Tulsa in Tulsa County, Oklahoma — The American South (West South Central)
Crystal City
Tulsa's Historic Route 66
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 22, 2019
1. Crystal City Marker
Inscription.
Crystal City. . Amusement parks became popular in the early 1900s. Building on the array of entertainment options offered by the traveling circus, the typical amusement park featured a midway full of games, sideshows, and exhibits; mechanical rides and indoor spaces for dancing, watching performances, and eating. Tulsa's first amusement park, Orcutt Park, opened on the southeast side of the city in 1907. Electric Park opened in Red Fork near the intersection of Sapulpa Road (Southwest Boulevard) and West 43rd Street in 1921. Strategically located along the western course of the Interurban line, Electric Park offered rides, concessions, and a swimming pool with a man-made beach for lounging.
William Falkenberg established a second amusement park, Crystal City, next to Electric Park in 1929, a location then enhanced by the designation of Sapulpa Road (Southwest Boulevard) as part of Route 66. As he expanded Crystal City with new rides and entertainment, it eventually absorbed Electric Park, creating a 30-acre wonderland. At its peak, patrons enjoyed thrills on 22 rides, including a Ferris wheel, Tilt-a-Whirl, Loop-a-Plane, and "Dodgem" cars, as well as Zingo, one of the largest wooden roller coasters in the state. There was also a bath house and what was then the largest swimming pool in Oklahoma. A miniature golf course, a miniature train and station, and the famed Casa Loma dance hall rounded out the experience.
During its heyday in the 1940s, as many as 15,000 people a day visited Crystal City on holidays and special occasions. As its popularity waned after World War II, owner John C. Mullins closed Crystal City in 1948. Fires during the off season proved fatal to the once-vibrant amusement park. After the bath house and Casa Loma burned in 1956, Crystal City closed for good. Some of the rides were saved and moved to Lakeview Amusement Park (4100 N. Harvard). Bell's Amusement Park on Tulsa's east side named its roller coaster Zingo in honor of its Crystal City predecessor. Investors quickly purchased and cleared the site, preparing it for construction of the Crystal City Shopping Center.
Amusement parks became popular in the early 1900s.
Building on the array of entertainment options offered by the
traveling circus, the typical amusement park featured a midway
full of games, sideshows, and exhibits; mechanical rides and
indoor spaces for dancing, watching performances, and eating.
Tulsa's first amusement park, Orcutt Park, opened on the
southeast side of the city in 1907. Electric Park opened in
Red Fork near the intersection of Sapulpa Road (Southwest
Boulevard) and West 43rd Street in 1921. Strategically located
along the western course of the Interurban line, Electric Park
offered rides, concessions, and a swimming pool with a
man-made beach for lounging.
William Falkenberg established a second amusement park,
Crystal City, next to Electric Park in 1929, a location then
enhanced by the designation of Sapulpa Road (Southwest
Boulevard) as part of Route 66. As he expanded Crystal City
with new rides and entertainment, it eventually absorbed
Electric Park, creating a 30-acre wonderland. At its peak,
patrons enjoyed thrills on 22 rides, including a Ferris wheel,
Tilt-a-Whirl, Loop-a-Plane, and "Dodgem" cars, as well as Zingo,
one of the largest wooden roller coasters in the state.
There was also a bath house and what was then the largest
swimming pool in Oklahoma. A miniature golf course, a
miniature train and station, and the famed Casa Loma dance
hall rounded out the experience.
During its heyday in the 1940s, as many as 15,000 people
a day visited Crystal City on holidays and special occasions.
As its popularity waned after World War II, owner John C.
Mullins closed Crystal City in 1948. Fires during the off season
proved fatal to the once-vibrant amusement park. After the
bath house and Casa Loma burned in 1956, Crystal City closed
for good. Some of the rides were saved and moved to Lakeview
Amusement Park (4100 N. Harvard). Bell's Amusement Park on
Tulsa's east side named its roller coaster Zingo in honor of its
Crystal City predecessor. Investors quickly purchased and
cleared the site, preparing it for construction of the
Crystal City Shopping Center.
Erected 2019
Click or scan to see this page online
by Tulsa Route 66 Commission. (Marker Number 29.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Parks & Recreational Areas. In addition, it is included in the U.S. Route 66 series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1907.
Location. 36° 6.126′ N, 96° 1.588′ W. Marker is in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in Tulsa County. It is on Southwest Boulevard north of West 43rd Place, on the right when traveling north. Located in front of the Crystal City Shopping Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4261 Southwest Boulevard, Tulsa OK 74107, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Oklahoma’s Muscogee Nation and specifically in the Cherokee Nation. It is also in the American South, specifically on the prairies, and on the Southern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within
Also see . . . Crystal City Amusement Park. BatesLine website entry (Submitted on March 2, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 22, 2019
3. Reverse side of the Crystal City Marker and Tulsa Route 66 West Gateway.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 2, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 1, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 2,681 times since then and 178 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on November 1, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
