

10 miles away) George Washington (approx. 9.6 miles away) McIntyre Airport (approx. Old Mail Route (within shouting distance of this marker) The H. At least 8 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Built in 1972 as an anniversary gift, the grinning, 80-foot-long blue whale sculpture was restored in the 1990s and now is. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2680 Oklahoma Route 66, Catoosa OK 74015, United States of America. Marker is on State Highway 66, on the right when traveling south. Marker is in Catoosa, Oklahoma, in Rogers County. A significant historical year for this entry is 1988. In addition, it is included in the Route 66 Roadside Attractions, and the U.S. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment

Built in the early 1970's as an anniversary gift, the Blue Whale turned into a swimming park and closed in 1988.īuilt in the early 1970's as an anniversary gift, the Blue Whale turned into a swimming park and closed in 1988.Įrected by Hampton Hotels Save-A-Landmark program. If you like roadside attractions like these, check out all the other quirky things we’ve visited so far on our 50 state road trip.Blue Whale, Catoosa, Oklahoma.
BLUE WHALE OF CATOOSA FREE
It’s free to visit the whale and it’s admirable how much effort went into the creation of the whale. If you’re traveling along old Route 66 or will be spending time in Tulsa, it’s definitely worth taking the time to visit the Blue Whale of Catoosa. is still adjacent to the Blue Whale of Catoosa, although it no longer has any reptiles and has to be admired from a distance. The site was also once home to the Animal Reptile Kingdom (A.R.K.).

The gift shop has postcards, Blue Whale memorabilia and all kinds of Route 66-themed items. Shae and I up in the belly of the whaleĭue to its popularity as a tourist attraction, the Blue Whale of Catoosa has picnic tables, restrooms and a gift shop. There are portholes at the top of its head, so sticking your face through those is another photo opportunity. The upper belly of the Blue Whale of Catoosa There’s a second ladder taking you into the whale’s upper belly so that you can get your Jonah on. The tail isn’t the only place you can climb. Sitting on top of the Blue Whale of Catoosa, Oklahoma That’s because it was mixed by hand and then applied using one 5 gallon bucket at a time. Davis used almost 20,000 lbs of rock, 15 tons of sand, 2,650 feet of rods, almost 1,200 of pipes, 126 sacks of dry concrete and more.Īfter building the whale, Hugh noted that it had taken almost 3,000 hours to apply the cement. The Blue Whale of Catoosa is a waterfront structure, located just east of the town of Catoosa, Oklahoma, and it has become one of the most recognizable. The Blue Whale of Catoosa is 20 foot tall and 80 foot long. At first the whale was just a fun addition to the swimming hole for family and. This icon was built by Hugh Davis between 19 as an anniversary gift for his wife, who collected whale figurines. Viewing the whale from the other end helps you realize quite how massive the structure is. The Blue Whale of Catoosa is one of the most well-known roadside attractions on old Route 66. Once you reach the end, you can climb a ladder to go up on to the tip of its tail. You can walk through its mouth all the way back to its tail. Entering the belly of the Blue Whale of Catoosa

Slide 1 Slide 2Įven though you can’t go swimming in the pond, you are allowed to explore all over the Blue Whale of Catoosa. That means the slides on both sides are now solely for admiring rather than sliding down into the pond which is now home to many turtles. Swimming is no longer allowed the pond doesn’t seem to be spring-fed anymore, so you probably wouldn’t want to swim in it anyway. We visited on a Friday afternoon and there was a steady stream of other visitors coming and going, so it’s still a popular attraction. Back then, the pond was fed by a spring and so it was suitable for swimming. Visitors from near and far loved it, so Hugh opened it up to the public for everyone to enjoy. The whale was built on the pond that the Davis family owned. That may sound a little unusual, but she collected whale figurines, so this was to be the ultimate whale figurine. Davis between 1970-1972 as an anniversary gift for his wife Zelta.
