Oklahoma’s Blue Whale Is Getting Ready For Route 66’s Centennial

There are roadside attractions, and then there’s the Blue Whale of Catoosa.

At some point over the last fifty years, that giant smiling whale quietly crossed over from “weird thing off Route 66” into full-blown Oklahoma legend status. People who’ve never even driven through the state somehow still recognize it. It’s been in movies, travel guides, documentaries, Instagram posts, and probably a million family photo albums sitting in old closets right now.

And now the whale is getting another facelift just in time for the upcoming Route 66 centennial celebration.

A newly restored sign for the Blue Whale recently made headlines after being installed along the old highway near Catoosa, giving people their first real look at the ongoing renovation work happening around one of Oklahoma’s most recognizable roadside landmarks.

Even if you’ve never been there yourself, you’ve probably at least heard about it at some point in life. It’s one of those landmarks that is more out of place in Oklahoma than most, but it still sort of makes total sense.

The Blue Whale started back in the early 1970s when Hugh Davis built it as an anniversary gift for his wife. Which still might be the most Oklahoma Route 66 story imaginable.

Some people buy flowers, others book dinner reservations...

This guy built an actual whale.

In time, it became a popular swimming hole and roadside stop along Route 66.

While Oklahoma may have a soft spot for it as a historic roadside thing, like a lot of old Route 66 attractions, nothing escapes the aging process. So every once in a while, restoration work becomes necessary if you want the thing to survive another generation.

That’s where this latest renovation project comes in.

The Blue Whale has been undergoing improvements ahead of Route 66 turning 100 in 2026, which Oklahoma is leaning into heavily as tourism officials prepare for what will probably be one of the biggest years the Mother Road has seen in decades.

And honestly, it makes sense to put extra attention on the whale.

You can argue about the “most iconic” Route 66 stop in Oklahoma all day long, but the Blue Whale is absolutely in that conversation. Right alongside places like Pops, the Round Barn, and the old neon Chrysler sign they just fixed up.

That’s the charm in it.

It's not polished. Not corporate. Not designed by a marketing team. It's just a random giant blue whale sitting beside the road because somebody thought it would make people smile.

And all these years later, it still does.

The Blue Whale’s official grand reopening celebration is scheduled for later this month as restoration work continues, wrapping up ahead of the Route 66 centennial festivities.