Tulsa Theme Park Moving Full Steam Ahead

Oilmen struck it rich in Tulsa, and now a theme park to honor that history has found some cash too. Four hundred thousand dollars from the state's Centennial Fund has been earmarked for the Red Fork

Friday, August 24th 2007, 8:53 pm

By: News On 6

Oilmen struck it rich in Tulsa, and now a theme park to honor that history has found some cash too. Four hundred thousand dollars from the state's Centennial Fund has been earmarked for the Red Fork Derrick. The News On 6â€™s Steve Berg reports the plan is to build an 80-foot tall oil derrick that will be the centerpiece for a transportation theme park in West Tulsa, located on Route 66.

"Route 66 is the mother road, and we're almost at the mid-point," said David Breed of the Southwest Tulsa Chamber of Commerce.

But the money for the theme park is about two-thirds of the way there, says Breed. Four hundred thousand dollars from the Vision Plan will get them going on all the dirt work and preparation of the site, and now $400,000 more from the state will be used to create an 80-foot high oil derrick that can be used as an observation platform, to view the railroads, highways and oil refineries around the area.

"And be able to actually show them the things that helped create Tulsa and make it what it's become,â€ said Breed. â€œIt, in effect, is like having a museum without having to build one."

The group already has a 1942 steam locomotive that used to run through Tulsa. It has been meticulously restored and will be moved to the site when it's completed. With those two pieces, Breed says they will have the major pieces in place for the theme park.

"So the two tracks came together figuratively and literally," he said.

With another $400,000, Breed says they'll be able to add the finishing touches, including an oil pipeline, a pump jack, an airport hangar with a plane and a bus, along with other mother road memorabilia.

"Things that will remind people of what Route 66 has been as the mother road, and what the different periods of our history have meant in terms of transportation for Tulsa," Breed said.

The Red Fork Derrick is just one of 21 different tourist attractions in the works for the 23 miles of Route 66 that go through Tulsa. A street beautification project is also planned for the Red Fork area.

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