Will Rogers Archway
- Retro roadside
- In Vinita, Oklahoma
- 0.8 mi from Route 66
The Will Rogers Archway, long nicknamed the Glass House, is a travel plaza built as a bridge over Interstate 44 just outside Vinita, OK, close to the old road. It opened in 1958 and is often described as the first restaurant built across a U.S. highway, and for years its McDonald's was billed as the largest in the world. Today it holds a McDonald's, a Subway, a fuel station, restrooms and an exhibit about Will Rogers.
What is Will Rogers Archway?
The building is a steel arch that carries a glass-walled dining room across the Will Rogers Turnpike stretch of I-44, so travelers eat while traffic rolls underneath. The arch rises about 52 feet at its peak, and the plaza covers 29,135 square feet. Drivers heading either way can pull in, since each side of the highway has its own exit.
Inside are a McDonald's, a Subway, a gift shop and displays about Will Rogers, the Cherokee-born cowboy humorist from Oologah. A statue of him stands outside at the west end. The fuel station is now a Maverik.
History of Will Rogers Archway
The plaza was built in 1957 and opened early in 1958 as the Glass House, remembered as the first restaurant built across a U.S. highway. Several operators ran it over the years before McDonald's took over. The McDonald's then advertised itself as the world's largest, a claim that counted the whole building, until bigger locations opened in Moscow and later Orlando, Florida.
In June 2013 the plaza shut for a renovation of about $14.6 million. In August 2014 the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority adopted the name Will Rogers Archway after a public survey, and the plaza reopened on December 22, 2014. It is still nicknamed the Glass House.
Visiting Will Rogers Archway: tips
This is a working travel plaza, so it is the easiest food, fuel and restroom stop on this stretch. It sits over the interstate rather than on Route 66, so reaching it means a short hop onto I-44. Allow 30 to 45 minutes to eat by the windows above the traffic, see the statue and browse the Will Rogers exhibit. Back on Route 66 in Vinita, the Spraker Service Station is about 0.9 mile away, Randall Tire Company about 1.3 miles and the McDougal Filling Station about 3.3 miles.
Practical info
- Address
- 767 Will Rogers Turnpike, 74301
- Phone
- +1 405-425-3600
- Hours
- Open 24 h
- On site & nearby
Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix
On the map
Full mapWill Rogers Archway with the 6 closest stops. Tap a marker for details.
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Stops near Will Rogers Archway
All of Oklahoma0.9 mi from Will Rogers Archway
1.3 mi from Will Rogers Archway
3.3 mi from Will Rogers Archway
11.2 mi from Will Rogers Archway
11.4 mi from Will Rogers Archway
15.9 mi from Will Rogers Archway
Questions about Will Rogers Archway
Is there a McDonald's on a bridge in Oklahoma?
Yes. The McDonald's in the Will Rogers Archway, nicknamed the Glass House, sits inside a building that spans Interstate 44 just outside Vinita in northeast Oklahoma. Diners sit above the traffic, and drivers going either direction can pull in. A Subway, a gift shop and a fuel station share the plaza.
Is the Will Rogers Archway still the world's largest McDonald's?
No. For years the Glass House McDonald's was billed as the largest in the world, a figure based on the size of the whole building. A McDonald's in Moscow later claimed the title, and a McDonald's in Orlando, Florida, is now usually cited as the largest.
Is the Will Rogers Archway on Route 66?
Not quite. It spans Interstate 44, the highway that replaced Route 66 through this part of Oklahoma, just outside Vinita. The old road runs through Vinita itself, less than a mile away, so the plaza works as a break before getting back on Route 66.
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