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Sign Plaza. Tulsa’ s 11th Street Corridor has been undergoing infrastructure improvements, focusing on transforming their historic stretch of Route 66. 11th Street / 66 has undergone significant upgrades, enhancing the overall experience for anticipated visitors.
Mother Road Market is Oklahoma’ s only food hall and serves up a diverse selection of local restaurants and food stalls in an open-market setting. MRM includes a Route 66 themed golf course and live music. The 11th Street Corridor is also home to several whimsical souvenir shops like Buck Atom’ s Cosmic Curios, which features art and gift items made by local Oklahoma artists. Its two-story Buck and Stella statues out front make for great photo ops. Buck and Stella are a part of the 11th Street“ Land of the Giants” that also include 20-foot tall Cowboy Bob, 19-foot Rosie the Riveter and 20-foot Mack the Lumberjack.
Tulsa is preparing for increased visitation and attention from Route 66 fans worldwide as the Mother Road celebrates its centennial this year. On May 30, Tulsa is celebrating 100 years of Route 66 with the largest classic car parade and biggest birthday bash the Mother Road has ever seen. Route 66 Mural Fest will take place on July 18, and be held in conjunction with Oklahoma’ s Independent Shopkeepers Association’ s“ Weekend of Local.” It will include the unveiling of murals in communities along Route 66.
Tulsa is sandwiched between Sapulpa and Catoosa. Sapulpa’ s 66 Christmas Chute was under construction all of 2025 in preparation of this year’ s celebrations. This block of Sapulpa’ s downtown offers a holiday stroll around Route 66 consisting of canopies full of Christmas magic, a Christmas shopping village and food trucks. It’ s open several weeks during the holiday season( Nov.-Jan.). The Blue Whale of Catoosa is one of the most photographed landmarks on Route 66. This beloved, quirky roadside attraction was originally built in 1972 by Hugh S. Davis as an anniversary gift for his wife. Once a swimming hole, the Blue Whale is now owned and maintained by the city of Catoosa as a Route 66 roadside attraction.
Check out oklahomaroute66. com for an event calendar of activities and celebrations across the state all throughout the year. Oklahoma’ s portion of Route 66 is known as the longest drivable, and most well-preserved, segment of the entire U. S. highway. So get your kicks on Route 66! SwOk
STORY BY: JENNIFER JALBERT Stillwater Oklahoma Magazine
PHOTOS BY: Jennifer Jalbert
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