The Route 66 Interpretive Center in Chandler has hosted visitors from across the globe since reopening to the public in 2007.

Route 66 Interpretive Center, Chandler, OK

Located in the historic Chandler Armory, this Works Progress Administration (WPA) structure is rich with history: The building was constructed of locally quarried sandstone—the outer walls consist of twenty-inch-thick hand-chiseled stone. The armory also is significant as the home of Battery F, 2nd Battalion of the 160th Field Artillery of the Oklahoma National Guard, 45th Infantry Division and for its role in helping the men of Battery F to prepare for their role in World War II after mobilization in 1940.

Route 66 Interpretive Center Gift Shop, Chandler, OK

In 1971, the Oklahoma National Guard constructed a modern facility to replace the historic armory and deeded the older building to the city of Chandler. The building became so decayed that the City Council debated demolishing it.

Local interest in the building, however, remained. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. The Old Armory Restorers (OAR), a group of volunteers dedicated to saving, restoring, and reusing the building as a public space, began in 1998.

Route 66 Interpretive Center Gift Shop, Chandler, OK

Today, what served as the former drill hall is now a premier event and conference center located between Tulsa and Oklahoma City. The 8,000 square-foot facility accommodates up to 400 guests, and features a sound system, performance stage, and a catering kitchen. For booking information, call (405) 258-3966.

Reed Park, Chandler, OK

Route 66 Audio/Video Museum

Inside, the interpretive center serves as the ultimate rest stop. Visitors are welcome to take a nostalgic audio-video cruise from the seats of a 1964 Ford Mustang, 1930 Ford Model A, Willys Jeep, and glitter-speckled vintage-style motel beds at six stations featuring short films of the sights, sounds, and history of America’s legendary highway.

Guests also can peruse a collection of exclusive framed photos of Oklahoma Route 66 that were donated by Tulsa Community College photography students, as well as a beautiful collection of photographs from Frank Gifford featuring unique places along the entire Mother Road.

The gift shop features Route 66 tees, tops, hats, metal shield signs, magnets, postcards, keychains, and other keepsakes.

Things to do in Chandler

From the parking lot, a glowing neon sign and vintage gas station signs beckon travelers looking to stretch their legs and indulge in corn dogs, burgers, and beer to the Route 66 Bowling Alley, located just east of the Interpretive Center. Along with bowling, dining, and a bar, the destination offers indoor miniature golf, billiards, arcade games, and laser tag. Visitors can also stop by the Lincoln County Museum of Pioneer History and several quaint boutiques in the city’s downtown district.

Route 66 Bowl, Chandler, OK

For more information on events, destinations, and other tourism resources in Chandler, please visit the Chandler Area Chamber of Commerce.

Vintage signs beckon visitors to Route 66 Bowling Alley in Chandler, OK

History of Chandler

Chandler began with a bang, literally, with gunshots heralding a land run that opened the area for settlement on September 28, 1891. It was named for Assistant Secretary of the Interior, George Chandler. A tornado struck Chandler on March 30, 1897, killing fourteen people and nearly destroying the town. The next year, sturdier brick and stone buildings were constructed. Seven of these territorial commercial buildings, two homes, and two churches are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as are WPA-constructed buildings, including the National Guard Armory.

The St. Louis and Oklahoma City railroad built a line through Chandler in 1898, providing faster shipping for cotton, as well as bricks made at the Chandler Brick Factory. Chandler had six gins and a cotton seed oil mill operating in 1910. Locally grown fruit and pecans also went to markets by rail. In November 1949, the State Legislature passed Resolution No. 5, declaring Chandler, “The Pecan Capital of the World.”

Bell Cow Lake, Chandler, OK

Prominent Chandler residents have included Deputy U.S. Marshal William M. “Bill” Tilghman, frontier lawman; Benny Kent, early-day news cinema photographer; James Brooks Ayers Robertson, Oklahoma’s fourth governor; Roy J. Turner, Oklahoma’s thirteenth governor; Joseph C. Pringey, U.S. Representative; Roy Harris, music composer; Anna Myers, author; Rev. Burton Z. Lewis, first African American member of the OK National Guard; Major General Roy Hoffman, OK Military and National Guard leader, (after 35 years of service retired a Major General in June 1933.) He earned the title, “Father of the Oklahoma National Guard.” He was a founding member of the American Legion; James C. Leake, television broadcasting pioneer and renowned antique car collector; and Bo Belcher, developer of the Chandler Baseball Camp, which grew into the nation’s largest athletic camp for boys.

At the turn of the twenty-first century, Chandler had 2,842 citizens, and its city limits encompassed 3,200 acres. Major employers have included the National American Insurance Company, Hiland Dairy, National Guard Armory, and state and federal government offices.

In 2024, Chandler was awarded an official citation as the “Hometown of the Oklahoma National Guard.”