One aspect of American society that saw a dramatic change following World War II was the popular architectural styles used for all types of buildings. Prior to the war, the Victorian style and related variations, which became popular in the nineteenth century and often had a high degree of ornamentation, continued to dominate architecture. However, the styles began to shift just before the war with the rise of styles such as Streamline Moderne and Art Moderne.

Following the war, the design philosophy of clean lines and little ornamentation, which was heavily influenced by the rise of the auto culture, came into vogue. It also became important for businesses to attract the attention of highway travelers driving at higher rates of speed. Thus, there was a dramatic change in the architecture of many buildings. Restaurants and gas stations, for example, were designed with bold, exaggerated roof lines in the Googie style. Although it is a late example, the former truck stop restaurant which is currently the Stone & Stucco Company, located at 8402 N I-35 Service Road reflects the Googie style.

The other shift in the built environment that became highly visible along Route 66 was the transition from the cabin camps and cottage or tourist courts of the early twentieth century to the motel. The primary difference was that all the lodging rooms, and often the office too, were under one roof, rather than being individual buildings. Parking was provided in a large lot in front or to the side of the motel and was often surrounding a swimming pool and/or playground in the middle of the parking lot. Large, elaborate signs in front of the motels were designed to attract travelers’ attention. Many also included neon so as to be highly visible to the weary, late-night traveler looking for a place to rest for the night.

These new motels were typically built at the edges of cities; in some cases, such as along N.W. 39th Street between State Highway 74 and Bethany, they were built in a row, one next to the other along the highway. 

Although it was not located directly on an alignment of Route 66, the former Luster’s Modern Motel, now known as the Deluxe Inn, stills stands at 3402 N.E. 23rd Street as an example of a mid-twentieth century motel that served Black travelers using Route 66 prior to the Civil Rights Movement. New restaurants were also constructed near the motels to provide travelers convenient options for meals.

Although it is no longer extant, the Suntide Motel, which was located at 3200 N.W. 39th Street, exemplified the motel and restaurant combination.

The rise of the motels, franchise restaurants, and company-owned or franchised gas stations following World War II marked the end of many mom-and-pop businesses that had managed to survive the war years or reopened after the war was over.

The post-World War II period also ushered in a new wave of tourist attractions that were often sited along major highways to attract visitors. Two prime examples in Oklahoma City are Frontier City and the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Originally known as the Cowboy Hall of Fame, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum was founded in 1955, and it soon became an important cultural icon in Oklahoma City. It was built atop a hill overlooking the Route 66 Bypass, and it continues to attract many visitors each year.

In 1958, James Burge who directed the Oklahoma Semi-Centennial Exposition of 1957, opened Frontier City along the Route 66 Bypass (present-day I-35). The amusement park included rides and concessions oriented around a frontier theme. It has changed owners over time, and rides have been updated, but it remains today as an important component of Oklahoma City’s tourism and entertainment industries.

*This content is excerpted word for word from the Route 66 in Oklahoma City Historic Context Project Report (2020), prepared by Blanton and Associates for the City of Oklahoma City. The complete report is available online here: https://www.okhistory.org/shpo/docs/okcrt66.pdf. This report has been financed in part with federal funds from the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service (NPS). The contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the reviews or policies of NPS, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation by NPS.