The Tulsa Arts Commission recently approved plans for a 66-foot fiberglass dinosaur that will be installed at Howard Park along Route 66.
News on 6 in Tulsa reported:
The statue will be built by the same creators behind the popular Buck Atom and Stella Atom figures on 11th Street, which have become standout landmarks and selfie spots for locals and tourists alike.
This new installation is expected to add a similar boost to Tulsa, where city leaders hope more public art will bring visibility and foot traffic.
Organizers say about half of the funding for the dinosaur is already secured. Additional fundraising efforts are underway, and the statue still needs a few more approvals before construction can begin.
They want to unveil the dinosaur during Route 66’s centennial in 2026.
Howard Park, which sits next to the Southwest Boulevard alignment of Route 66, dates to 1928.
The park also sits near an oil refinery — one of several in the area — operated by HF Sinclair Corporation. A green dinosaur long has been a mascot of Sinclair gas stations, which I suspect is the inspiration of the 66-foot statue that’s being planned.
(Screen-capture image from News on 6 video of an artist’s rendering of the 66-foot dinosaur planned for Howard Park in Tulsa)