This Route 66 Centennial Monument marks the border of two Oklahoma City suburbs, Bethany and Warr Acres, in the middle of four-lane NW 39th Expressway, which follows the historic Route 66. As one clearly sees, life has never left the Mother Road here, as the road remains an ever-active hub for local life and business.

West of Oklahoma City, Bethany and Warr Acres are two communities with distinct histories. Warr Acres, named after real-estate developer Clyde B Warr, was incorporated in 1948, several decades after the area made a dramatic, though unsuccessful, pitch to become the state capital (as seen on a recent welcome sign reading “almost the state capital”).

Just west, Bethany was formed as an orphanage and religious colony in the early 1900s on what would become the Bethany First Church of the Nazarene and Southern Nazarene University downtown.

Bethany’s Downtown District

Across Route 66 from Southern Nazarene University campus, Bethany’s walkable downtown district is the best starting point for exploring these communities. It’s filled with shops, antique stores, and a variety of eateries. Birrieria Diaz is famous for its birria: braised lamb or beef stew served with warm tortillas and fresh ingredients. birrieria-diaz.com. Just down the block, Papa Angelo’s has been holding court for New York pizza in West OKC for many years. Don’t skip the fresh-made garlic knots. papaangelospizzeria.com.

Be sure to gander at the ever-growing collection of murals, many painted by Oklahoma artist Bob Palmer, who has created more than 3,800 history-based murals across the country, often celebrating Route 66 and small-town life.

bethanyimprovementfoundation.com/downtown-murals

Among Palmer’s highlights here are “The Ambush,” a dramatic Pony Express-themed mural on NW 38th St (between NW College Ave and N Peniel Ave) that honors longtime postmaster Grant Keeton; the nostalgic Wehrenberg Drug Soda Fountain mural, tucked on the alley behind the downtown strip along NW College Avenue; and the McClure’s Flowers mural on the west side of the historic McClure’s building that commemorates Wanda McClure, one of Bethany’s first female business owners.

Local Legends

Bethany native Tommy Collins, born as Leonard Sipes, wrote over 800 songs – including George Strait’s #1 song “If You Ain’t Lovin’ (You Ain’t Livin’)” – and helped shape the Bakersfield Sound with Buck Owens in California.

Astronaut Shannon Lucid, meanwhile, proved the sky was no limit. Born in Shanghai during WWII – and briefly imprisoned with her family as an infant by Japanese forces – Shannon would grow up in Bethany and become a celebrated astronaut who flew in space five times and spent 188 days with Soviet cosmonauts aboard the Mir space station.

You can see photos of her story, including NASA pics and patches, in the lobby of the Bethany Library. While there, stretch your legs on the rotating StoryWalk, a roughly 25-page story for all ages spaced along a walk around the duck pond. It begins at NW College Ave and NW 35th St and NW College Ave, outside the library.

Speaking of airspace, in 2024, the Blue Goose — a late 1940s “Aero Commander” aircraft linked with the area’s rich aviation history — was restored and situated permanently in Eldon Lyon Park, three blocks west of the library. metrolibrary.org/locations/bethany

Warr Acres: An OKC-area International Dining Corridor

Local residents know when they are looking for something beyond conventional dining, Warr Acres serves a variety of ethnic cuisines. Here are just a few standouts.

Travel by Taste, a long-standing Persian restaurant and Middle Eastern grocery, was featured by none other than Guy Fieri. travelbytasteok.com

ZamZam Mediterranean Grill & Hookah, a beloved Mediterranean restaurant and hookah bar, has been delighting diners for nearly 20 years. (ZamZam has now opened a second location in downtown OKC). zamzamgrill.com

Abel’s Mexican Restaurant has been a destination for Tex-Mex and Mex-Mex in the West OKC/Warr Acres area for decades. abelsmexicanrestaurant.com

Nearby Del Rancho is an Oklahoma institutional franchise created in Del City in 1959 (locally loved for their old TV ads). This is one of the survivors, where you can pull up, get a double-patty hamburger or the Steak Sandwich Supreme, and pose for a photo with the cowboy-in-blue sign. You’ll find it a mile north of Route 66 at 5111 N MacArthur Blvd in Warr Acres.

Beyond dining, Warr Acres’ Afghan Halal Market, at the southeast intersection of NW 39^th Expressway and N Macarthur Blvd., offers some of the more unique Route 66 souvenirs, like robes, rugs, and shoes imported from Afghanistan.

A Tale of Two Campuses

Bethany’s section of Route 66 is unique in that it hosts not one, but two college campuses with iconic public art pieces worth peeking at.

Across from Bethany’s downtown, Southern Nazarene University is linked with the community’s foundation in the early 1900s. Today its grounds feature several life-sized bronze religious sculptures created by local artist Scott Stearman. His downtown studio faces Route 66, at 6724 NW 39th Expressway (scottstearman.com).

West of downtown, Southwestern Christian University, first opened in 1946, is home to a striking metal globe sculpture created in the early 1970s by local blacksmith Jeff Shilling and his daughter Kathy Larsen (now a Bethany council member) on its grounds.

 

More Information

City of Bethany: cityofbethany.org

City of Warr Acres: warracres-ok.gov

Bethany’s Route 66 Memorial Day Festival — held on the Saturday of the long weekend in May — is a family-oriented tradition with a huge car show, music, food and games. bethanyimprovementfoundation.com/bethany-66-festival

Western Motel, west of the downtown at 7600 NW 39th Expressway, is a modest Route 66 survivor with its original neon sign still in place.