A towering red neon sculpture shaped like a Colt pistol made its debut outside the J.M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma, on Friday, as an attraction intended to catch the attention of travelers and locals alike at the Route 66 landmark the museum is calling the Big Red Gun. The unveiling anchored an evening celebration built around German food, live music and a free Trick-or-Treat event for kids running from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
According to ktul.com, the museum planned to unveil the large red neon sculpture of a Colt pistol on Friday, October 30, 2026, as a new attraction for Route 66 travelers and residents. As reported by News On 6, the sculpture stands roughly 20 feet tall, giving it an outsized presence meant to catch the eye of drivers passing through town.
Museum officials described the installation as a deliberate photo opportunity designed to pull travelers and residents off the highway, per facts reported by News On 6. They also tied the gun's imagery directly to the road itself, noting that the sculpture connects to the history and symbolism of Route 66, long associated with freedom, travel and the fascination with the open road, according to the same report.
A German-Style Send-Off for a New Landmark
The celebration itself leaned into a German-inspired theme, with registration including two pints of German beer for guests 21 and older or root beer, two bratwursts with toppings, and coleslaw, the museum notes on thegunmuseum.com. Live music, a silent auction and a free raffle prize rounded out the evening, the museum's site states. Admission to the celebration ran $20 for adults and $10 for guests younger than 21, per ktul.com.
Families with children were not required to pay to take part in the Trick-or-Treat portion of the night. The museum hosted that free event from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., and children could participate without purchasing a ticket, the station reported. Families wanting to stick around for the full unveiling celebration afterward could buy tickets at the door, according to News On 6.
Part of a Larger Identity Shift at the Gun Museum
The museum, located at 330 N JM Davis Blvd. in Claremore, holds more than 12,000 firearms along with thousands of non-firearm artifacts, according to thegunmuseum.com. Museum officials frame the new sculpture as part of a broader effort to explore American history, identity and the stories behind the objects people create, collect and preserve, News On 6 reported. The gun museum says the Big Red Gun reflects that same mission, according to ktul.com.
Officials also described the sculpture as just the start of something bigger, saying the installation represents the beginning of a broader effort to celebrate exploration, discovery and adventure, per News On 6's reporting. The museum has said it hopes the sculpture gives visitors another reason to stop in Claremore and explore the community's cultural landmarks beyond the highway itself.
Claremore's Yearlong Route 66 Centennial Push
The unveiling lands in the middle of a packed year of Route 66 centennial programming across Claremore and Oklahoma. The city's celebrations kicked off in April with the Andy Payne Route 66 Race, which drew more than 300 runners, according to claremore.com. Claremore also hosted the Mid America Route 66 Festival and Cruise in June, per the same report.
Statewide coordination for the centennial traces back further. The Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission was established in 2019 to plan and implement programs and special events tied to the highway's 2026 centennial, according to travelok.com. A separate Oklahoma Route 66 Commission formed in 2022 to fund development along the historic road, and it launched in late 2023 with grant funding available for local projects, travelok.com notes.
Claremore unveiled a 16-foot-tall, double-sided Route 66 Centennial monument crafted from routed steel and illuminated with LED lighting on November 11, 2024, according to visitclaremore.com. That monument marked the first installation in Northeast Oklahoma and the second statewide, with future markers planned for Stroud, Chandler, Luther, Oklahoma City, El Reno and Weatherford, per visitclaremore.com.
The Big Red Gun is a new neon landmark on Route 66 in Claremore. Nearby Tulsa's Meadow Gold District is home to its own set of towering figures nicknamed the Land of the Giants, according to visittulsa.com, while Tulsa also hosts a separate Route 66 Neon Sign Park, per roadsideamerica.com. For Claremore, the new neon pistol gives the city its own bold, unmistakable marker on the Mother Road.
