Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, located in Catoosa, Oklahoma, on Tulsa's east side, is where most travelers pick up Historic Route 66 after passing through town. The larger-than-life upright Gibson Les Paul Electric guitar provides a light show with sound after dark.
Located about a mile up the road is the D.W. Correll House and Museum. Unfortunately, I was there too early in the morning, and the museum was still closed.
Tourist information reports that the museum contains an unusual mix of antique cars, rocks & minerals, and eclectic collectibles. Reportedly, the antique automobile collection contains a 1898 Locomobile, a 1902 Oldsmobile, a 1914 Oldsmobile (the only one known to exist), and other vintage cars. The automobile building also contains old-style gas pumps and other automotive-related items.
Correll liked minerals that glow in the dark, so his museum contains a large fluorescent "black light" room with minerals from around the world. Rounding out his collection are antique toys, bottles, seashells, decanters, and even a mummified cat.
This is usually just a quick stop for people visiting historic Route 66 attractions.
The Blue Whale is also located near Catoosa and is probably the most famous of all the historic Route 66 Roadside Attractions. It is more than just a roadside oddity; it is a blend of love, community pride, and a reminder of the historic Route 66 open road experience.
It all started when local Hugh Davis decided to build something special for his wife, Zelta, who collected whale figurines. With the help of a friend, Davis spent about two years constructing the massive whale from iron and concrete as a present for his wife.
Originally, Davis planned this as a family swimming hole in a spring-fed pond on his property, next to Route 66. However, as people drove past the property, they often stopped to ask to swim with the whale. Davis decided to turn the area into a roadside attraction called "Nature's Acres," and then built picnic tables, put in a sandy beach, and added lifeguards.
During the 1970s, the Blue Whale became a family-friendly destination where visitors could swim, fish, and even slide off the whale's tail into the water. As more people stopped by, Davis added an Animal Reptile Kingdom, which drew even more visitors. However, when the Interstate road system bypassed the Blue Whale, fewer people stopped at the attraction and it closed in 1988. The property fell into disrepair, then, in 1997, community volunteers, through fundraising efforts, raised enough money to restore the Blue Whale.
While swimming is no longer allowed, visitors can explore the grounds, enjoy a picnic, and take pictures with one of the most iconic historic Route 66 attractions. The Blue Whale continues to attract people from all across the United States and from around the world.
The Will Rogers Memorial Museum is located on a hill just outside of Claremore (population 19,580) as a tribute to one of America's most beloved humorists, storytellers, and cultural figures. Rogers was often called the "Cowboy Philosopher" for his wit and observations about society. He died unexpectedly in a plane crash in 1935.
In 1938, just three years after his death, a museum was constructed on land Rogers had purchased for his future retirement home. Funds for the museum were provided by the Oklahoma Legislature and donations from thousands of everyday Americans.
On the day I visited the property, the Museum was not open, but published literature states the Museum contains an extensive collection of artifacts, photographs, manuscripts, and personal belongings - considered to be the largest collection of Will Rogers memorabilia in the world. In 1983, an expansion nearly doubled the size of the Museum, adding new exhibits, archives, and visitor amenities. Today, the Museum is managed by the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Just outside of the Museum, the grounds include a sunken garden and the family tomb where Rogers, his wife, and relatives are laid to rest.
Located on historic Route 66 outside of Claremore is another quirky roadside attraction typical of the Mother Road experience - Kong's Korner and Kong's Kafe Gorilla. This has long been a photo "must stop," where people stop to "stretch their legs" and to take their picture with the gorilla. The gas station/convenience store sells gas, food, and souvenirs.
Andy Payne was born in 1907 in Foyil (current population 368) and became famous when he won the International Trans-Continental Footrace from Los Angeles to New York City, a distance of about 3,400 miles. (See RonnieAdventure #0711, February 27, 2026, for additional information on Andy Payne.)
Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park is located east of Foyil, just a few miles off historic Route 66. Galloway started the park as a retirement project in 1937, and over the next two decades, it became an amazing display of creativity and craftsmanship. All of his hand-built sculptures are made from concrete, stone, and steel.
The largest concrete totem pole sculpture stands 90 feet tall and is considered the largest of its kind in the world. It was inspired by Native American imagery, birds, and symbolic figures facing the four directions. Also included at the site are various smaller totem poles, carved picnic tables, and decorative gates. The "Fiddle House" is an eleven-sided building that once displayed Galloway's handmade violins and woodcraft items.
After his death in 1961, the site fell into disrepair before being rescued and restored by the Rogers County Historical Society. Today, the park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open to the public free of charge.
Another artist, located just down the road, is also displaying some of his sculptures.
Chelsea (population 1,991) is the only place where you can "Get Your Kicks Under Route 66" because it is the only place with a pedestrian tunnel beneath the highway. Local artist Ken Hollingshead has painted Route 66 murals along one side of the tunnel walls, and the other side is left for visitors to sign their names and hometowns. I just came out of the tunnel on the other side of the highway when a train passed the tunnel entrance.
The 123-foot Pryor Creek steel truss bridge is the only remaining unaltered Pratt steel truss bridge still in use in Oklahoma. It was built in 1926 and carried highway traffic from 1926 to 1932, when a new Route 66 alignment bypassed the bridge.
A sign at the bridge lists several well-known people from Chelsea, including Gene Autry, a singer and movie star who was discovered in Chelsea by Will Rogers in 1926, and Ralph Terry, a New York Yankee pitcher and World Series MVP in 1962.
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