ROUTE 66 ERA AND OTHER CLOSE PROXIMITY SITES Welcome Battlefield Corvette Club to Route 66 in Oklahoma. We hope you enjoy your visit and take many memorable events back to Virginia. Members of the Central Oklahoma Corvette Club Sites or attractions marked with a bold red # are especially worthy of a stop or visit. These are highly recommended by most veteran Route 66 cruisers. City/Town name is in Bold text. Commerce • Mickey Mantle boyhood home, 319 South Quincy St. (6 blocks off Rt. 66) • Mickey Mantle Statute, Mickey Mantle Field at south end of Commerce. Miami - pronounced my-am-uh, like the Miami Indian Tribe. • # Coleman Theatre, 103 N. Main St/ Rt. 66. Tour takes 45 min. Hours are 10A – 4P but maybe I could get her to come in a little early that day if this is something you want to do. Free admission http://www.colemantheatre.org/ • Marathon Oil Co gas station, 331 S. Main St/Rt. 66 • Rt. 66 Vintage Iron Motorcycle Museum, 128 S. Main St./Rt. 66 • Rt. 66 Gateway Sign stretches over S. Main St/Rt. 66 south side of Miami • Ribbon Road/Sidewalk Highway - the 9 ft. wide section of highway was a part of the Ozark Trail Highway before becoming Rt. 66. This is NOT a Vette Road. It’s very rough and lots of gravel. But there is a large granite marker 7 mi. south of Miami at the intersection of Rt. 66/US69/59 and E. 140 Rd. at the north edge of Narcissa, OK. (N 36° 48.932 W 094° 55.607) Afton • Afton Gas Station (now is a small gift show and auto museum) • # Darryl Starbird’s Rod and Custom Hall of Fame Museum. This is very good but is about 12 miles off of Rt. 66. Darryl is usually there but they are closed on Tuesdays. Bummer!!! http://darrylstarbird.com/ Vinita • Watch for several old motels, cafés and historic landmarks are you drive through Foyil / Chelsea • 90’ Totem pole. This is a major attraction although it is 4 mi. off of Rt. 66 at 21300 OK 86A. http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/9058 Claremore • # J.M. Davis Gun Museum, 5th & JM Davis Blvd (1 block off US 66). The world’s largest private arms and weapons museum with more than 50,000 items. Plan at least 2 hrs. Free admission. http://www.thegunmuseum.com/ • # Will Rogers Memorial, 1720 W. Will Rogers Blvd (about 1.5 miles off Rt. 66) Plan 1 – 2 hours. Admission is $5-7. http://www.willrogers.com/ Catoosa • Railroad bridge (right side of Rt. 66) that crosses the Verdigris River before you get to the Blue Whale. • # Blue Whale, 2680 OK66/Rt. 66. Watch for signs but it’s about 8 miles south of Claremore. http://bluewhaleroute66.com/ Tulsa – There are two Rt. 66 alignments in Tulsa. I believe that the original is Admiral Place and the other is 11th Street. Both have numerous Rt. 66 landmarks and both end up at the 11th Street Bridge and Cyrus Avery Park, the site of a 42,000 sq. ft., $20M Rt. 66 Museum to open in 2018. You probably know that Cyrus Avery is considered the “Father of Rt. 66.” He was a resident of Tulsa and created the route alignment while a member of the Federal Highway Commission. You cannot cross the original 11th St. / Rt. 66 Bridge by vehicle but it runs beside the new bridge on which you will cross the Arkansas River. Sapulpa • There is a 3 - 4 mile section of the original Rt. 66, also call the Ozark Trail. It’s OK for Vettes but you have to get on it from the west side because the Rock Creek Bridge is closed for vehicle traffic. https://www.google.com/maps/@35.9925249,-96.1672089,16z Stroud • Rock Café, 8th and Main St., left side • Also watch for a couple of old gas stations Chandler • # Old red brick Phillips 66 gas station. 7th & Rt. 66. Great background for Vette pics. Of course you probably know that Frank Phillips, founder of Phillips 66 Oil Company in Bartlesville, OK named his company after Route 66. http://www.patinaproperties.com/station.html • Route 66 Interpretive Center, 400 E. Rt. 66 http://www.route66interpretivecenter.org/ Warwick • Seaba gas station, 1 mile past the intersection with US 177 Arcadia • # Round Barn. You have to talk with and get a pic with Mr. Sam. He is the old timer barn caretaker and maybe the most interesting character you will meet on your cruise. http://www.arcadiaroundbarn.com/Round_Barn_Website/HOME.html • # Pop’s. Not an original Rt. 66 attraction but they have hundreds of flavors of pop. It’s also a gas station. http://pops66stores.com/ Oklahoma City – You can drive most of the original Rt. 66 all the way through OKC by these directions: o Rt. 66 becomes 2nd St. in Edmond after you leave Arcadia. o Cross I-35 and follow 2nd St. to Broadway/US 77, about 3 miles o Turn south on Broadway/US 77 and drive to Kelly Ave., about 3.5 miles, o Take Kelly Ave. south to 50th St, about 6 miles o Turn west on 50th St and drive to Lincoln Blvd., about .6 miles o Turn south on Lincoln and drive to 23rd St., about 2 miles o Turn west on 23rd St. Once you cross under I-235 you will find several Rt. 66 landmarks o Tower Theatre, 400 NW 23 o Gold Dome Bank, 23rd at Classen o Milk Bottle Grocery, just north of 23rd on Classen (giant milk bottle on building) o Turn north on Classen Blvd. and follow to I-44/Rt. 66. o Get onto I-44/Rt. 66 west bound via service road. o Follow I-44/Rt. 66 to NW 39th Expressway, about 3 miles. • Ann’s Chicken Fry House on right (original Rt. 66 spot that is still open) • # National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St. (Exit 129 off I-44) OKC. Plan at least 1.5 hours. Admission is $10-12. http://nationalcowboymuseum.org/ • Oklahoma Railway Museum, 3400 NE Grand Blvd. http://www.oklahomarailwaymuseum.org/ • # Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, 600 N. Harvey, Downtown OKC. Plan at least 2 hours and likely more. Admission is $12-15. For the museum but the memorial is free. I worked at the Murrah Building bomb site for two weeks and can give you some insight to the Memorial and surrounding areas. https://oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org/ Warr Acres • No significant Rt. 66 places but it is the original route Bethany • # Overholser Drive Bridge. Although the NW 39th Exp. bridge is now designated as Rt. 66, the Overholser bridge is the original alignment. You can drive the across the restored bridge and take a 10-15 minute cruise around the lake. http://bridgehunter.com/ok/oklahoma/lake- overholser/ Yukon • Rt. 66 era grain elevator that is still operational • # Express Clydesdales, W. Wilshire Blvd. (3 mi. north of Rt. 66 on 11th St.). Not an original Rt. 66 attraction of certainly a rare up close look at some very famous and magnificent creatures. http://www.expressclydesdales.com/ El Reno • Fort Reno, 2 miles north of Rt. 66 (c. 1874) US Military during the Indian Wars era and a German POW camp in WW2. http://www.fortreno.org/ Calumet to Geary – This was the original alignment of Rt. 66. It is currently US 270 to Calumet and on to Geary and then US 281 from Geary back to the newer alignment. https://www.google.com/maps/@35.5806931,-98.2317623,12.27z Weatherford • # Thomas Stafford Air and Space Museum, 3000 Logan Rd. (on Rt. 66). This is one of the best kept secrets in Oklahoma. http://staffordmuseum.com/#_=_ • Heartland of America Museum, just off Rt. 66. Several vintage cars (Model Ts’) and Rt. 66 exhibits. http://oklahomaheartlandmuseum.com/#_=_
Clinton • # Route 66 Museum on Gary Blvd. http://www.okhistory.org/sites/route66.php#_=_ Elk City • # National Rt. 66 Museum, on Rt. 66. http://www.elkcity.com/museum_national_route_66.aspx Sayer • Beckham County Courthouse, 2 blocks east of Rt. 66 on Main St. (south end of Sayer) Erick • http://www.theroadwanderer.net/66Oklahoma/erick.htm • Roger Miller Museum, Rt. 66. http://www.rogermillermuseum.com/ • # Sand Hill Curiosity Shop, 1 block south of Roger Miller Museum. You will meet proprietors Harley and Annabelle, probably the second and third most interesting characters you will meet on your cruise.
Informational website that reference Rt. 66 in Oklahoma http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/route66/oklahoma_road_segments.html
Jim Spearman Life is a Highway … Enjoy the Ride