Due to liability issues, swimming is no longer permitted, but individuals and families are welcome to picnic and fish (catch and release) on the grounds.Īfter Hugh and Zelta passed away, the Blue Whale in Oklahoma fell into disrepair and became a target for vandals. Initially intended for family, the whale’s popularity was wide-spread and it quickly became an attraction for the general public to swim, picnic and fish. The whale was completed in 1972 and presented to Davis’ wife Zelta as a 34th-anniversary present. The total cost for the whale that took two years to complete, is estimated to just under $2000. It was constructed from an iron skeleton that took a friend, Harold Thomas, 100 hours to weld and concrete which took Davis nearly 3,000 hours to apply one five-gallon bucket at a time. “Blue” as the blue whale in Catoosa is dubbed by locals, measures 20-feet tall and 80-feet long. These two attractions remain on the property and while you’re welcome to take photos from afar, exploring the ark is forbidden.

Davis had built an attraction prior to constructing the whale of Catoosa which served as the Animal Reptile Kingdom or A.R.K. A zoologist and former director at the Tulsa Zoo, Davis was passionate about sharing his love of animals with the community. The attraction is open from dawn to dusk, but even if you arrive a bit later and find the gate locked, you can still get a glimpse of the Catoosa whale through the fence.Ĭonstruction started on this iconic Route 66 tourist attraction in 1970 by Hugh Davis. Keep your eyes out for the Blue Whale on the left side of the road as some visitors have expressed that it’s easy to pass. The Blue Whale of Catoosa is located east of the small town of Catoosa on Route 66 and about 20 minutes from downtown Tulsa. The site did not disappoint and now ranks with one of my all-time favorite quirky roadside stops. On a recent solo trip to Tulsa, I finally managed to mark the blue whale on Route 66 off my ever-growing list of must-see roadside attractions. You’ll have to read this post to see how well that stop went. We did stop to see the famous cars embedded in the earth but sadly, that stop didn’t turn out as I expected either. Crazy, huh? But one of my biggest regrets from that trip was that we didn’t squeeze in time to see the Blue Whale of Catoosa – THE roadside attraction that I wanted to see more than any other except Cadillac Ranch. Somehow, we managed to seek out some fun roadside attractions and make it to California in four days. Since family travel is all about compromise, our trip became a strange Route 66/Interstate mix. My children, on the other hand, had a very different goal to reach California in record time. To see as many roadside attractions as I could possibly see in two weeks. Each year my travels take me to a diverse array of beautiful and iconic locations on a pursuit to fulfill what I believe is my photographic mission to capture and convey the beauty of our world to a world ever more in need of beauty.When my family set out from our home in Ohio to travel parts of Route 66 on our way to California several years ago, I had one goal in mind. Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, I, along with my wife and two children, now call Northwest Arkansas home. My clients often mention that they gain a deeper appreciation of a particular piece of art with each passing glance.

Since then, I have been perfecting my art, never being satisfied with “good” when “great” is achievable through paying attention to the most minute of details. I started merging those priceless lessons to express my artistic passion through the lens in my mid-twenties. I fondly recall learning to appreciate the finer details of creating quality art from my grandmother while painting and drawing with her in the family studio. My passion for art started at a young age. Self-taught in the fields of digital photography and graphic design, my work has become sought after for my ability to push the boundaries of dynamic light and skilled usage of bold contrasts and ethereal tones. Since becoming captured by the joys of fine art photography over two decades ago, I have since been developing my authentic style of capturing sweeping landscapes and nostalgic architectures.

Blue whale of catoosa