City Of Tulsa Proposes 3 New Attractions On Route 66 Ahead Of Centennial Celebration In 2026

The Route 66 Centennial is less than two years away, and the City of Tulsa wants to add several attractions to enhance the Mother Road. The city of Tulsa has released three proposed improvements, including two focused on Cry Baby Hill.

City leaders want to bring public art to South Riverside Drive, a new Route 66 development, and a digital museum.

The City of Tulsa is looking ahead to 2026 and wants Green Country artists to help shape the next hundred years of Route 66.

"We're asking for artists to come up with a contemporary version of that, that really tells a Tulsa story," Ellen Ray with the City of Tulsa said.

One proposal is a new roadside attraction on Cry Baby Hill near the entry and exit driveways of the parking lot. Artists are encouraged to make it interactive. 

A second proposal includes a new development at Riverside and Route 66.

Ray says it could be a hotel or restaurant.

"We're really open to something that will bring in tourists that are you know driving along Route 66, but also something that the neighborhood would enjoy that you could walk to if you lived nearby," said Ray.

The third proposal is a digital museum. This comes after previous attempts to bring a physical museum failed.

"We think that by making a digital experience, we can do something very cool within a much more judicious budget that folks will find really accessible and fun," said Ray.

Ken Busby is the Executive Director of the Route 66 Alliance.

He believes these projects are necessary to improve the city.

"Economic development, sales tax, hotel, motel tax. That's what drives city development, so that we get better roads and so forth, so we have things like Zink Lake coming on the river. All of that development costs money, and one of the ways to do that is people spending money," he said.

Busby believes if you want to see Oklahoma, there is no better way than on Route 66. 

Bidding City of Tulsa on all three projects is expected to open by late summer.