The Oklahoma Historical Society launched a smartphone-optimized Oklahoma’s Historic Route 66 Mobile Tour website this week.
The website provides information, maps, photos, audio clips, global-positioning system alerts, and other features of 72 historic sites along Route 66 in Oklahoma.
The site was developed by OnCell, which specializes in mobile tour programs. The OnCell app can be downloaded for iPhone, iPad, and Android systems, and the Route 66 mobile tour also is available there.
The office said in a news release:
Through the SHPO’s programs, dozens of Route 66 roadbed segments, bridges, service stations, motels, cafes, and related landmarks are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Many of them continue to serve travelers, while others are vacant for now, rapidly deteriorating, or already lost to us. There are many ongoing efforts to protect our state’s Route 66 legacy and share it with visitors from around the world. Our mobile tour is designed to enhance these efforts by explaining the significance of each of these places. Museums that tell the Route 66 story are also featured in the tour.
Melvena Heisch, deputy officer at the state’s Historic Preservation Office, said in an email that brochures publicizing the mobile site were shipped Monday to Route 66 sites, including the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Route 66 Interpretive Center in Chandler, and the National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, along with Route 66 communities participating in the state’s Main Street program.
Here are a few screen shots of the mobile-optimized program:
The mobile site is a bit rudimentary in spots, but works well. Best of all, it contains a lot of valuable historical information about many of Route 66’s historic sites. At the least, the site will prove useful to researchers.
The Historic Preservation Office also has a dedicated web page to a full list of the tour stops, including QR codes to the audio files. A screen shot from that page:
The main site also includes a basic state map to all the sites, and a mobile version of the basic map as well.
The mobile tour can also be accessed by calling 405-415-0626, then keying in prompts to listen to stories about selected Route 66 historic sites.