Route 66 Historical Village

Route 66 Historical Village. . The Route 66 Historical Village presents an open-air collection of railroad, transportation, and oil industry artifacts, painstakingly restored, along with other replica features. To honor the legacy of the industries that built Tulsa and to provide an interactive learning experience for visitors, the Southwest Tulsa Chamber of Commerce initiated a concept development in 2005 for what became the Route 66 Historical Village. Partnering with the City of Tulsa and Tulsa County for Vision 2025 funds and the Oklahoma Centennial Commission for a Centennial grant, the Southwest Tulsa Chamber's partners also included community businesses and dedicated volunteers. This property was acquired, and the site improved for future installations of historic and thematic attractions.

The Red Fork Centennial Derrick was designed, engineered, fabricated, and erected in 2009; funded by the Oklahoma Centennial Commission grant symbolizing discovery of oil at Red Fork in 1901. Red Fork Centennial Oil Derrick was designed from photographs of early steel rigs in the Glenn Pool field. Rising to a height of 154 feet, at the time, it was the tallest such derrick in North America.

The steam locomotive engine and its tender, the Meteor/Frisco 4500, were built in 1942 for the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway (Frisco). It provided passenger service between Oklahoma City and St. Louis via Tulsa until early 1948 when it was demoted to freight service. It was retired in 1950. In 1954, the engine was donated to the City of Tulsa for display in Mohawk Park. It was later staged in downtown Tulsa for careful restoration by railroad and community volunteers. Town West Sertoma provided essential support during the restoration efforts. It was moved through downtown Tulsa to the Route 66 Historical Village in 2011 with the assistance of the South Kansas and Oklahoma Lines (SKOL), the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, and Tulsa Sapulpa Union Railway.

A tree planted on the east side of the park is a sapling from the Muscogee-Creek Nation's Council Oak Tree located at 198 W. 18th Street. Both the original tree, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and its sapling planted at this site commemorate the Muscogee Indian Nation, original modern settlers to this land in 1836.