March 1, 2026
Thank you so much for joining us on this photographic discovery journey today! We are excited to share our passion for the great state of Oklahoma, along with our craft of capturing unique views highlighting the wonders around us.
This informational page will provide context and history along the route to the places chosen to stop. Your party is welcome to travel with the caravan or venture off the path to explore the area. If you have any issues, please contact any of the CORE Team members listed on the handout in order for assistance.
The lead vehicles will use Google Maps, with the “Avoid Highways” option turned on for a more accurate journey along old US 66. We have created a map for you. Click below to open Google Maps on your mobile device.
Route 66 Park (Bethany, OK)
Route 66 Park in Bethany is the perfect “meet here, roll out together” kind of place—one foot in the calm of Lake Overholser and the other on the gas pedal of the Mother Road. Spread across 148 acres, the park gives you three ponds, wetland views, and a boardwalk-and-bridge setup with interpretive signage that makes it feel like a tiny outdoor Route 66 museum you can walk through with a camera in hand. The wetlands boardwalk itself is about 600 feet long and was recently rebuilt and reopened, which means it’s not just pretty—it’s a fresh little reminder that Route 66 is still being cared for, right here at home. As our starting line, it’s a great jumping-off point because we’re positioned to head east toward the northeast side of the metro where Route 66 threads into Oklahoma City’s ever-changing alignments—so take a deep breath, grab a quick “Route 66 meets big-sky Oklahoma” frame, and then let’s go chase the good stuff.
Lake Overholser Bridge
Lake Overholser Bridge is one of those stops where you can feel Route 66 rolling into Oklahoma City from the west—because this bridge was built right at the moment the state was figuring out how to move cars across big water, big weather, and big distances. Construction started in 1924 and it opened in August 1925, just ahead of Route 66’s official debut, with a then-impressive 20-foot-wide roadway and a distinctive 748-foot steel-truss design that mixes truss types in a way engineers still geek out over. The need was real: after the 1923 floods wiped out roads and bridges in the area, travelers were stuck using a ferry crossing near the river/reservoir until a proper bridge could be built. When Route 66 was announced the next year, this corridor helped carry drivers as they approached the city from Bethany—part of the constantly evolving “best way through OKC” story that later included beltline and city alignments like Britton → Western → 39th. And like Route 66 itself, the bridge has had a second life: it eventually lost its Route 66 role when a newer route bypassed it, but it was restored and reopened in 2011, so we still get to walk and shoot a working piece of Mother Road history—proof that sometimes the best stories don’t end, they just get reinforced with fresh steel and Oklahoma stubbornness.
Western Motel
The Western Motel in Bethany is a classic slice of Route 66 roadside comfort—one of those places that looks like it was designed by someone who understood the golden rule of the Mother Road: if your sign doesn’t make drivers turn their heads, you’re invisible. Sitting right on NW 39th Expressway (Historic 66), the motel’s layout is wonderfully old-school: 24 guest rooms split into two buildings with the office and a little green space in the middle—simple, practical, and nearly unchanged from its early days (aside from a canopy addition at the office drive). TravelOK even notes it still offers daily and weekly rates, which feels very Route 66 in the best way—whether you’re passing through for one night or accidentally deciding you’re a Bethany local now. And for photographers? That roadside presence is the real prize: a bold motel sign, strong lines, and that “pull over, breathe, and keep going” energy that makes Route 66 more than a road—it’s a mood.
Bedford Camera OKC
Bedford Camera & Video is more than a pit stop on our PhotoDrive—it’s a living part of Oklahoma City’s Route 66 story. This stretch of town has long been a “through-here-to-somewhere” corridor for travelers rolling in from the west, and today it’s still a gateway for photographers chasing light, stories, and the next great frame. When Bedford Camera & Video moved into the former Epperson Photo-Video location, they didn’t just inherit a building—they inherited a legacy. And one year after moving in, Bedford Camera & Video marked that milestone in the most Route 66 way possible: by making the outside of the building worth stopping for. Their commissioned mural panels—painted by local muralist Dr. Bob Palmer—turn the wall into a bold, vertical love letter to OKC: modern icons like the Crystal Bridge, Devon Tower, SkyDance Bridge, and the Survivor Tree, with a Route 66 nod woven in so you know exactly what road you’re on and why it matters. Even better, the plan included extra panels meant for the community—contests, photo-of-the-month features, rotating stories—so the mural isn’t just decoration, it’s a living bulletin board for image makers. And Bedford Camera doesn’t just support the photo community from behind the counter—they’ve helped build one of the biggest gathering points for photographers each year: PhotoCon OKC, their annual, hands-on photography convention and trade show held each October. PhotoCon is built around interactive learning—gear demos, vendor reps, speakers, photowalk energy, contests, and a whole lot of “try it right now” moments that feel like the modern version of Route 66 itself: pull over, jump in, experience something, and leave inspired.
Tower Theatre
Tower Theatre is the neon crown jewel of Uptown 23rd—and one of the best “Route 66 is alive in OKC” stops you can make with a camera in hand. The theatre opened in 1937 as a movie house, built for that era when a night at the cinema was an event: marquee lights, dressed-up crowds, and a sign designed to be spotted from down the block (or from a car rolling in on the Mother Road). Sitting right along an original stretch of Route 66 on NW 23rd Street, the Tower’s famous vertical sign has become a lighthouse for photographers—especially when it’s glowing at dusk, and the street starts to feel like a scene from an old travel postcard.
Like a lot of classic theatres, the Tower didn’t get a straight-line “happily ever after.” Uptown 23rd’s own history notes it closed in the late 1980s, then was purchased again in 2005, and later a major redevelopment push came when Pivot Project took over in 2014, helping turn the building back into a thriving live music and event venue—the entertainment anchor that helped spark the district’s revival. That comeback is very Route 66, honestly: a place takes a few hard turns, gets rescued by locals who care, and ends up even more iconic because of the story it survived.
Photo tip: treat the Tower like a movie set. Start low and go wide to let the neon own the frame, then grab one “story shot” with a person or car for scale. And if you’re wondering why the sidewalk feels a little extra around the sign—Route 66 Times even points out the area in front was extended to help protect that very cool marquee from getting clipped by passing traffic. Because nothing says “Route 66” like a landmark that’s still battling the modern road.
Milk Bottle Building
The Milk Bottle Building is one of OKC’s most lovable pieces of Route 66 weirdness—in the best way. The tiny, wedge-shaped brick shop at 2426 N Classen Blvd was built in 1930, planted on a skinny triangular lot where Classen slices through the city grid. And because Route 66 travelers were streaming right past this corridor, the owners did what every smart roadside business learned to do on the Mother Road: make the building impossible to ignore. In 1948, they added the giant milk bottle on top—basically a 1950s billboard with a roofline—and it worked. The bottle wasn’t just a decoration; it was a “hey, you, road-tripper—pull over” beacon aimed at automobile traffic along what was then part of the Route 66 alignment.
And here’s why Route 66 comes this way: Oklahoma City’s path through town shifted over the decades, but one of the most recognizable early city alignments ran NW 23rd Street to Classen Boulevard, then up to NW 39th—a practical, city-friendly route that connected services, neighborhoods, and “stop here” businesses built for drivers. Today, the Milk Bottle sits right in what TravelOK highlights as the Asian District, which makes this stop doubly fun: you’re photographing a Route 66 icon and the living, evolving city around it.
Just a stone’s throw away is another Route 66 head-turner: the Gold Dome at 23rd & Classen—a space-age geodesic landmark that’s famously photogenic… but also fenced off and not open to the public, so it’s best enjoyed from the sidewalk with a long lens and a little respect for the barriers.
Owl Court / Chuck’s Shave Shop
Owl Court is one of those Route 66 stops that rewards a second look—because it’s not just “an old building,” it’s a snapshot of how people actually traveled when the Mother Road was young. This spot in Old Britton sits right in the orbit of Route 66’s Beltline alignments, when the highway looped through Britton via Britton Road, tying into other city connectors like Western, Classen, and 39th. Back then, “tourist courts” and motor courts like Owl Court were built for the car culture boom—pull in, park close, sleep, then point the hood west at sunrise. Route 66 Times even preserves vintage advertising for “Owl Courts, Britton, Okla… on Highway 66 Bypass (Loop),” which tells you exactly how this place pitched itself to travelers: comfort, economy, and convenience.
The best part is the then-and-now twist: the address at 742 W Britton Rd is currently home to Chuck’s Shave Shop, an old-fashioned barbershop offering haircuts, beard trims, and straight-razor shaves—still a “pull off the road and reset” kind of stop, just with more hot towels and fewer room keys. For photographers, Owl Court is all about layers: shoot the bones of the old motor-court era, then look for modern details that prove Route 66 isn’t frozen in time—it’s still being reused, reimagined, and kept alive by the neighborhood around it.
Arcadia Round Barn
The Arcadia Round Barn is the kind of Route 66 stop that makes you pull over even if you didn’t plan to—because it’s not just photogenic, it’s downright improbable. Built in 1898 by local farmer William Harrison Odor, the barn’s curved rafters were made from green bur oak, soaked until pliable and then bent into shape—old-school engineering with Oklahoma grit baked in. Long before Route 66 came through Arcadia in the 1920s, the barn was already a community landmark (including a second level used as a gathering space), and when the Mother Road arrived, it simply inherited the perfect roadside icon. After decades of wear, the roof collapsed in 1988, but here’s the part we love most: a committed crew of volunteers stepped in, rebuilt it using many original construction methods, and reopened it to the public in 1992—earning a National Preservation Honor Award for the restoration effort. Today it stands as one of the most recognizable landmarks on Oklahoma’s Route 66—proof that sometimes the best “old places” aren’t just preserved… they’re rescued, rebuilt, and handed forward.
Chicken Shack
Chicken Shack in Arcadia is one of those “new-school Route 66” stops that still feels perfectly on-brand for the Mother Road: easy to find, full of personality, and built for groups who want to park it for a bit and swap stories. Their Arcadia spot sits right on Historic Route 66 with that laid-back, backyard-hangout vibe—shade trees, courtyard energy, and the kind of place where it’s totally normal to pull out your phone/camera and start a mini slideshow of the day’s best frames. The star of the show is their broasted (pressure-fried) chicken—crispy outside, juicy inside—and the place has developed a following for a few crowd-pleasers people rave about, like pork chops, Sriracha bourbon wings, and comfort-food sides (their green beans get shout-outs too). And if you’ve got a sweet tooth, keep an eye out for dessert favorites like banana pudding, because nothing says “we earned this meal” like finishing a Route 66 PhotoDrive with something classic and a little indulgent.
POPS 66
POPS 66 is the grand finale we save for after dinner—because this place was practically built for night photography. Inside, it’s a full-on soda wonderland with “bubbly drinks of every color and flavor,” from classic glass-bottle favorites to the wonderfully questionable stuff you buy purely for bragging rights (yes, the wacky flavors are part of the fun). And outside? The main character is that 66-foot-tall soda bottle, which lights up with multicolor LEDs once the sun drops—basically a Route 66 beacon that turns Arcadia into a neon postcard. This is where we slow down, breathe, and let the cameras work: wide hero shots with the bottle towering overhead, reflections in the glass and pavement, silhouettes under the glow—and maybe a “soda flight” in hand so your photos can prove you didn’t just come for the lights (even though you totally did).
Thank You for Joining Us
We hope you had a blast on this Route 66 PhotoDrive—rolling through the OKC metro, chasing neon and nostalgia, and grabbing frames that feel like they belong in a road-trip storybook. Whether you nailed that “perfect” shot or walked away with a camera full of happy accidents, we’re glad you joined us. Most of all, we hope you picked up a few curious Route 66 tidbits along the way, met some good humans, and left with that same spark that keeps pulling us back out onto the Mother Road.
Now let’s keep the momentum going. Upload your favorites (and the fun “almost” shots too!) to our Flickr Group so we can all share, learn, and cheer each other on. [FLICKR GROUP] And if you want to keep the Oklahoma conversation going—new places to explore, future PhotoDrive ideas, photo tips, and local history—join our RDP Facebook Group.
Travel safe on the way home, take your time, and keep sharing your passion and joy with the people around you. The road’s always better when we travel it together.