Oklahoma City lights up giant cowboy boot sculpture as part of Route 66 centennial
By Patrick Talbot
Click here for updates on this story
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — Oklahoma City unveiled a 35-foot-tall cowboy boot sculpture outside the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, adding a new attraction to Route 66 as part of the highway’s centennial celebration.
The oversized sculpture celebrates two Oklahoma icons — cowboy culture and America’s most famous highway. Artist Cameron Eagle, who designed the piece, said the inspiration came from a lyric in the song “Kicks 66.”
“Oklahoma City’s mighty pretty. That’s it, doesn’t describe any other town,” Eagle said.
Eagle explained that every detail of the sculpture was designed to reflect Oklahoma’s culture and identity.
“The boot just kept really, really speaking to me as far as, you know, one of the things that they wanted, they wanted it to represent Oklahoma and Oklahoma culture. So the boot is for everybody,” Eagle said.
He added that the design includes a cactus, which he said symbolizes strength and resilience.
“The cactus, a lot of people have said, ‘We don’t have a cactus here in Oklahoma.’ I said, ‘I beg to differ.’ That’s an indigenous plant. It’s in all 77 counties, and I put that in there as a balance to also symbolize strength and resilience,” Eagle said.
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said the goal was to create a landmark that connects the city to Route 66 and encourages visitors to stop and take photos.
“I wanted the words of that song in there, and I wanted it to be something people would stop by, check out and take pictures with,” Holt said.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the official unveiling of the sculpture, and as the sun set, the boot was lit for the first time, shining brightly as part of the celebration.
The cowboy boot joins a growing list of attractions across Oklahoma celebrating Route 66, including the Wellston Pin, a giant pushpin art installation marking the midpoint of Route 66 within the state. Communities are also restoring historic landmarks and creating new destinations to attract visitors from around the world.
Oklahoma boasts more than 400 drivable miles of Route 66 — more than any other state — and officials hope new attractions like the cowboy boot will keep travelers exploring the highway for generations to come.
This giant boot serves as a reminder that the Mother Road isn’t just preserving history — it’s still making it.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.