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Dorothy's House

Liberal, Kansas

Built in 1907 and donated to the Seward County Historical Society, Dorothy's House has been carefully restored and furnished with period furnishings to reproduce the warmth of the farmhouse where Dorothy realized that, "There's no place like home." In the Land of Oz Museum, guides dressed as Dorothy offer tours down the Yellow Brick Road through 5,000 square feet of animated entertainment - good and bad witches, the Munchkins, talking trees, winged monkeys, and of course, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tinman, and Cowardly Lion are all there to

enthrall children of all ages. Adults will enjoy the Oz memorabilia on display, including the original model of Dorothy's house used in the 1939 filming of The Wizard of Oz.

Keeper of the Plains

Wichita, Kansas

One of the most well-known sculptures in Kansas stands at the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas rivers in Wichita. The "Keeper of the Plains," a dramatic 44-foot tall steel sculpture of an American Indian, was donated to the city by its creator, Blackbear Bosin. Born of Kiowa-Comanche heritage in Anadarko, Oklahoma in 1921.

The sculpture, erected in May 1974, was completely cut, welded and assembled in the shop and moved in one piece to the location.

The "Keeper of the Plains" was designated an American Revolution Bicentennial symbol.

The Garden of Eden in Lucas, Kansas

In central Kansas, just 15 miles north of I-70, sits the tiny town of Lucas. This is the site of The Garden of Eden. Built by Samuel Perry Dinsmoor, a retired schoolteacher, Civil War Veteran, and Populist politician, Dinsmoor moved to Lucas in 1891and settled on a farm outside of town with his wife.

In 1905, at the age of 62, Dinsmoor bought property in town and set about building his "creation." The first task at hand was the construction of a "log cabin," which wasn't made of logs at all, rather, the 27 foot timbers were actually carved from limestone.

In no time, passersby were stopping to look at the unusual house, which Dinsmoor called "the most unique home for living or dead on Earth." Completed in 1907, the eccentric artist began to give tours of the house the following year.

For the next 22 years, Dinsmoor continuously labored to build his unique "Eden" adding some 150 different sculptures, representing his interpretation of the world's creation, history, and his personal views of political goings-on. Utilizing 113 tons of concrete over the years, the eccentric artist created mammoth insects, angels with massive wingspans, 40 foot tall trees, frolicking children, numerous political messages, and even a waving concrete American flag.

Life size statues of Adam and Eve welcomed visitors to his home with Eve offering visitors an apple.

An "all-seeing-eye-of-God" was hung from a branch on the "tree of life." The "eye" included a hose that ran from the basement of the house so that Dinsmoor could shout at passersby, pretending to be God speaking to them. The first to have electricity in the town, Dinsmoor wasted no time wiring his sculptures so that they could be lit up at night.

Dinsmoor even created his own 40-foot high pagoda-style stone and concrete mausoleum for himself and his wife. However, when his wife died, the town insisted that she be interred in the cemetery rather than the mausoleum. Though Dinsmoor initially complied, he later dug up her coffin and placed it in a steel-reinforced crypt in the mausoleum so that she couldn't be moved.

Up until just a few years before his death in 1932, Dinsmoor continued to provide tours of his home and garden to the many curious people who stopped by for a look.

When the artist died at the age of 89, he left instructions that he be mummified like an Egyptian and placed in a glass-topped coffin in the mausoleum. He continues to rest there today and can still be viewed by visitors.

Today, the Garden of Eden is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and welcomes some 10,000 visitors a year. The site is owned and operated by a preservation group.

"El Capitan"

Dodge City, Kansas

A bronze statue by Jasper D'Ambrosi commemorates the 1875 - 1885 Texas cattle drives to Dodge City. The sculpture represents longhorns who emerged as leaders and led many drives up the dusty trail from Texas. Coronado's Conquistadors introduced the longhorn, first cousin to the Spanish fighting bull, to the New World during the 1500s.

Catoosa, Oklahoma and the Blue Whale

One of the most recognizable icons on Route 66, is Catoosa's famous Blue Whale. The attraction was built by Hugh Davis in the early 1970s as an anniversary gift to his wife Zelta, who collected whale figurines. Originally, the pond surrounding the massive Blue Whale was spring fed and intended only for family use. However, as many locals began to

sneak in to enjoy its cool waters, Davis brought in tons of sand, built picnic tables, hired life guards, and opened his masterpiece to the public.

Originally called Nature's Acres, Hugh continued to build the attraction until it eventually included The Fun and Swim Blue Whale and the A.R.K. (Animal Reptile Kingdom).

In no time at all, its pond, giant Blue Whale, and zoo, housed in a wooden ark, attracted both locals and travelers alike. Children flocked to slide down the tail of the large Blue Whale into the cool waters of the pond, as families enjoyed the picnic tables, concessions, and boats provided at Nature's Acres.

The Ark, or Animal Reptile Kingdom once featured numerous reptiles, including aligators. Today, it is slowly being overgrown.

Another interesting thing about Catoosa is that it is a seaport town! Catoosa is the furthest inland seaport in the United States, linked to the Arkansas River system all the way to Gulf of Mexico.

Largest McDonald's In the World

Vinita, Oklahoma

Spanning the Will Rogers Turnpike, I-44, near Vinita, Oklahoma is this 29,135 square foot McDonald's restaurant. This the largest McDonalds in the world.McDonald's didn't build this restaurant. In the 1960's it was known as the Glass House Restaurant, when Howard Johnson's was the "flavor of the decade" rather than McDonald's, and life was a little slower.

McDonald's didn't build this restaurant. In the 1960's it was known as the Glass House Restaurant, when Howard Johnson's was the "flavor of the decade" rather than McDonald's, and life was a little slower.

Golden Driller: Titanic Tulsa Oil Man

Tulsa, Oklahoma

The Golden Driller is a 76 foot tall (23 meter), 43,500 pound statue of an oil worker, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which is claimed to be the "largest free standing statue in the world."

It was originally built in 1953 by the Mid-Continent Supply Company of Fort Worth for the International Petroleum Exposition. Six years later, it was temporarily erected again for the 1959 show. Due to the positive attention it attracted, the company donated the statue to the Tulsa County Fairgrounds, which had it permanently installed in front of the Tulsa Expo Center for the 1966 International Petroleum Exposition. The statue's right hand rests on an oil derrick which had been moved from a depleted oil field in Seminole, Oklahoma.

An inscription at the base of the statue reads, "The Golden Driller, a symbol of the International Petroleum Exposition. Dedicated to the men of the petroleum industry who by their vision and daring have created from God's abundance a better life for mankind."

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	Dorothy's House Liberal, Kansas Built in 1907 and donated to the Seward County Historical Society, Dorothy's House has been carefully restored and furnished with period furnishings to reproduce the warmth of the farmhouse where Dorothy realized that, "There's no place like home." In the Land of Oz Museum, guides dressed as Dorothy offer tours down the Yellow Brick Road through 5,000 square feet of animated entertainment - good and bad witches, the Munchkins, talking trees, winged monkeys, and of course, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tinman, and Cowardly Lion are all there to
	enthrall children of all ages. Adults will enjoy the Oz memorabilia on display, including the original model of Dorothy's house used in the 1939 filming of The Wizard of Oz.


			Keeper of the Plains Wichita, Kansas One of the most well-known sculptures in Kansas stands at the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas rivers in Wichita. The "Keeper of the Plains," a dramatic 44-foot tall steel sculpture of an American Indian, was donated to the city by its creator, Blackbear Bosin. Born of Kiowa-Comanche heritage in Anadarko, Oklahoma in 1921. The sculpture, erected in May 1974, was completely cut, welded and assembled in the shop and moved in one piece to the location.
	The "Keeper of the Plains" was designated an American Revolution Bicentennial symbol.



	The Garden of Eden in Lucas, Kansas In central Kansas, just 15 miles north of I-70, sits the tiny town of Lucas. This is the site of The Garden of Eden. Built by Samuel Perry Dinsmoor, a retired schoolteacher, Civil War Veteran, and Populist politician, Dinsmoor moved to Lucas in 1891and settled on a farm outside of town with his wife.
	In 1905, at the age of 62, Dinsmoor bought property in town and set about building his "creation." The first task at hand was the construction of a "log cabin," which wasn't made of logs at all, rather, the 27 foot timbers were actually carved from limestone. In no time, passersby were stopping to look at the unusual house, which Dinsmoor called "the most unique home for living or dead on Earth." Completed in 1907, the eccentric artist began to give tours of the house the following year. For the next 22 years, Dinsmoor continuously labored to build his unique "Eden" adding some 150 different sculptures, representing his interpretation of the world's creation, history, and his personal views of political goings-on. Utilizing 113 tons of concrete over the years, the eccentric artist created mammoth insects, angels with massive wingspans, 40 foot tall trees, frolicking children, numerous political messages, and even a waving concrete American flag. Life size statues of Adam and Eve welcomed visitors to his home with Eve offering visitors an apple. An "all-seeing-eye-of-God" was hung from a branch on the "tree of life." The "eye" included a hose that ran from the basement of the house so that Dinsmoor could shout at passersby, pretending to be God speaking to them. The first to have electricity in the town, Dinsmoor wasted no time wiring his sculptures so that they could be lit up at night.



	Dinsmoor even created his own 40-foot high pagoda-style stone and concrete mausoleum for himself and his wife. However, when his wife died, the town insisted that she be interred in the cemetery rather than the mausoleum. Though Dinsmoor initially complied, he later dug up her coffin and placed it in a steel-reinforced crypt in the mausoleum so that she couldn't be moved. Up until just a few years before his death in 1932, Dinsmoor continued to provide tours of his home and garden to the many curious people who stopped by for a look. When the artist died at the age of 89, he left instructions that he be mummified like an Egyptian and placed in a glass-topped coffin in the mausoleum. He continues to rest there today and can still be viewed by visitors. Today, the Garden of Eden is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and welcomes some 10,000 visitors a year. The site is owned and operated by a preservation group.


			"El Capitan"
			Dodge City, Kansas A bronze statue by Jasper D'Ambrosi commemorates the 1875 - 1885 Texas cattle drives to Dodge City. The sculpture represents longhorns who emerged as leaders and led many drives up the dusty trail from Texas. Coronado's Conquistadors introduced the longhorn, first cousin to the Spanish fighting bull, to the New World during the 1500s.



	Catoosa, Oklahoma and the Blue Whale One of the most recognizable icons on Route 66, is Catoosa's famous Blue Whale. The attraction was built by Hugh Davis in the early 1970s as an anniversary gift to his wife Zelta, who collected whale figurines. Originally, the pond surrounding the massive Blue Whale was spring fed and intended only for family use. However, as many locals began to
	sneak in to enjoy its cool waters, Davis brought in tons of sand, built picnic tables, hired life guards, and opened his masterpiece to the public. Originally called Nature's Acres, Hugh continued to build the attraction until it eventually included The Fun and Swim Blue Whale and the A.R.K. (Animal Reptile Kingdom). In no time at all, its pond, giant Blue Whale, and zoo, housed in a wooden ark, attracted both locals and travelers alike. Children flocked to slide down the tail of the large Blue Whale into the cool waters of the pond, as families enjoyed the picnic tables, concessions, and boats provided at Nature's Acres. The Ark, or Animal Reptile Kingdom once featured numerous reptiles, including aligators. Today, it is slowly being overgrown.
	Another interesting thing about Catoosa is that it is a seaport town! Catoosa is the furthest inland seaport in the United States, linked to the Arkansas River system all the way to Gulf of Mexico.
	Largest McDonald's In the World Vinita, Oklahoma Spanning the Will Rogers Turnpike, I-44, near Vinita, Oklahoma is this 29,135 square foot McDonald's restaurant. This the largest McDonalds in the world.McDonald's didn't build this restaurant. In the 1960's it was known as the Glass House Restaurant, when Howard Johnson's was the "flavor of the decade" rather than McDonald's, and life was a little slower.



	McDonald's didn't build this restaurant. In the 1960's it was known as the Glass House Restaurant, when Howard Johnson's was the "flavor of the decade" rather than McDonald's, and life was a little slower.




	Golden Driller: Titanic Tulsa Oil Man Tulsa, Oklahoma The Golden Driller is a 76 foot tall (23 meter), 43,500 pound statue of an oil worker, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which is claimed to be the "largest free standing statue in the world." It was originally built in 1953 by the Mid-Continent Supply Company of Fort Worth for the International Petroleum Exposition. Six years later, it was temporarily erected again for the 1959 show. Due to the positive attention it attracted, the company donated the statue to the Tulsa County Fairgrounds, which had it permanently installed in front of the Tulsa Expo Center for the 1966 International Petroleum Exposition. The statue's right hand rests on an oil derrick which had been moved from a depleted oil field in Seminole, Oklahoma.



	An inscription at the base of the statue reads, "The Golden Driller, a symbol of the International Petroleum Exposition. Dedicated to the men of the petroleum industry who by their vision and daring have created from God's abundance a better life for mankind."


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