Catoosa, Oklahoma on Route 66

Catoosa is just northeast of Tulsa, a short drive if you live in the city.  The population is under 7,500 people.

When you think Catoosa, you probably think about The Blue Whale of Catoosa.  A famous roadside attraction. The whale was built out of iron and concrete in the 1970s by Hugh Davis. The whale, and the pond it was in was a popular swimming hole along Route 66. You are no longer allowed to swim in the pond, but you can see the sliding boards and ladders on the side of the whale. 

Visitor Center and whale

Catoosa built a brand new visitor center on the site of the Blue Whale, it just opened at the end of May.  I was there just a couple of weeks before the opening.  There's a large neon sign advertising the whale atop the visitor center.

What is this concrete structure?  You can walk up to it and the center looks like it was some sort of enclosure with a pool.  I have read there was an alligator ranch here, so it is probably related to that.

Arrowood Trading Post

Arrowood Trading Post was a store on Route 66. It is directly across from the Blue Whale.  This is the back of the store. The original alignment of Rt-66 was is on the other side of the building. Note that it is spelled with only one "W", so "Arrowood", not "Arrowwood."

The twin bridges

This is a bit outside of Catoosa, near the Verdigris River.  These are part of the span that carried Route 66 over what was the Verdegris River but is now called Bird Creek.  The river was channelized and straightened to make it easier for ships to get to the Tulsa Port of Catoosa, cutting off a bend which is now part of Bird Creek.  When the bridge was replaced, these two portions were moved to the nearby Rogers Point Park, home of Twin Bridges Disc Golf Course.  Oh yeah, they are also not officially called the twin bridges.  Google has them listed as Historic Ensen Bridge, but there is an official sign on the bridge giving the name as the "H. Tom Kight Jr bridge."
 

Next stop: Tulsa, Oklahoma (Part 1); Prior stop: Claremore, Oklahoma. You can see all my Route 66 posts here.  

 

Comments

  1. kkAugust 6, 2026 at 11:08 AM

    The Blue Whale stands in Catoosa,
    Not Tulsa and not Tuscaloosa.
    It's there all alone
    And it's made out of stone --
    Perhaps it met up with Medusa.

    ReplyDelete

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