Southwest Tulsa, Sapulpa, and Bristow, Oklahoma

Southwest Tulsa, Sapulpa, and Bristow have almost everything that makes Route 66 special: beautifully restored buildings, old roads and bridges, and new places celebrating Route 66.

We left Tulsa on West 11^th Street, which is Route 66. When it deadended at Southwest Boulevard, we turned left (south) to stay on Route 66. We immediately saw a big Route 66 sign on an elevated walkway over Southwest Boulevard. Just past it, on the right, is Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza.

Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza at the north end of the Eleventh Street Bridge  (from Google Maps)

Cyrus Avery is considered the father of Route 66. His role started in 1916, when he was responsible for construction of the Eleventh Street Bridge at the far end of the plaza. The bridge was updated with art deco accents in 1929. The bridge is now deteriorated and closed—you can make out the chain link fence in the photo above.

Then, in the 1920s, Avery argued that Route 66 should be routed through Tulsa and Oklahoma City, partly because the Eleventh Street Bridge was already in place for a highway to cross the Arkansas River. He thus brought business to Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

Just past the bridge. at 1450 Southwest Boulevard, is the new Route 66 Neon Signs Park, with reproductions of some of Tulsa's neon signs. A block past the park, at 1648 Southwest Boulevard, is a partly restored 1940s Cities Service Station.

Cities Service station in southwest Tulsa

About 2 miles past the Cities Service Station is Historic Route 66 Village, which was closed when we drove by. About a mile past that, at 4207 Southwest Boulevard, is a really cool Route 66 gateway sign.

Route 66 gateway sign on Southwest Boulevard in Tulsa

It’s about 8 miles past the gateway sign to Sapulpa, Oklahoma. In Sapulpa, Route 66 becomes Mission Street, then turns right (west) onto Dewey Avenue (OK 66). At Water Street, we took a quick detour, turning left (south) to see the Waite Phillips-Barnsdall Filling Station.

Waite Phillips-Barnsdall Filling Station in Sapulpa, Oklahoma

It was built in 1923 and is beautifully restored. All the details make it one of our favorite gas stations along Route 66.

Back on OK 66, at the western edge of Sapulpa, is the Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum.

Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum in Sapulpa, Oklahoma

As you can see, it features the world’s tallest gas pump.

About a quarter mile past the museum, we took the next right onto West Sapulpa Road. This is a three-mile stretch of road that was built in 1924-1925 and was Route 66 until 1952. We immediately crossed Rock Creek Bridge #18.

Rock Creek Bridge #18 near Sapulpa, Oklahoma

It was built in 1921 or 1924 (sources give varying dates), so it’s older than Route 66. It’s unusual because the “decking” is made of brick.

This three-mile stretch has several other original features, such as a retaining wall and this railroad underpass

Rock Creek Railroad Underpass near Sapulpa, Oklahoma

West Sapulpa Road merged back into OK 66, where we continued west. In about 6 miles, OK 66 crosses I-25. We took the second right after I-25 onto Old Highway 66. This was the original “alignment” of Route 66 from 1926 to 1938. In about 2 miles, it crosses OK 66, continues another 2 miles or so, then rejoins OK 66.

About a half mile after rejoining OK 66, we forked right onto E0770 Road, which becomes West 181^st Street South. This was Route 66 until 1965. It was first paved in 1924.

In about a mile, we turned left (south) on OK 48 to continue on the older alignment of Route 66. Just before OK 48 merges into OK 66, we turned right South 353^rd West Avenue to continue on the older alignment. We were hoping to see a 1935 pony truss bridge crossing Sand Creek, just before West 211st Street South, but it’s now gone and the road is closed. So I’d suggest skipping this alignment. Instead, take OK 48 into Bristow.

We really enjoyed  Bristow. It has many streets paved with bricks—I read that it has more than any other city in Oklahoma. Many of the buildings are built of brick as well.

Our first stop was Mainer Ford of Bristow at 512 North Main Street.

Mainer Ford in Bristow, Oklahoma

The building on the left, with large arched windows, was originally Bristow Motor Company, built in 1923. The other sections are later additions.

On the southeast corner of Main Street and 9^th Avenue, at 100 East 9th Avenue, is Bristow Body Shop.

Former Bristow Firestone Service Station in Bristow, Oklahoma

It was built in 1930 as Bristow Firestone Service Station. I love the art deco trim on the upper windows.

We turned left (east) on 9^th Avenue. On the southeast corner of East 9^th Street and Pine Street, at 210 East 9^th Avenue, is the former Beard Motor Company.

Former Beard Motor Company in Bristow, Oklahoma

The Beard Motor Company Building was built in 1947 in streamline moderne style.

We turned right (south) on Pine Street, which becomes North Walnut Street. In three blocks, we turned right (west) on East 6^th Avenue. Here we could see the Bristow Train Depot and Museum at 1 Rail Road Place. It was built in 1923.

Bristow Train Depot and Museum in Bristow, Oklahoma

We turned left (south) on Main Street, then right (west) on West 4^th Avenue to stay on Route 66. Here at 115 West 4th Avenue we saw one more Bristow gem: Bristow Tire & Auto Service.

Bristow Tire & Auto in Bristow, Oklahoma

This gas station was built in 1923. It was built in Italian Renaissance Revival style—very unusual for a gas station. The arched windows and relatively flat tiled roof make it look vaguely like an Italian villa. If you look carefully, you can see the pressed tin ceiling under the canopy.

From Bristow, we continued west on OK 66 to our next stop: Depew, Oklahoma.

 

 

Tulsa's Art Deco Treasures

I’ve written a separate blog post on many of the things to see in Tulsa, both along Route 66 and elsewhere. But if you’re a fan of historical architecture, there’s even more to see here. Tulsa has one of the best collections of art deco architecture anywhere. Most of it was built in the 1920s and 1930s, right when Route 66 was born, so seeing Tulsa’s art deco treasures can certainly be considered part of the Route 66 experience.

Why does Tulsa have so much art deco architecture? The 1920s were boom times for the Oklahoma oil industry…and for Tulsa, where the oil boom led to a construction boom. By 1930, Tulsa had more buildings ten or more stories tall than any other city in the world. Newly prosperous Tulsa businesses and residents wanted buildings in the very latest style—art deco. 

Tulsa art deco architecture falls into two broad categories. Streamline Moderne was inspired by America’s new ability to travel by air. So Streamline Moderne features aerodynamic designs such as curved corners plus vertical lines that draw the eye skyward. Zigzag Moderne is decorated with geometric shapes.

We started experiencing Tulsa’s art deco architecture by staying in an art deco building: the Mayo Hotel at 115 West 5^th Street.

1925 Mayo Hotel lobby

When it was built in 1925, it was the tallest building in Oklahoma. We loved our stay there, partly because many of the things we wanted to see in Tulsa were within walking distance. One morning we had a really nice breakfast at the Cherry Street Kitchen, just half a block from the hotel at 111 West 5^th Street, then took ourselves on a walking tour of downtown Tulsa.

Right across the street from the Cherry Street Kitchen, is the Pythian Building, also known as the Gillette-Tyrell Building, at 423 South Boulder Avenue.

1929 Pythian Building in Tulsa

The Pythian Building was built in 1929. It’s one of my favorite of Tulsa’s zigzag art deco buildings.

 A few blocks east, at 424 South Detroit Avenue, is the Southwestern Bell Main Dial Building.

 

Southwestern Bell Mail Dial Building in Tulsa

The first two floors were built in 1924 in Gothic style. The remaining floors were built in 1930 in zigzag art deco style.

At 313 South Cincinnati Avenue, we stumbled on an interesting building that I hadn’t read about in any guides. It’s a parking garage called the K C Auto Hotel!

K C Auto Hotel in Tulsa

It was built in 1928 as a truly full-service auto hotel, offering all kinds of auto servicing as well as parking with a team of uniformed staff.

About two blocks north of the Auto Hotel is the Tulsa Union Depot at 43-99 East 31^st Place North.

1931 Tulsa Union Depot

It was built in 1931. Today it houses the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame.

On another day we did a driving tour of more of Tulsa’s art deco buildings. We started with breakfast at the Savoy at 6033 South Sheridan Road. We’d read that it had the best breakfast in Tulsa, and ours really was excellent!

Our first art deco stop was City Veterinary Hospital at 3550 South Peoria Avenue, built in 1942.

1942 City Veterinary Hospital in Tulsa

All the straight horizontal lines plus the curves on both sides make the City Veterinary Hospital a great example of streamline moderne.

Our next stop was the Jesse Davis Residence at 3231 South Utica Avenue. It was built in 1936 in streamline moderne style. Notice the interesting railing on the left.

1936 Jesse Davis Residence in Tulsa

Next we saw the Ungerman Residence at 1718 East 37^th Street. It was built in 1941 in streamline moderne style. Even the windows—called ribbon windows—create horizontal lines.

1941 Ungerman Residence in Tulsa

Next was a Tulsa treasure: Westhope, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, at 3704 South Birmingham Avenue.

Westhope in Tulsa (view from South Birmingham Avenue)

Westhope in Tulsa (view from South Atlanta Place)

Also known as Richard Lloyd Jones House, it was built in 1929. The unusual construction method, called Textile Block, stacks molded concrete blocks in patterns. Textile block was invented by Frank Lloyd Wright.

One of the most interesting buildings we saw in Tulsa was Christ the King Catholic Church at 1520 South Rockford Avenue. It’s listed on Google Maps as the Parish of Christ the King.

 

1927 Christ the King Church in Tulsa

Christ the King Catholic Church, built in 1927, was the first church in the world to be named Christ the King. The design is a combination of art deco, Byzantine, and Gothic. It was considered either radical or innovative at the time, depending on who you asked.

Next door, at 1519 South Quincy Avenue, is Marquette Catholic School, built in 1932. The style clearly echoes the church but somehow doesn’t seem so radical.

1932 Marquette School in Tulsa

Across the street from Christ the King Church, at 1528 South Quincy Avenue, is what’s now Marquette Early Childhood Center.

Marquette Early Childhood Center in Tulsa

I couldn’t find any information on when the Marquette Early Childhood Center was built, but it was clearly designed to complement Marquette School.

At 1551 South Yorktown Place is the 1936 McGay Residence.

1936 McGay Residence in Tulsa

The horizontal lines on the right side of the McGay Residence’s style are streamline moderne, while the details in the center of the building would be zigzag.

Two of our favorite art deco buildings came at the end of our driving tour. The Fire Alarm Building is at 1010 East 8^th Street. It’s listed on Google Maps as the Tulsa Fire Museum.

1931 Fire Alarm Buiding in Tulsa

The Fire Alarm Building was built in 1931. When someone rang a fire alarm, the signal went to this building, and someone here relayed the call to a fire station. The building is a beautiful example of zigzag art deco, full of wonderful details. It’s not far off Route 66 and worth seeking out.

Our final stop was Boston Avenue United Methodist Church at 1301 South Boston Avenue.

1929 Boston Avenue United Methodist Church in Tulsa

Built in 1929, it’s considered one of the best examples of an art deco church in the United States.

These are only a fraction of Tulsa’s notable art deco buildings. If you’re interested in learning more about Tulsa’s art deco architecture or seeing more photographs, Galen Frysinger has photos and information of many of Tulsa’s historic buildings.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa is one of our favorite cities along Route 66. There is so much to see and do here that we’ve spent two full days here in addition to coming-and-going days. If you want to build in a two-night stay on your Route 66 road trip to catch your breath, Tulsa is an excellent choice. On top of Route 66 sights, Tulsa has one of the best collections of art deco architecture in the country and an extraordinary museum: Greenwood Rising, a museum about the Greenwood massacre that we wish every American could see. There’s too much to cover in one blog post! So I’m doing a second post on Tulsa’s art deco treasures. A third blog post covers sights in southwest Tulsa.

Route 66 had two “alignments” through Tulsa. Before 1932, it roughly followed today’s Admirals Place and Admirals Boulevard into Tulsa. In 1932 the alignment was changed to 11^th Street. Today the 11^th Street alignment has more to see, so that’s how we drove into Tulsa. From Catoosa, we stayed on OK 66 for another mile. We took a right (west) on Antry Drive, then a quick left (south) on South Cherokee Street. In about a mile, at the Hard Rock Casino, we turned left (south) on North 193^rd East Avenue. In about a mile, we turned right (west) on East 11^th Street.

Considering that we were on the outskirts of Tulsa, we were surprised how rural this stretch of Route 66 is.

East 11th Street east of Tulsa (from Google Maps)

It was easy to imagine driving this road 75 years ago.

Eventually the road became more built up, and we started to see things like old gas stations that had been converted into other businesses. At the corner of 11^th and South Yale Avenue, we stopped for dinner at Tally’s Good Food Café on 66.

Tally's Cafe on Route 66 in Tulsa

It’s got a great retro atmosphere and serves good classic diner food with friendly service.

Interior of Tally's Cafe on Route 66

About a mile and a half further west on Route 66, at 2636 East 11^th Street, is the Campbell Hotel, built in 1927 and nicely refurbished.

Campbell's Hotel in Tulsa (from HotelTonight.com)

Less than a mile further west, at 1735 East 11^th Street, is one of Tulsa’s art deco gems: the 1936 Tulsa Monument Building, known today as Benchmark Monument Company.

Tulsa Monument Building (from BenchmarkMonument.com)

Past the Tulsa Monument is the Tulsa’s Meadow Gold District, with interesting shops along 11^th Street. Buck Atom, the Cosmic Cowboy, is in front of a former 1950s PEMCO gas station at 1347 East 11^th Street.

Buck Atom in Tulsa

Buck was installed here in 2019. The gas station is now Cosmic Curios, a gift shop with a great neon sign. 

Neon sign at Cosmic Curios in Tulsa

Half a block past Buck is the Meadow Gold District’s namesake: its huge Meadow Gold sign.

Tulsa's Meadow Gold sign at sunset

The sign, advertising Meadow Gold Dairy, was erected in 1934. Its building was demolished in 2004, but the sign was saved and a new pavilion built for it in 2009.

The original 1926-1932 alignment of Route 66 also has some treasures. It originally entered Tulsa from the northeast on what’s now Admiral Place and Admiral Boulevard, then cut down to 2^nd Street, then went through downtown Tulsa near Elgin Avenue. We explored it in reverse order, from south to northeast. The first gem we saw was the 1931 Vickery Phillips 66 station at 602 South Elgin. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places.

1931 Vickery Phillips 66 station in Tulsa

At the corner of Elgin and East 2^nd Street (320 East 2^nd Street) is a Route 66 icon: the Blue Dome Station.

The Blue Dome gas station in Tulsa

The Blue Dome Station was built in 1924 or 1925 (sources give varying dates) as a White Star Gulf Oil station. It was open 24 hours, and the attendant lived in an apartment in the dome. This part of Tulsa is now known as the Blue Dome District. It features restaurants and entertainment, and the lampposts are adorable.

A blue dome lamppost in Tulsa's Blue Dome District

We had a good breakfast here at the Dilly Diner at 402 East 2^nd Street and excellent pizza at Andolini’s Pizzeria Sliced Blue Dome, 114 South Detroit Avenue. Andolini’s is widely considered to serve one of the best pizzas in Oklahoma.

About three blocks north of the Blue Dome Station, but literally on the other side of the tracks, is another world. Centered at the intersection of North Greenwood Avenue and Archer Street is the remains of the Greenwood District, once known as Black Wall Street and the home of Tulsa’s large African American community. That ended in 1921, when the Greenwood Massacre destroyed the district and killed hundreds of African Americans living there. The new Greenwood Rising Black History Museum at 23 North Greenwood Avenue tells the story of this neighborhood and the horrific event that destroyed it. This was one of the best museums we’ve ever seen anywhere in the world. We wish every American could see it.

One of the interactive exhibits in Tulsa's Greenwood Rising Museum

When we visited in October 2021, free timed tickets were required for admission.

The Greenwood District is experiencing a resurgence, but because I-244 now literally slices through it, it will never again be what it once was.

Mural in Tulsa's Greenwood District

From the Blue Dome and Greenwood Districts, the original 1926-1932 Route 66 alignment goes east on East 2^nd Street about a mile and a half, then turns north on Lewis Avenue. At 10 South Lewis Avenue is the 1928 Circle Cinema.

Circle Cinema in Tulsa

The Circle Cinema opened in 1928 as the Circle Theater. The building, which also housed other businesses, was called the Chilton Building, and you can still make out the name “Chilton” on the wall behind the theater’s neon sign. The façade has been restored to look like it did in 1952.

After Circle Cinema, Route 66 goes east on East Admiral Boulevard, which turns into East 1^st Street. Route 66 turns north and crosses I-244 on North Harvard Avenue, then turns right (east) on East Admiral Place (not to be confused with Admiral Boulevard). At 4168 East Admiral Place we made an unexpected find: Tulsa Fire Station #15.

1948 Tulsa Fire Station #15

I hadn’t seen Fire Station #15 mentioned in any of the Route 66 guides I’d read, and I’m so glad we found it—it’s a real gem. It was built in 1948 in streamline moderne style.

Further east, a couple of blocks north of East Admiral Place at 7355 East Easton Street, is the Admiral Twin Drive-In.

Admiral Twin Drive-In in Tulsa

The Admiral opened in 1951 as the Modernaire Drive-In. A year later it was renamed the Admiral Drive-In, and a second screen was added in 1955. The screens’ original wood frames burned in 2010.

As I’ve mentioned, I’m covering Tulsa’s art deco treasures in a separate blog post. There are three places that are neither on Route 66 nor art deco but that we think are worth seeking out.

If you’re into Route 66 giant structures, you might want to check out the Golden Driller giant statue.

 

Golden Driller statue in Tulsa

It’s about a mile south of 11^th Avenue (the 1932 Route 66 alignment) on the Tulsa State Fairgrounds. It was erected in 1966 for the International Petroleum Exhibition. 

A few blocks northeast of Greenwood, at 423 North Main Street, is Cain's Ballroom.

Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa

Built as Brady’s Garage in 1924, the building became a ballroom in 1930. For many years it was the home of Bob Wills and therefore the home of Western Swing. You can still make out the name Brady in the wall behind the Cain’s neon sign.

Finally, about halfway between Cain’s and the Blue Dome Station, is a fun acoustical oddity: a plaza called the Center of the Universe at 1 South Boston Avenue.

Tulsa's Center of the Universe

If you stand in the center and make a noise, you’ll hear it echoed back several times louder. But your voice will sound distorted to those outside the bricked circle.

As we headed west out of Tulsa toward Sapulpa, we saw more Route 66 sights that I’m covering in another blog post.