The new visitor center at the landmark Blue Whale site in Catoosa, Oklahoma, is quickly taking shape, and construction there is expected to be finished by April 15.
News on 6 in Tulsa reported that the final piece of steel for the revamped visitor center building was raised into place last week.
The so-called topping out ceremony was attended by city leaders, project partners, Route 66 fans and officials from the Route 66 Alliance and Route 66 Commission.
Catoosa Mayor Greg Williams told KJRH-TV that the construction company set a completion date for April 15 — before tourism season.
The city received a $1.8 million grant from the Oklahoma Route 66 Commission to transform the Blue Whale site off Route 66, especially the visitors center, with neon lighting and other attractions.
Longtime Tulsa-area zookeeper Hugh Davis hand-made the Blue Whale from concrete and shaped rebar in 1970 as an anniversary gift to his wife.
The Blue Whale and its spring-fed pond became a popular swimming hole for locals and travelers along Route 66 alike.
It closed about 1988 and fell into disrepair until it was restored in the early 2000s.
Blaine Davis, Hugh’s son, was the caretaker of the property for many years until the city purchased it in 2021.
(Screen-capture image of News on 6 video of ongoing construction at the Blue Whale)