In recent days, workers have installed three replicas of classic neon signs that once stood along Route 66 in Tulsa.
Replicas of the Will Rogers Motor Court, Oil Capital Motel and Tulsa Auto Court signs were installed in a small park on the south end of the historic 11th Street Bridge that once carried Route 66 over the Arkansas River.
Steve Clem took a few photos of the installation as it was occurring:
The Tulsa Route 66 Commission also posted some information about the replica signs:
The commission stated a formal lighting ceremony will be announced at a later date once electrical work on the signs is finished.
However, Oklahoma Route 66 Association President Rhys Martin offered a bit of a sneak preview some days ago:
The neon-sign park was announced two years ago. The commission stated it wanted those three signs to represent east Tulsa, west Tulsa and the Admiral Place sections of Route 66. The Will Rogers Motor Court sat on Tulsa’s east side, the Oil Capital Motel stood on the west side, and the Tulsa Auto Court operated on Admiral Place.
The project was funded with Vision 2025 sales-tax funds that were approved by voters in 2003. It is the last remaining Vision 2025 project for Route 66 in Tulsa County.
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Great to see!
They look great! I just hope they avoid vandalism, and the area is safe for visitors.
Looks like a cross-walk leading to it…parking is just across the street? I can’t tell form the site plan posted on 4/20/20.
Should be Ok during the day, but naturally one would like to see them at night… Dont count on the ‘no vandalism’ tho.. 🙁
Does anyone know if these are lit at night at present?
Barring any sort of mechanical issue, yes.
I grew up on 89th street, one block away from the Tulsa Auto Court. I remember it well as it once was. Dang shame what it is now….