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All the United States Oklahoma Catoosa Blue Whale of Catoosa

Blue Whale of Catoosa

Nature's biggest mammal swims in landlocked Oklahoma.

Catoosa, Oklahoma

Added By
ser flac
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The Blue Whale of Catoosa, OK   fritzjeff / Atlas Obscura User
Smiling blue whale of Catoosa   Caveman Chuck Coker/Flickr
  lemieuxruibal / Atlas Obscura User
Picnic area near the blue whale   alandberning/Flickr
Surprisingly well kept for a Route 66 relic   notoriousFIG / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
Inside the belly of the whale   randylane/Flickr
Children used to swim off the whale’s deck   electrasteph/Flickr
12-12-20   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
Inside the head of the whale 4-2-22   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
Romantic entrance to the whale park   morganmorgan/Flickr
4-2-22   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
The Whale - again   jevonfange01 / Atlas Obscura User
Walkway Entrance Sign   jevonfange01 / Atlas Obscura User
Locations on Route 66   jevonfange01 / Atlas Obscura User
History Sign   jevonfange01 / Atlas Obscura User
Picnic Area   jevonfange01 / Atlas Obscura User
The Whale   jevonfange01 / Atlas Obscura User
Locations on Route 66   jevonfange01 / Atlas Obscura User
Road Entrance Sign   jevonfange01 / Atlas Obscura User
Gate to the Whale! [Taken April 2013]   donnatalarico / Atlas Obscura User
Christmastime means Santa hats!  
3-5-21   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
12-12-20   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
12-12-20   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
12-12-20   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
12-12-20   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
  cait7911 / Atlas Obscura User
  cait7911 / Atlas Obscura User
  cait7911 / Atlas Obscura User
The Blue Whale - Catoosa, OK 5/2024  
In all it’s glory   jugshunt71 / Atlas Obscura User
  cait7911 / Atlas Obscura User
12-2-23   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
12-2-23   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
12-2-23   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
12-2-23   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
Body shot   ohboylroy / Atlas Obscura User
The old ark   ohboylroy / Atlas Obscura User
Front entry   ohboylroy / Atlas Obscura User
  lemieuxruibal / Atlas Obscura User
With the christmas lights on taken december 2019   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
  smileyme81 / Atlas Obscura User
Welcome to the Blue Whale of Catoosa   RBAR / Atlas Obscura User
12-2-23   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
12-2-23   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
12-2-23   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
12-2-23   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
11-26-23   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
11-26-23   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
  SemiruralYeti / Atlas Obscura User
  80schic84 / Atlas Obscura User
  80schic84 / Atlas Obscura User
The area   jevonfange01 / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Hugh Davis built the Blue Whale of Catoosa for his wife as a 34th wedding anniversary present in 1972. Since then, the smiling whale has greeted visitors cruising down Route 66 and has become a major hub for visitors passing through Oklahoma.

Although Davis had his wife in mind when he built “Blue,” he was also considering the neighborhood children. Prior to building the whale, Davis had built two petting zoos, one filled with cats and the other, known as the “Ark,” filled with reptiles. After noticing children swimming in a pond near their property on Route 66, Davis decided to build the whale as a gift to his wife, and as a swim dock for children looking to dive and slide into the old pond.

The Davis’s maintained the whale through the 1980s and even had a small concession stand at the pond. However, after Hugh Davis passed away, the whale began to fall into disrepair and was not restored until 1988, when his son Blaine took up the project. Fixing damage from vandals and repairing the decaying cement, Blaine Davis restored the happy whale, and it has now smiled at visitors for over 40 years.

Related Tags

Outsider Art Statues Route 66 Whales Animals

Know Before You Go

The whale is located east of downtown Catoosa on Route 66.

Community Contributors

Added By

serflac

Edited By

atimian, RBAR, notoriousFIG, ohboylroy...

  • atimian
  • RBAR
  • notoriousFIG
  • ohboylroy
  • Collector of Experiences
  • lemieuxruibal
  • fritzjeff
  • 80schic84
  • cait7911
  • donnatalarico
  • Darrell Powers
  • SemiruralYeti
  • jugshunt71
  • etaylor5842
  • jevonfange01
  • smileyme81
  • dgmcpeek

Published

September 22, 2011

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Sources
  • http://newsok.com/catoosa-oklahomas-blue-whale-still-grinning-over-national-attention/article/3496854
  • http://www.theroadwanderer.net/66Oklahoma/catoosa.htm
Blue Whale of Catoosa
2705 N Highway 66
Catoosa, Oklahoma, 74015
United States
36.193873, -95.732933
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

D.W. Correll Museum

Catoosa, Oklahoma

miles away

Golden Driller

Tulsa, Oklahoma

miles away

Jamil's Steakhouse

Tulsa, Oklahoma

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Catoosa

Catoosa

Oklahoma

Places 2
Stories 1

Nearby Places

D.W. Correll Museum

Catoosa, Oklahoma

miles away

Golden Driller

Tulsa, Oklahoma

miles away

Jamil's Steakhouse

Tulsa, Oklahoma

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Catoosa

Catoosa

Oklahoma

Places 2
Stories 1

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