'A Good Addition:' New Statue Debuts Along Route 66 In Tulsa

On Route 66 in downtown Tulsa, something new is turning heads.

“This is Meadow Gold Mack the Friendly Lumberjack,” said Mary Beth Babcock. 

Stationed outside the Meadow Gold Mack Outpos … he’s hard to miss.

Babcock is the store owner and says the 20-foot-tall roadside attraction made an early entrance last week.

“They had to do a lot of prep work, the concrete, they had to build the base, we had to get a permit from the city, he got like a major spa treatment, painting, everything,” she said.

Babcock says he’s the newest addition to what she calls the “Land of the Giants.” There are 2 other statues, Stella and Buck Atom, just down the road.

She says in the 2 days since his installation, Mack is already making an impact. 

“Already people want to get their photo with it, and then they come inside and get a souvenir,” she said. 

9-year-old Gray and his dad Mark are pretty familiar with Route 66.

 “We cruise around, usually passing by around here,” said Gray.

But this is their first time visiting the new lumberjack — and Gray says it was a sight to see.

“It's a good addition to Route 66,” he said, 

His dad agrees and says it sparks memories.

“Growing up, we used to use directions, we would base it off landmarks … that's a pretty good one,” Mark said. 

Babcock says she hopes the new statue becomes a must-see stop for travelers on Route 66, helping to boost the local economy.

“By having these attractions, it helps everyone, it's not just for the businesses they’re in front of, it brings in the neighborhoods, and then they want to explore what else is in the neighborhood,” she said. 

For now, Mack stands tall ready to welcome visitors from near and far to Tulsa.