Historic Centre Theatre, which hosts live performances, movies, and other events. A refurbished 1924 Heritage Express Trolley travels down Main Street and is a great way to experience El Reno’s shopping and dining options.

There’s a Route 66 photo op at the corner of Wade and Choctaw complete with a Rock Island railroad caboose. There’s a huge mural of a scissor tail flycatcher, the Oklahoma State Bird, on the back of an old drive-in screen on the west side of downtown. If it looks a little worn, that’s because a tornado came through not long after it was painted!

Fort Reno, a few miles west of town proper, was established in 1875 and named after a Civil War veteran. The Post contains over a dozen buildings on the National Register and the cemetery contains a section of Italian and German World War II P.O.W.s. The Visitor’s Center and United States Cavalry Museum are open yearround but hours can vary depending on the season. The grounds also house the Grazinglands Research Laboratory of the United States Department of Agriculture. There’s much more to this historic site; make time to visit!

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Bill & Clara’s Prairie Land Ranch, 2701 W. 10th, 405-6506651

-CDT Synthetics, 1804 Mulberry Lane, 405-831-8741

-El Reno Chamber of Commerce, 206 N. Bickford, 405-262-1188

Ride the rails in a century old trolley and shop unique stores in Downtown El Reno

Grab a bite of our world-famous onion burgers

Stay and play at Lake El Reno or the Crimson Creek Golf Course

Cruise Rt. 66 and pose for a photo at the landmarks

Step back into the 1870s as you visit Fort Reno

-El Reno Main Street, 119 S Rock Island Ave, 405-262-8888

-Historic Fort Reno, 16705 SW 29th St, 405-262-3987

-US Cavalry Association, 3220 N Jesse Reno St, 405-422-6330

-Vices Bar and Venue, 1701 E Highway 66, 405-295-6426

-Visit El Reno, 101 N. Choctaw, 405-262-4070

LANDMARKS

-El Reno 66 Shield + Rock Island caboose (NE corner of W Wade St and S Choctaw Ave)

-Murals (throughout downtown)

-Guardian of the Mother Road mural (600 Sabra Pass)

CALUMET

From 1926 to 1933, the loop of Calumet – Geary – Bridgeport was a part of the original alignment of US Highway 66, a dirt road in those early days. Although the road was re-aligned as paving was com-

pleted between El Reno and Hydro, these communities are proud of their heritage as a part of the Mother Road.

Calumet’s first post office, established in 1893, was on the homestead of Anna Cowdry. The coming of the Choctaw, Oklahoma, and Gulf Railroad brought early prosperity to the town and was one of the largest in Canadian County at one time. The downtown district still has some historic brick buildings and a few ghost signs to see.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Cherokee Trading Post, 301 S Walbaum Rd, 405-884-2502

LANDMARKS

-Ghost signs and water tower (Main St and N 2740 Rd)

The Blue Whale & Blue Hippo Take a Road Trip

Without reading the story, ask a fellow passenger or friend to provide an answer for each missing word below Fill in the answers as you go, and then read the story out loud once you ’ ve finished

The Blue Whale decided to take a road trip to with his friend the Blue Hippo! Their first stop was a to coconut cream pie The pie was and ! Their next stop was miles away so they some snacks. The Blue Whale grabbed and The Hippo chose and to share. Now that they had road trip snacks, the Hippo and Whale were on their way. Finally they at their final destination: .

verb adjective adjective

verb past tense

food type of liquid type of liquid

verb past tense

food

verb past tense name of a place adverb

adjective

adjective noun

adjective

verb ending in -ing color

time of day

Soon it was and they had to head back home What an adventure! number city noun

The Hippo and Whale were so excited. , they down the steps of a staircase. At the bottom was a and a tiny amusement park They rode the rollercoaster, the teacups, and the Zingo! The Blue Hippo and Whale rode rides so long that they turned . What a day!

adjective

SIGNAGE

General Information

West of El Reno,Business Loop 40 connects back to the interstate. There’s a turn-off to a two-lane road (signed E 1020 Rd) right as BL-40 south near Fort Reno; take that and you will be rewarded with a long stretch of original Portland cement 66.

Street names of Route 66 in towns (east to west):

Calumet: 270 • 270/Calumet Road • 270

Geary: 270/South St. • 281 & 8/Broadway

ROAD FACTS

Westbound 66ers will need to decide whether to follow the older alignment of 66 up through Calumet and Geary (now Highway 270) or take the 1933 “newer” alignment straight through to the Cherokee Travel Center. There are rewards either way, but if time is an overriding factor go straight and take the “newer” alignment. The decision point is marked by a four-way stop about five miles west of Fort Reno. For eastbound travelers, the decision point is right after crossing the Pony Bridge. Rather than taking a right and going up Bridgeport Hill (the newer route), stay on Highway 281 and take a left when you reach the divided four-lane.

Between Calumet and Geary, an earlier 1926-29 alignment, still unpaved, can be accessed. See the map above for details.

The section between the Cherokee Travel Center and Bridgeport Hill is a modern, divided four-lane road marked Highway 281. See the map note above to learn more about the history of this stretch of Route 66. For westbound 66ers, take a right when you reach the four-lane section (behind the Travel Center), then left 2.3 miles later. It will take you across traffic and up Bridgeport Hill. If you pass the former Bridgeport Hill Service Station (on the National Register of Historic Places; photo on opposite page) you’re going the right way!

Bridgeport Hill Service Station

Photo by Jim McCain, Whirlwind Photography

Business Directory West (Geary to Texola) + Greater OK, US, and International

Without the support of our Business Members, we wouldn’t be here. Support them as you travel Oklahoma Route 66!

GEARY

Canadian Rivers Hist. Museum 114 S Broadway | 405-884-5466

BRIDGEPORT/HINTON

Territory Route 66 RV Park 14144 Old 66 Rd | 405-542-6566

Whirlwind Photography PO Box 92 | 405-929-9991

HYDRO

Deer Creek Market / Nutopia 109 W Main | 405-663-2354

Gloria’s

104 E Main St | 405-663-3451

WEATHERFORD

Best Western Plus Weatherford 525 E Main St | 580-772-3325

City of Weatherford 522 W Rainey | 580-774-4505

Heartland Museum 1600 S Frontage Rd | 580-7742212

J.C. Cowboys 23894 S Frontage Rd | 580-7748465

Stafford Air & Space Museum 3000 E Logan Rd | 580-772-5871

Weatherford Area Chamber 210 W Main St | 580-774-7744

CLINTON

Clinton Chamber of Commerce

101 S 4th Street | 580-323-2222

Oklahoma Route 66 Museum

2229 W Gary Blvd | 580-323-7866

Route 66 Cafe at the Market

301 Gary Blvd | 580-445-7008

FOSS

Elk City/Clinton KOA Campground

21167 Rt 66 North (Foss) | 580592-4409

CANUTE

Friends Pub & Pizza

215 Main | 580-472-3388

ELK CITY

66 ToGo

19677 Route 66 North | 580-2256666

The Candy Shack

109 S Main St | 580-243-2304

The Depot Trading Co.

318 S Main St | 580-210-6309

Elk City Chamber of Commerce

102 S Main St | 580-225-0207

National Route 66 Museum Complex

2717 W Third St | 580-225-6266

Twisted Monkey Rt 66 Lounge

514 Van Buren Ave | 580-362-6754

Visit Elk City

102 S Main St | 580-225-0207

Western Oklahoma Historical Society PO Box 542

SAYRE

City of Sayre

102 W Main St | 580-928-2260

Epp Rentals

10 S 4th St | 580-729-5266

First Response Coffee House

101 E Main St | 580-729-6363

Gallery @ 112

112 West Main St | 580-928-0002

Western Motel

315 NE Highway 66 | 580-9283353

ERICK

100th Meridian Museum

101 Sheb Wooley St | 580-7995054

TEXOLA

Tumbleweed Grill

12726 Route 66 S | 702-265-4634

Meadow Lake Ranch

3450 S 137 W Ave, Sand Springs OK 918-494-6000

Metcalfe Museum & Break O’Day Farm

8647 N 1745 Rd, Durham OK 580-655-4467

Mother Road Music

428 Hill Top Rd, Lobelville TN 931-626-7998

Mother Road Naturals 414 N. Graystone Ln, Amarillo TX 559-360-0159

Route 66 Mother Road Museum 681 N 1st Ave, Barstow CA 760-255-1890

Boots Court Motel

107 S Garrison Ave, Carthage MO 417-310-2989

Cactus Inn & Motel

101 Pine St, McLean TX 806-779-2346

Carousel Advertising

512 Lou Allard Dr, Drumright OK 918-798-6176

Cozy Dog Drive-In

2935 S Sixth St, Springfield IL 217-525-1992

Gearhead Curios

520 S Main, Galena KS 785-554-7694

Grove Area Chamber of Commerce

111 W 3rd Street, Grove OK 918-786-9079

Grove Area Convention & Tourism

111 W 3rd St, Grove OK 918-786-9079

Route 66 Navigation www.route66navigation.com

Route 66 Ultimate Guide www.route66ultimateguide.com

ROUTE Magazine www.routemagazine.us

Supertam on 66 221 W Main St, Carterville MO 417-499-3992

Texas Ivy Antiques 3511 SW 6th Ave, Amarillo TX 806-373-1427

This is Route 66

www.youtube.com/@ThisisRoute66

Visit Joplin 602 S Main St, Joplin MO 417-625-4789

Will Rogers Productions 661-399-5832

General Information

Like much of 66 in western Oklahoma, the road between Hinton Junction, Bridgeport, and Hydro has no State Highway number. It runs roughly parallel to I-40 on the north side of the interstate. The curbed section of Historic Route 66 here is among the best quality vintage cement from when the road was first paved.

Street names of Route 66 in towns (east to west):

Geary: 270/South St. • 281 & 8/Broadway Bridgeport: Market St.

ROAD FACTS

If you are eastbound and want to bypass the older Geary and Calumet alignment, look for the turn to the right after you cross the Pony Bridge. There’s a small section of older pavement here too! For more information on heading east, check out the previous map.

Although Highway 66 never went into Hydro proper, be sure to check out their downtown. It retains much of its historic integrity.

PONY BRIDGE RE-BUILD COMPLETED ON MAY 10, 2024!

ROADSIDE HIGHLIGHTS

See if you can find the following landmarks (listed in no particular order):

• Out-thrust porch/live-over gas station (not Lucille’s), now a residence.

• Several old buildings at Hinton Junction.

• Roadside picnic area at Hinton Junction.

• Three steel truss single arch bridges. (The Pony Bridge does not count!)

• Old bridge pilings on “dirt” 66.

• Distinctive drains of the Portland cement concrete road on the slopes and bottoms of the hills.

• Steen’s Buttes/Caddo Mounds — distant mounds south of 66 and I-40 halfway between Hydro and Bridgeport. They were guiding landmarks for travelers along the California Road.

• P-Bar Farm Maize.

GEARY

Pronounced GEER-y, this town is named after French-Cheyenne Army scout Edmund Guerriere. It was an early trading post in the Cheyenne-Arapaho Nation and prospered when the railroad came to town. The residents of Geary worked hard to get US Highway 66 routed through their town along part of the old Postal Road –they even graded and graveled part of the road themselves.

The former First National Bank downtown, the oldest bank in Blaine County, today houses the Canadian Rivers Historical Museum. There’s a beautiful Route 66 mural downtown and a historic standalone log jail cell, too. The nearby grave of Jesse Chisolm is on the National Register of Historic Places.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Canadian Rivers Historical Museum, 114 S Broadway, 405884-5466

LANDMARKS

-Rock Island caboose + jail cell (101 E Main St)

-Route 66 mural (118 W Main St)

BRIDGEPORT

Bridgeport was a strategic stagecoach crossing across the South Canadian River and became a wellused railroad crossing. A series of bridges across the river were built and washed out - the Key Bridge came along in 1921 and charged a $1.00 toll per car. That’s nearly $17 apiece today! Early Route 66 travelers were outraged. The State of Oklahoma commissioned a new bridge, completed in 1933. The 38-span Pony Bridge is state-ofthe-art and nearly a mile long. It also completely bypassed Bridgeport. The Oklahoma Department ofTransportation rebuilt the bridge in 2022-2024 to be four feet wider but kept the iconic trusses in place.

Bridgeport never really recovered from the bypass or Great Depression, though a few historic buildings (including a former post office) remain. The former rest stop at Hinton Junction finally collapsed in 2022. Be respectful of private property.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Territory Route 66 RV Park, 14144 Old 66 Rd, 405-542-6566 -Whirlwind Photography, PO Box 92, 405-929-9991

LANDMARKS

-38-truss Pony Bridge

-Former Hinton Junction (just east of US-281 roadside park)

HYDRO

It’s probably not a surprise that the town’s name is based on the early abundance of well water – which made it a robust agricultural hub around Oklahoma statehood. Although our favorite highway never went through town proper, take the slight detour north and check out the quaint downtown. Main Street has a good amount of historic integrity and an American Flag right in the middle of the road. The Hydro Free Fair is reportedly the longest running in the state.

Lucille’s Historic Station, located a half-mile west of town, is one of Oklahoma Route 66’s most wellknown landmarks. The late Lucille Hamons was known as the “Mother of the Mother Road.” Her service station and motel advertised the “coldest beer on Route 66” but it was Lucille herself that brought people in from all over the country. The station survived the I-40 bypass and operated until 2000. A few years later, Rick Koch of ASAP Energy restored the station and rebuilt the motel building. The original Hamons Court sign hangs in the Smithsonian. The two Lucille’s Roadhouse restaurants (Weatherford and Clinton) are tributes to the station and Lucille’s legacy.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Deer Creek Market / Nutopia, 109 W Main, 405-663-2354

-Gloria’s, 104 E Main St, 405663-3451

LANDMARKS

-Lucille’s Historic Station + Historic Marker (US Rt 66 and S Coleman Ave)

SIGNAGE

General Information

In Washita County, there are no alternate highway signs to watch for. In Custer County, Business 40 is valid for the eastern part of Clinton and most of Weatherford. In between towns in Custer County, the route has no official designation at all.

Street names of Route 66 in towns (east to west):

Weatherford: Davis • East Main • Washington • Main/Bus. 40/SW

Main • Rainey • 4th

Clinton: Bus. 40/Gary Blvd. •10th • Neptune

Foss: State Highway 44/66A

Canute: Highway 66

ROAD FACTS

I-40 really sliced through the path of Route 66 in these two counties and the historic road switches from the north side of the interstate to the south and back again. In Washita County, you will find four jogs (one under I-40 and three over it) within a five-mile stretch.

Custer County also has four jogs — two under I-40 west of Clinton and two over it between Clinton and Weatherford.

Be prepared to avoid getting caught up in the access ramps around the various I-40 exits. Signs mark Route 66 through town from I-40 Exit 80 to Exit 84.

WEATHERFORD

The first post office here was in the home of homesteaders William and Lorinda Weatherford (Lorinda served as the first postmaster) and thus the town was named. It had an early reputation as a wild place thanks to the volume of saloons near the railroad depot, but things calmed down as the rail line extended west. Astronaut General Thomas P. Stafford is a Weatherford native and there is a museum here bearing his name.

Weatherford’s power is supplied by nearly 100 turbines, the second-largest wind farm in Oklahoma. Tours can be arranged through the Heartland of America Museum. A park next to City Hall features a turbine blade emblazoned with beautiful mural work on both sides as well as a replica Vietnam War memorial wall.

Business members

-Best Western Plus

Weatherford, 525 E. Main Street, 580-772-3325

-City of Weatherford, 522 W. Rainey, 580-774-4505

-Heartland Museum, 1600 S. Frontage Road, 580-774-2212

-J.C. Cowboys, 23894 S Frontage Rd, 580-774-8465

-Stafford Air & Space Museum, 3000 E. Logan Road, 580-7725871

-Weatherford Area Chamber of Commerce, 210 W. Main Street, 580-774-7744

LANDMARKS

-Airplane monuments (Jim Cobb Rd and E Main St)

-Wind turbine Blade Mural and Replica Vietnam Memorial (522 W Rainey Ave)

CLINTON

Like many towns along Oklahoma Route 66, Clinton popped up along the railroad. It was a junction for the Rock Island and

CUSTER & WASHITA COUNTIES

Frisco lines; today both lines are owned by Farmrail. In addition to the normal industries of the area (livestock, cotton, agriculture) it was also home to the Swift Meat Packing Company, today known as Bar-S Foods and the town’s largest employer.

When it comes to Route 66, Clinton has a long and important history. For decades after World War II, it was the home of the US Highway 66 Association. The nationally focused Association (started by Cyrus Avery ofTulsa in 1927) was responsible for promoting the road and securing its place in American Pop Culture until it was disbanded in 1976. They also made efforts to keep the road relevant in the Interstate Era; for example, the idea of creating Business Loops off of the Interstate started with them! Both Jack and Gladys Cutberth, who were major contributors to the Association’s success, are inductees into the Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame.

Speaking of which, the Hall of Fame resides within the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, the first state-sponsored Route 66 museum in the country. It sits on the aforementioned Business Loop I40, the last alignment of Route 66 before it was bypassed. There are several interesting sights along the two main alignments of 66 inside the city limits, including McLain Rogers Park (a WPA-era park with an ornate neon sign and a Route 66-themed miniature golf course), the former Ray’s Motel (repainted by the Oklahoma Route 66 Association in 2007; private property now), and a former roadhouse at the southern Y.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Clinton Chamber of Commerce, 101 S. 4th Street, 80-323-2222

-Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, 2229 W. Gary Blvd, 580-3237866

-Route 66 Cafe at the Market, 301 Gary Blvd, 580-445-7008

LANDMARKS

-Former Glancy Motel sign (217 W Gary Blvd)

-McLain Rogers Park (S 10th St and Bess Rogers Dr)

-National Guard Armory (723 Opal Ave)

-WPA Firehouse (521 W Gary Blvd)

-Will Rogers Highway Marker (2229 W Gary Blvd)

-Roadhouse Y (1733 Neptune Dr)

-Original pavement (3602 W Commerce Rd)

FOSS

Foss was originally going to be named Graham, but the name was already taken. The townsfolk opted for Maharg (an anagram) but a 1902 flood of Turkey Creek wiped it off the map. It was rebuilt as Foss and stayed that way to present day. The town’s fortunes were closely tied to the nearby military base but couldn’t quite compete with nearby Clinton or Elk City. Originally, Route 66 went through town but when concrete paving came in the early 1930s the town was bypassed to the south. The Great Depression and Dust Bowl had an impact here, as it did in many western Oklahoma communities.

At the intersection of Route 66 and State Highway 44 sit the remains of Kobel’s Station, an abandoned service station, cafe, and bus stop.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Elk City/Clinton KOA Campground, 21167 Rt 66 North (Foss), 580-592-4409

LANDMARKS

-Former Kobel’s Station (SW corner of Rte 66 N and OK-44)

-Foss Lake/State Park (10252 OK-44)

CANUTE

The town of Canute is not named after the King of Denmark as some have assumed, but early merchant Bob Keene whose last name sounded like Canute in the Cheyenne - Arapaho language. This town was more-or-less cut off when the Interstate opened in 1970 but folks here are passionate about their place on the Mother Road.

Take the Route through Canute and you’ll see picturesque remnants of Route 66’s heyday, such as the old Uniroyal service station (listed on the National Register) and a few vintage motels (now private residences) with some picturesque neon signs. East of the main intersection is the town cemetery (home to a 1920s-era Catholic grotto) and a set of four historic markers that talk about the Great Western Trail and other local history such as the St. Francis of Assisi Church, the “Mother Parish of the West.”

On the west side of town, after crossing beneath the former Rock Island railroad trestle, you can see some original Route 66 pavement before it is cut off by Interstate 40.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Friends Pub & Pizza, 215 Main, 580-472-3388

LANDMARKS

-Holy Family Cemetery Grotto + Historic Markers (East of N 2080 Rd on Old US Hwy 66)

-Canute 66 knight (8th St and Old US Hwy 66)

-Former Cotton Boll Motel –private property (605 Old US Hwy 66)

-Former Washita Motel –private property (1st St and Old US Hwy 66)

-Original pavement (west of N 2070 Rd on S Frontage Rd, just west of town)

ROADSIDE HIGHLIGHTS

See if you can find the following landmarks (listed in no particular order):

• Cherokee Trading Post.

• A steel truss single arch bridge.

• Two tiny old motor court cabins between Canute and Foss.

• Row of big shade trees down below an I-40 jog, indicating where the road originally tracked.

• A large wind turbine blade and a veterans’ memorial display.

• The 1830s lost Mexican gold mining town of Cascorillo between Canute and Clinton. Tales that this place might exist set off a gold rush in 1895. Little gold was found, although a local man recently discovered what he believes to be evidence of the town’s existence.

• Conder Park 6th St (old 66 alignment) and Rainey. Across the street (North) from City Hall. Veteran’s memorial, “Bull Dog” dog park, extra parking, park benches and rest area.

YOUR GO TO

ROAD TRIP RESOURCE LIST

WILL ROGERS & TURNER TURNPIKES

Two turnpikes parallel Historic Route 66 in eastern Oklahoma, both part of I-44 If you do need to hop off of Route 66 and take the super slab, they typically require cash but are soon converting to the cashless "plate pay" system Once this system is in effect, a bill will be mailed automatically to the address registered to your vehicle Learn more at platepay.com

A variety of out-of-state automated toll pass systems work with Oklahoma's PikePass network. Check turnpikeinfo.com for details

24/7 ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE: AAA OKLAHOMA: 800-AAA-HELP (800-222-4357)

FUEL & ALTERNATIVE FUELING STATIONS

Route 66 is a highway of the future and there are diverse fuels available throughout the state

For a searchable map of alternative fuel stations and electric charging stations, visit afdc.energy.gov/stations# or chargefinder com

To search for the closet gas station near you, visit cluballiance.aaa.com/public-affairs/gas-information.

You can also check out electricroute66 com for more information across all of Route 66!

LAW ENFORCEMENT NUMBERS - DIAL 911 FOR EMERGENCY

We hope your trip on Route 66 goes smoothly, but if you run into bumps along the way, it’s good to know where to turn for help

OKLAHOMA HIGHWAY PATROL - Dial 911

Delaware, Ottawa and Craig Counties

Troop L (918) 256-3388

Rogers, Tulsa and Creek Counties

Troop B (918) 627-3881

Lincoln, Oklahoma and Canadian Counties

Troop A (405) 686-9105

Blaine County Troop J (580) 234-6147

Caddo County

Troop G (580) 353-0783

Washita, Custer, and Beckham Counties

Troop H (580) 323-2424

City Police

Quapaw (918) 674-2516

Commerce (918) 675-4373

Miami (918) 542-5585

Afton (918) 257-4744

Vinita (918) 256-6414

Chelsea (918) 789-3533

Claremore (918) 341-1212

Catoosa (918) 266-2424

Tulsa (918) 596-9222

Sapulpa (918) 224-3862

Kellyville (918) 247-6103

Bristow (918) 367-2252

Depew (918) 324-5060

Stroud (918) 968-2733

Davenport (918) 377-2911

Chandler (405) 258-1460

Wellston (405) 356-2476

Luther (405) 277-3500

Arcadia (405) 396-2899

Edmond (405) 359-4420

Oklahoma City (405) 297-1000

Warr Acres (405) 789-3329

Bethany (405) 789-2323

Yukon (405) 354-2553

El Reno (405) 262-6941

Calumet (405) 893-2323

Geary (405) 884-2167

Hinton (405) 542-3244

Hydro (405) 663-2242

Weatherford (580) 772-7791

Clinton (580) 323-2323

Canute (580) 472-3134

Elk City (580) 225-1212

Sayre (580) 928-2122

Erick (580) 526-3924

STAY WEATHER AWARE WITH ODOT

Oklahoma is a state where severe weather can occur just about any time of the year and it can quickly change. Being weather aware while traveling Oklahoma’s highways could save your life. Flooding, wildfires, severe thunderstorms, hail, and tornadoes are among some of the severe weather you may encounter in Oklahoma

Before you travel, check the weather online (resources below) or via local television or radio stations.

Weather.gov

NOOA.gov/weather

Mesonet.org

OKLAHOMA ROAD CONDITIONS

You should also check road conditions before you travel in case of inclement weather.

Drive Oklahoma mobile app: ( Available in Apple App Store & Google Play Store) This one-stop shop app puts all of Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s (ODOT's) online travel tools in one place to make it easier for users to check conditions before leaving for their destination

Online: okroads.org

Facebook & Twitter: Follow @OKDOT

Phone: (Toll Free) 1-844-4OKHWYS (465-4997)

TORNADO SAFETY

The best way to avoid being caught in a tornado or severe thunderstorm is to stay informed about the weather Remember these basic guidelines during a tornado:

GET IN - get as far inside a strong building as you can, away from doors and windows

GET DOWN - get to the lowest floor

COVER UP - use whatever you can to protect yourself from flying or falling debris

If you are caught in your vehicle during a tornado, find shelter in a building if possible. If a building is not available, get out of your vehicle and find the lowest level of shelter such as a ditch or ravine. Protect your head and neck with your hands However, be sure to watch for rising water if taking shelter in a ditch or ravine

Do not take shelter under overpasses or bridges The wind from a tornado can accelerate as it blows through the underpass, likely sweeping everything away.

Don’t try to outrun a storm. Heavy winds may cause a loss of control of the vehicle Motorists are advised to get off the road as quickly and safely as they can

If you spot a tornado moving in your direction use the 90-degree rule That means driving away from the tornado at a 90-degree angle or in a different direction from the tornado's path. If the tornado is headed right toward you, don’t stay in your car.

Learn more driving safety tips at oklahoma.gov/odot/travel

BECKHAM COUNTY

ROAD FACTS

SIGNAGE

General Information

Business 40 will take you through the towns of Elk City, Sayre, and Erick. Parts of the open road between these communities are also signed Business 40. The rest of it may or may not have county numbers. Don’t follow Business 40 blindly, however, as it loops back into I-40.

Street names of Route 66 in towns (east to west):

Elk City: North frontage road • State Highway 34 • Airport Blvd. • Bus. 40/East 66 • Bus. 40/Van Buren • Bus. 40/ Third

Sayre: Bus. 40/Hwy 66 • Bus. 40/Fourth

Between Elk City and Sayre you have two jogs across I-40 with a pretty yellow through truss bridge in between them. There aren’t many locations on Oklahoma Route 66 that still have these erector-set-type bridges with the overhead structure. In Beckham County, much of 66 was originally paved in asphalt over a concrete base. Toward the western end, however, Portland cement was used.

There is an older, abandoned alignment on the north side of Historic Route 66 east of Erick that can occasionally be driven, but use caution.

ROADSIDE HIGHLIGHTS

See if you can find the following landmarks (listed in no particular order):

• Older strip of 66 between Erick and Texola.

• Abandoned north lanes between Sayre and Erick.

• Timber Creek through-truss bridge.

• Sayre Brine Station/Oklahoma Salt Works. Hint: two miles west of the jog from Business 40 onto the old road south of Sayre, then four-tenths of a mile north.

ELK CITY

The Great Western Cattle Trail wasn’t as well-known as the Chisholm Trail, but it stretched from Texas to Dodge City, Kansas and came right through Elk City. Some locals wanted to name the town Busch (to woo the beer maker to build a brewery there) but that failed to materialize. It grew quickly and became one of western Oklahoma’s largest towns.

In 1931, Elk City hosted the US Highway 66 Association’s national meeting at the Casa Grande Hotel, bringing more than 30,000 people to town. The Casa Grande is the only multistory hotel between Oklahoma City and Amarillo. Today, the hotel is shuttered but a group of passionate locals are hoping to restore the property. Just east of the hotel is the towering Parker Drilling Rig.

The Old Town Museum Com-

plex on the east side of town offers many turn-of-the-century artifacts and stories from Oklahoma’s pioneer days. They added the National Route 66 Museum in 1997, its large neon shield blazing next to the historic road. The complex also houses the vintage oil-drum Kachina statues that once stood outside of Queenan’s Trading Post, a nowlost long-time business on the west side of town.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-66 To Go, 19677 Route 66 North, 580-225-6666

-The Candy Shack, 109 S Main St, 580-243-2304

-The Depot Trading Co., 318 S. Main Street, 580-210-6309

-Elk City Chamber of Commerce, 102 S. Main Street, 580-225-0207

-National Route 66 Museum Complex, 2717 W. Third Street, 580-225-6266

-Twisted Monkey Rt 66 Lounge, 514 Van Buren Ave, 580-362-6754

-Visit Elk City, 102 S. Main Street, 580-225-0207

-Western Oklahoma Historical Society, PO Box 542

LANDMARKS

-Parker Drilling Rig + Casa Grande Hotel (201 E 3rd St)

-WPA park (N Pioneer Rd and W State Hwy 66)

DOXEY

Doxey is a ghost town. A cemetery is all that remains of the community, which was named after local rancher Sam Doxey. Doxey residents worked to promote the Postal Highway. When the Postal was changed to U.S. 66 in 1926, local boosters were excited to be part of the new highway system. Their excitement was short-lived: A newer alignment bypassed Doxey to the north in 1928.

SAYRE

It’s easy to tell that Sayre is the seat of Beckham County – you can’t miss the impressive courthouse on Main Street! It’s so impressive that in the 1940 movie The Grapes of Wrath the building stood in for the Oklahoma State Capitol!

Sayre was a bustling frontier town with multiple banks, cotton gins, hotels, and the like. Downtown Sayre has a lot of historic integrity and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Don’t miss the Art Deco post office! On the other side of the North Fork of the Red River, Sayre City Park features a remarkably well-kept 9 hole golf course and some great WPA-era construction.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-City of Sayre, 102 W. Main Street, 580-928-2260

-Epp Rentals, 10 S 4th St, 580729-5266

-First Response Coffee House, 101 E Main St, 580-729-6363

-Gallery @ 112, 112 West Main Street, 580-928-0002

-Western Motel, 315 NE Highway 66, 580-928-3353

LANDMARKS

-Beckham County Courthouse (104 S 3rd St)

-Sayre City Park (BK 21 and W Kennemer)

DELHI

From 1926 to 1928, Route 66 passed through the tiny community of Delhi, which is located southwest of Sayre, west of the municipal airport.

SIGNAGE

General Information

Between Erick and Texola, Bus. 40 turns north off Route 66, so be sure to continue straight.

Street names of Route 66 in towns (east to west):

Erick: Texola:

ERICK

Erick has a colorful history, including a run-in with outlaws Bonnie and Clyde. When US Highway 66 came to town, it brought with it a number of motor courts, cafes, and filling stations. Guidebooks from the postwar era remarked that Erick was the “first town you encounter, going west, which has a true ‘western’ look,” complete with men on horseback in the streets.

This community was among the last in Oklahoma to be bypassed be the Interstate.Today, the 100th Meridian Museum tells a bit about the region and the nearby Roger Miller mural reminds folks of the town’s most famous resident. Erick is also the home of musician Sheb Wooley and the Mediocre Music Makers, Harley and Annabelle Russell. Harley still entertains travelers at the Sandhills Curiosity Shop just off of 66. He provides a one-of-a-kind experience that many travelers count as the highlight of their trip, though be advised his bawdy humor is 100% unfiltered!

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-100th Meridian Museum, 101 Sheb Wooley St, 580-799-5054

LANDMARKS

-Roger Miller mural (102 S Sheb Wooley St)

-Former Phillips 66 cottage station - heavily modified (204 Roger Miller Blvd)

TEXOLA

The western border of Oklahoma is defined by the 100th meridian, the line that explorer John Wesley Powell famously defined as the boundary to the West. That line shifted slightly multiple times in the town’s early days; residents had been both Texans and Oklahomans while living under the same roof! It’s little more than a ghost town today, but there is a Will Rogers Highway Marker close to the Texas border that marks the site where Route 66 was ceremonially designed the Will Rogers Highway in 1952.

You can also check one the One Room Jail, which doesn’t leave much to the imagination.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

-Tumbleweed Grill, 12726 Route 66 S, 702-265-4634

LANDMARKS

-Territorial jail cell (Main Ave and US Rt 66)

-Will Rogers Highway Marker (near Texas border on US Rt 66)

Blue Hippo Cycle Shield Bison Prairie Oklahoma Neon Sign

Muffler Man

Drive Mother Road Will Rogers Highway Trip Guide Ribbon Road Round Barn

WORD SCRAMBLE ANSWERS