The Blue Whale of Catoosa

One of the strangest but most well known attractions on Route 66 is the Blue Whale of Catoosa. The enormous oddity stays eternally smiling at all passers by and has become a tourist sensation that is now known worldwide

The story starts in the early 1970s when Hugh Davis, a retired director of the Tulsa Zoo, sought to surprise his wife, Zelta, with a special anniversary gift. Zelta loved collecting whale figurines so And so he began constructing the 80-foot-long Blue Whale by hand! It was crafted from concrete and rebar and sat in the  at a spring-fed pond near Catoosa

Originally only intended for family use, many locals found themselves drawn to the spring and it's Blue behemoth, and eventually Davis opened the attraction up to the public after 

The attraction was dubbed 'Natures Acre's' and Davis continued to add onto it. Such additions included 'A.R.K' (Animal Reptile Kingdom). Hugh's brother-in-law, Indian Chief Wolf-Robe Hunt, was also featured as a guest in the park

By the late 80s it was difficult for the Davises to manage the park and they ended up closing it off from the public in 1988. Hugh died in 1990, and Zelta died in 2001.  But Thanks to their son, Blaine Davis and dedicated restoration groups, The Blue Whale was reopened to the public in 2003 and is smiling brighter than ever as a continued Route 66 tradition for the public to enjoy!