Will Rogers Archway

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 in the world 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.

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.
Restaurant information
Established1957
Street address767 Will Rogers Turnpike
CityVinita
CountyCraig County
StateOklahoma
Postal/ZIP Code74301
CountryUnited States
Coordinates36.62331°N 95.14803°W / 36.62331; -95.14803

The archway also features a Kum & Go (previously a Phillips 66)[4] gas station.

The building and service plaza closed on June 4, 2013, for a $14.6 million renovation.[5] At its grand reopening on December 22, 2014, it was renamed from "Glass House Restaurant" to "Will Rogers Archway",[6] 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.[7]

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. "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. 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.
  5. "Renovations". Archived from the original on February 7, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  6. "Iconic arch over Will Rogers Turnpike reopens". Tulsa World. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  7. 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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