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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.
Map
Restaurant information
Established1957
Street address767 Will Rogers Turnpike
CityVinita
CountyCraig County
StateOklahoma
Postal/ZIP Code74301
CountryUnited States
Coordinates36°37′24″N 95°08′53″W / 36.62331°N 95.14803°W / 36.62331; -95.14803

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 opened over a U.S. highway[4] 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)[5] gas station.

The building and service plaza closed on June 4, 2013, for a $14.6 million renovation.[6] At its grand reopening on December 22, 2014, it was renamed from "Glass House Restaurant" to "Will Rogers Archway",[7] 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.[8]

Pre-2014 renovation

  • Stairwell inside of the west anchor
    Stairwell inside of the west anchor
  • Inside the McDonald's looking northwest
    Inside the McDonald's looking northwest
  • Looking toward the counter on the east side of the restaurant
    Looking toward the counter on the east side of the restaurant

References

  1. ^ "Will Rogers Archway". Timberlake Construction. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Will Rogers Archway". Travel Oklahoma. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  3. ^ Matthews, Peter; Dunkley McCarthy, Michelle; Young, Mark (CON) (1994). The Guinness Book of Records. Facts on File. ISBN 9780816026456.
  4. ^ "Glass House Oral History Project". library.okstate.edu. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ "Renovations". Archived from the original on February 7, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  7. ^ "Iconic arch over Will Rogers Turnpike reopens". Tulsa World. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  8. ^ King, Thomas (2003). The Truth about Stories: A Native Narrative. House of Anansi Press. pp. 41–. ISBN 978-0-88784-696-0.
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