Route 66Trip Guide
Route 66 town guide · Oklahoma

Route 66 in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa, Oklahoma's second city, sits about 774 miles from Chicago. It was the home of Cyrus Avery, the highway official often called the father of Route 66, and the stops we list here run from Catoosa and Claremore in the east to Sapulpa in the west.

Tap a dot to see that stop here.

Tap a dot for the photo and a link to the stop (the fork-and-knife markers are places to eat). Open Tulsa on the full map to filter by kind or add stops to your trip.

The one everyone stops for is the Blue Whale of Catoosa, a big blue whale on the water's edge and one of the most recognized sights on old Route 66. In Tulsa, the road's history shows in its gas stations: the 1929 Spanish-style Sinclair Service Station stands on Tulsa's original Route 66 alignment, and Cities Service Station No. 8 is a 1940 filling station in the Modern Movement style. On Southwest Boulevard, the open-air Route 66 Historical Village has a tall oil derrick, a steam locomotive and a big Route 66 map. West of the city, Bridge No. 18 at Rock Creek in Sapulpa joined Route 66 in 1926 and now anchors a Route 66 park.

Tulsa is also a museum town, and museums make up about half of our stops here: the Philbrook, in an oilman's 1920s villa with formal gardens, the Gilcrease, with its vast collection of American West art, the Woody Guthrie Center downtown and the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in the old Union Depot. In Claremore, the Will Rogers Memorial Museum holds the entertainer's films, letters and tomb.

Practical note: Tulsa is a main overnight town on our planner, and the city's sights are spread out, so plan on driving between them. Stroud is about 73 miles further west.

Top 10 Route 66 attractions in and around Tulsa

  1. Blue Whale of CatoosaA big blue whale on the water's edge in Catoosa, one of the most recognized sights on old Route 66.
  2. Meadow Gold signA 1934 Meadow Gold dairy sign, saved in 2004 and now on its own brick pavilion on 11th Street in Tulsa.
  3. West Sapulpa Route 66 RoadbedA stretch of old Route 66 roadbed in Sapulpa, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  4. Buck Atom's Cosmic Curios on 66A Route 66 gift shop in Tulsa with a 21-foot space cowboy and a 19-foot space cowgirl out front.
  5. Bridge No. 18 at Rock CreekA 1920s bridge in Sapulpa that joined Route 66 in 1926 and now anchors a Route 66 park.
  6. Sinclair Service StationA 1929 Spanish-style gas station with a tiled roof, standing on Tulsa's original Route 66 alignment.
  7. Route 66 Historical VillageAn open-air stop on Southwest Boulevard with a tall oil derrick, a steam locomotive and a big Route 66 map.
  8. Heart of Route 66 Auto MuseumA car museum in a former armory in Sapulpa, with a 66-foot gas pump outside that sells no fuel.
  9. Center of the UniverseA circle on a Tulsa footbridge where a clap echoes back oddly; closed for renovation, due back in fall 2026.
  10. Cities Service Station No. 8A 1940 Cities Service filling station in Modern Movement style, listed on the National Register.

Art & landmarks (2)

See all Art & landmarks on Route 66 →
Blue Whale of Catoosa, Oklahoma

Blue Whale of Catoosa

Catoosa, Oklahoma · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A big blue whale on the water's edge in Catoosa, one of the most recognized sights on old Route 66.

Art & landmarksPhoto credit

Center of the Universe

Tulsa, Oklahoma · 0.2 mi from Route 66

A circle on a Tulsa footbridge where a clap echoes back oddly; closed for renovation, due back in fall 2026.

Art & landmarks

Retro roadside (4)

See all Retro roadside on Route 66 →
Sinclair Service Station in Tulsa, OK

Sinclair Service Station

Tulsa, Oklahoma · on Route 66

A 1929 Spanish-style gas station with a tiled roof, standing on Tulsa's original Route 66 alignment.

Retro roadsidePhoto credit

Buck Atom's Cosmic Curios on 66

Tulsa, Oklahoma · on Route 66

A Route 66 gift shop in Tulsa with a 21-foot space cowboy and a 19-foot space cowgirl out front.

Retro roadside
Meadow Gold sign in Tulsa, OK

Meadow Gold sign

Tulsa, Oklahoma · on Route 66

A 1934 Meadow Gold dairy sign, saved in 2004 and now on its own brick pavilion on 11th Street in Tulsa.

Retro roadsidePhoto credit
Cities Service Station No. 8 in Tulsa, OK

Cities Service Station No. 8

Tulsa, Oklahoma · on Route 66

A 1940 Cities Service filling station in Modern Movement style, listed on the National Register.

Retro roadsidePhoto credit

Route 66 sites (1)

See all Route 66 sites on Route 66 →
West Sapulpa Route 66 Roadbed, Oklahoma

West Sapulpa Route 66 Roadbed

Sapulpa, Oklahoma · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A stretch of old Route 66 roadbed in Sapulpa, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Route 66 sitePhoto credit

Historic bridges (1)

See all Historic bridges on Route 66 →
Bridge No. 18 at Rock Creek in Sapulpa, OK

Bridge No. 18 at Rock Creek

Sapulpa, Oklahoma · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A 1920s bridge in Sapulpa that joined Route 66 in 1926 and now anchors a Route 66 park.

Historic bridgePhoto credit

Museums (10)

See all Museums on Route 66 →
J. M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum in Claremore, OK

J. M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum

Claremore, Oklahoma · on Route 66

More than 20,000 guns and related items, plus beer steins, music boxes and frontier oddities.

MuseumPhoto credit
Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, OK

Will Rogers Memorial Museum

Claremore, Oklahoma · 1.1 mi from Route 66

Claremore's museum and resting place for entertainer Will Rogers, with films, letters and his tomb.

MuseumPhoto credit
Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium, Oklahoma

Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium

Tulsa, Oklahoma · 3.2 mi from Route 66

Vintage aircraft, hands-on exhibits and a full-dome planetarium at the edge of Tulsa's airport.

MuseumPhoto credit
The Outsiders House Museum in Tulsa, OK

The Outsiders House Museum

Tulsa, Oklahoma · 0.6 mi from Route 66

The house that played the Curtis brothers' home in the 1983 film The Outsiders, now a fan-run museum.

MuseumPhoto credit
Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, OK

Woody Guthrie Center

Tulsa, Oklahoma · 0.3 mi from Route 66

A museum and archive in downtown Tulsa devoted to folk singer Woody Guthrie and his legacy.

MuseumPhoto credit
Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in Tulsa, OK

Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame

Tulsa, Oklahoma · 0.2 mi from Route 66

A music hall and museum in Tulsa's old Union Depot honoring Oklahoma's jazz, blues and gospel players.

MuseumPhoto credit
Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, OK

Philbrook Museum of Art

Tulsa, Oklahoma · 1.7 mi from Route 66

An art museum in an oilman's 1920s villa, with formal gardens and a strong Native American collection.

MuseumPhoto credit
Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, OK

Gilcrease Museum

Tulsa, Oklahoma · 2.3 mi from Route 66

A Tulsa museum founded by an oilman, known for a vast collection of American West art.

MuseumPhoto credit
Route 66 Historical Village in Tulsa, OK

Route 66 Historical Village

Tulsa, Oklahoma · on Route 66

An open-air stop on Southwest Boulevard with a tall oil derrick, a steam locomotive and a big Route 66 map.

MuseumPhoto credit
Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum in Sapulpa, OK

Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum

Sapulpa, Oklahoma · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A car museum in a former armory in Sapulpa, with a 66-foot gas pump outside that sells no fuel.

MuseumPhoto credit

Nature & parks (4)

See all Nature & parks on Route 66 →
Claremore Mound in Sageeyah, OK

Claremore Mound

Sageeyah, Oklahoma · 4.6 mi from Route 66

A rocky hill by the Verdigris River, site of an 1817 battle and the source of Claremore's name.

Nature & parksPhoto credit
Tulsa Zoo, Oklahoma

Tulsa Zoo

Tulsa, Oklahoma · 3.3 mi from Route 66

An 84-acre city zoo inside Tulsa's huge Mohawk Park, home to the Lost Kingdom exhibits.

Nature & parksPhoto credit
Woodward Park in Tulsa, OK

Woodward Park

Tulsa, Oklahoma · 1.1 mi from Route 66

A 45-acre Tulsa park and garden famous for azaleas, with a rose garden holding more than 9,000 roses.

Nature & parksPhoto credit
Tulsa Botanic Garden, Oklahoma

Tulsa Botanic Garden

Tulsa, Oklahoma · 5.5 mi from Route 66

A large, still-growing botanical garden on 170 acres northwest of downtown Tulsa.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

Historic buildings (1)

See all Historic buildings on Route 66 →
Claremore Auto Dealership, Oklahoma

Claremore Auto Dealership

Claremore, Oklahoma · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A 1930 Art Deco dealership in Claremore that made the National Register but appears to be gone.

Historic buildingPhoto credit

Where to eat in and around Tulsa

All diners on Route 66 →

Next towns on Route 66

Route 66 in Tulsa: questions

Did Route 66 go through Tulsa?
Yes. Route 66 ran through Tulsa, including the stretch along Southwest Boulevard where the Route 66 Historical Village stands, and the Sinclair Service Station marks the city's original alignment.
What is there to see on Route 66 in Tulsa?
We list 23 stops in and around Tulsa, mostly museums, parks and nature areas and retro roadside stops. The ones our trip planner rates highest are Blue Whale of Catoosa, Meadow Gold sign and West Sapulpa Route 66 Roadbed. Every stop is on the map above with a photo where one exists, and the distance from the old road.
How far is Tulsa from the next towns on Route 66?
Tulsa sits at about mile 775 of Route 66, counting from Chicago. The next town east with its own guide is Vinita, OK, about 68 miles back. Heading west, Stroud, OK is about 73 miles on. Distances are measured along the road and rounded.
Is Tulsa a good place to stay overnight on Route 66?
Yes. Our trip planner uses Tulsa as one of its main overnight towns, so on a two-week trip a day often ends here. Plan the stops in town for the evening or the next morning.