Interactive Route 66 museum, drive-in theater pushing for 2022 groundbreaking
TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — There's a renewed push to add an interactive tourist destination along Tulsa's Cry Baby Hill, dedicated to all things Route 66.
"The Route 66 Experience" is a project that's been in talks for years, but there is new hope they will break ground sometime in 2022. It's described as an immersive experience to learn about the Mother Road and would include a museum, gift shop, restaurant, hotel, and drive-in theater.
The site is an empty hill and parking lot at the intersection of Southwest Boulevard and Riverside Drive near the Cyrus Avery bridge.
"If it had not been for him [Avery], and his vision, Route 66 would have never come to Tulsa, let alone Oklahoma," said Ken Busby, Executive Director for the Route 66 Alliance.
But it's no secret that some are wondering if this project will ever come to life. It has evolved more than once.
"It starts and stops, starts and stops, that's just life, right," said Busby.
Busby says recently adding the hotel and restaurant component to what was originally a stand-alone museum has given the project new life. He says they have also gotten a lot of support from Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell, who has dedicated a lot of his time to promoting tourism and Route 66.
Organizers are working with Tulsa Tough to use the proposed drive-in screen as a "Jumbotron" during the cycling event. And, for other times of the year, they've partnered with Circle Cinema to showcase dozens of films that include Route 66 references.
The new open date is scheduled for 2024. The goal is to be a well-oiled machine for the centennial celebration of Route 66 in 2026.
"International audiences are already making plans to come to America in 2026," said Busby. "We want to be ready for that."
