Hugh Davis considered a black-and-white killer whale, but his wife, Zelta, picked blue. “We don’t have mean things,” she said, according to Roadside America.
Davis, a zoologist, gave her the whale on Sept. 7, 1972, their 34th wedding anniversary, according to NewsOn6. He built it with his friend Harold Thomas, a welder, from steel rod and pipe covered in plaster and concrete, per Roadside America, which puts the whale at 80 feet long. “It took two years,” their son, Bill Davis, said, per NewsOn6.
It was not blue at first. The whale stayed concrete-colored until almost two years after the basic structure was finished, NewsOn6 reports. It also became a popular swimming spot, and Davis added sand, picnic tables and lifeguards.
The Davises closed the attraction to the public in 1988, per Roadside America. The City of Catoosa bought the property in 2020, according to TulsaPeople. Swimming is no longer allowed, though the whale is free to visit.
On Saturday, May 30, 2026, the city held a grand opening for a new Blue Whale Visitor Center, according to Fox23. The 4,000-square-foot building has an expanded gift shop, historical art and photos, a concession area and a meeting hall. A neon sign, a first for the whale, was lit on May 11, per Remind Magazine.
Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell cut the ribbon, and the city received a $1.8 million grant from the Oklahoma Route 66 Commission for the project, according to Route 66 News. City Manager Josh Brown called the center “an investment in both preservation and community pride,” per Route 66 News.
Roadside concrete creatures have a way of outlasting their makers’ plans. In California, a cafe owner began a 150-foot dinosaur to sell burgers, and it is still drawing drivers off the freeway.
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