What Route 66 attraction in Catoosa, Oklahoma, is shaped like a giant blue whale?

The Blue Whale of Catoosa is the giant blue-whale attraction beside Route 66 in Catoosa, Oklahoma.

Hugh Davis built the concrete-and-steel whale in the early 1970s as a birthday gift for his wife, Zelta. It stood in a pond at a small recreational park and quickly became a recognizable roadside landmark for Route 66 travelers.

The whale originally formed part of a swimming and picnic attraction. Visitors could enter the structure, climb on it, and use the surrounding pond. Although the original park later closed, the whale survived and became one of Oklahoma’s best-known pieces of Route 66 roadside architecture.

The attraction is sometimes described simply as the Catoosa Whale, but its standard name is the Blue Whale of Catoosa. Its bright color, oversized form, and location beside the historic highway make it an especially memorable example of roadside Americana.