Tulsa Market District Neon Sign Self-Guided Tour
While you’re cruising Route 66 on your self-guided neon tour, stop by the local restaurants, bars, shops, and businesses in the Tulsa Market District and neighboring districts like the University District, Kendall Whittier, the Pearl District, and the Meadow Gold district.
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Chicken and the Wolf
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Tulsa Market District
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Howdy Burger
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Mother Road Market
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Arby's
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Flo's Smokehouse Eats
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Tulsa Welding School
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The Campbell Hotel & Event Center
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Flo’s Burger Diner
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Justin Thompson Catering
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Cityscape Home Mortgage
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Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation
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Renaissance Brewing Co.
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Benchmark Monument Co.
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El Rancho Grande
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Spirit Ranch Professional Dog Training
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Ike’s Chili Parlour
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The Shops at Pearl
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1516 E. 11th St.
Howdy Burger
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Mon Amie Nails & Spa
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1408 E. 11th St.
Burnett’s Flowers
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The Sky Gallery
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Decopolis
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Transcendent Tulsa
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Por Ella
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Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios
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Meadow Gold Historic Sign
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Meadow Gold Shops & Lofts
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The Meat & Cheese Show
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Wildflower Cafe
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Southwest Trading Co.
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Eleventh Street Shops & Lofts
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Parlour Salon
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History of Neon
Neon signs are synonymous with Route 66. They act as landmarks and are symbols of community pride, history, and entrepreneurial spirit.
In 1923, French engineer, chemist, and inventor, Georges Claude brought neon signage to the United States. The first two signs were sold to a Packard car dealership in Los Angeles, CA.
The first neon signs were nicknamed “liquid fire” because they were so bright.
Neon lighting is all handmade. Although some of its parts, like electrodes and most glass tubes, are prefabricated, neon lighting is still a handmade art. Artisans use blow torches to heat glass tubes before bending them into place and sealing them together.
Neon signs hit their peak popularity in the 1920s-1960s. Later inventions and innovations resulted in an eventual decline in the popularity of neon signs. In Tulsa, it’s the opposite. We have a neon renaissance because of the Tulsa Route 66 Commission’s Neon Sign Grant Program which helps fund the creation and revitalization of neon signs.
