Will Rogers Archway
| Will Rogers Archway | |
|---|---|
 A view from the western parking lot circa 2006; the statue of Will Rogers can just be seen in front of the building. | |
| General information | |
| Type | Service plaza |
| Town or city | Vinita, Oklahoma |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 36°37′24″N 95°08′53″W / 36.62331°N 95.14803°W |
| Opened | 1957 |
The Will Rogers Archway, originally named the Glass House Restaurant and still nicknamed "The Glass House",[1][2] is a 29,135-square-foot (2,706.7 m2)[3] service station that spans the Will Rogers Turnpike section of Interstate 44 (I-44) near Vinita, Oklahoma. Previously operating as a McDonald's restaurant, it was notable as the first bridge restaurant in the world and as an example of a U.S. roadside restaurant. When it was solely a McDonald's, it was the world's largest McDonald's before the current largest McDonald's in the world located in Orlando, Florida was built.
The archway also features a Kum & Go (previously a Phillips 66)[4] gas station.
The building and service plaza closed on June 4, 2013, for a $14.6 million renovation.[5] At its grand reopening on December 22, 2014, it was renamed from "Glass House Restaurant" to "Will Rogers Archway",[6] although the renaming was actually officiated in August 2014.[2] McDonald's still operates in the archway post-renovation, but it is now joined by a separate Subway franchise in the building.[2]
At the front of the west anchor stands a statue of Will Rogers. The building contains a small Will Rogers museum.[7]
Gallery
Pre-2014 renovation
Stairwell inside of the west anchor
Inside the McDonald's looking northwest
Looking toward the counter on the east side of the restaurant
References
- ^ "Will Rogers Archway". Timberlake Construction. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Will Rogers Archway". Travel Oklahoma. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
- ^ Matthews, Peter; Dunkley McCarthy, Michelle; Young, Mark (CON) (1994). The Guinness Book of Records. Facts on File. ISBN 9780816026456.
- ^ Witzel, Michael Karl (2018). Strange 66: Myth, Mystery, Mayhem, and Other Weirdness on Route 66. Voyageur Press. pp. 86–. ISBN 978-0-7603-6517-5.
- ^ "Renovations". Archived from the original on 2015-02-07. Retrieved 2015-02-07.
- ^ "Iconic arch over Will Rogers Turnpike reopens". Tulsa World. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ^ King, Thomas (2003). The Truth about Stories: A Native Narrative. House of Anansi Press. pp. 41–. ISBN 978-0-88784-696-0.