Route 66 Interpretive Center

Route 66 Interpretive Center

We visit a one-of-a-kind interactive media museum showcasing Route 66 that makes Chandler a place to visit rather than a place to pass through.

Chandler, Oklahoma

Chandler, Oklahoma, by Wikipedia / CC BY SA 3.0

Chandler, Oklahoma

Chandler is a city in and the county seat of Lincoln County, Oklahoma, United States. and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area. The population was 3,100 at the 2010 census, an increase from 2,842 at the 2000 census.

Chandler is located northeast of Oklahoma City on SH-66 and I-44, and north of Shawnee on SH-18.

Chandler was named after Judge George Chandler, a member of Congress and Assistant Secretary of the Interior. The site of Chandler was opened by a land run on September 28, 1891. The town had been planned to be opened on September 22, (the date of the Land Run of 1891) but the site survey had not been completed. The Chandler Post Office had opened September 21, the day before the planned run. When Oklahoma Territory County A (Lincoln County) was organized, Chandler became the county seat. On May 30, 1897, a tornado destroyed most of the fledgling town and killed 14 residents.

In 1891 the county government operated out of an office building until the original courthouse was built. The courthouse was destroyed by the tornado of 1897, and a two-story frame building was erected as a temporary courthouse was erected on the present site. This building was removed in 1907 to make way for a stone courthouse. This third courthouse burned down on December 23, 1967 and the current courthouse was set in its place.

The St. Louis and Oklahoma City Railroad (later the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway, also known as the Frisco) built a line through Chandler in 1898. The railroad enabled Chandler to move its agricultural products, as well as bricks made by the Chandler Brick Company. to markets.

Chandler is one of the many cities along the famous U.S. Route 66 and contains a number of attractions to devotees of The Mother Road. These include The Route 66 Interpretive Center, The Oklahoma Law Enforcement Museum and Hall of Fame, The Lincoln Co...

Dedication of Route 66 Cultural Crossroads

City and county leaders gathered to dedicate the completed Vision 2025 Route 66 Enhancement: Scenic Byway -- Cultural Crossroads at E. 11th St. and S. Yale Ave on Oct. 24.

The enhancement features a one-of-a-kind concrete Route 66 shield embedded in the intersection, concrete emblems noting the eight states through which Route 66 passes, a Centennial Clock and plaques describing the cultural development around the intersection.

They also announced plans for a Route 66 Interpretive Center on Riverside Drive.

Discover Oklahoma Episode #1173

Explore the history of The Mother Road at the Rt. 66 Interpretive Center in Chandler; see 80 years of Pulitzer Prize winning photographs at the newest exhibit being featured at the Gilcrease in Tulsa; find out why The Lunch Box has a packed crowd every day; discover Bison Creek Clothing in Edmond, a new boutique mixing quality fashion with handmade goods; visit the Cherokee National Prison Museum in Tahlequah where you can learn about the Cherokee judicial system of the 1800’s; and Buttermilk Southern Sliders in Oklahoma City is serving up delicious, homemade biscuits in a variety of ways!