Blue Whale Catoosa

Did you know that there used to be a petting zoo where the Blue Whale was? I sure didn't! Take a look at these photos to see just some of the animals they had and what it was like at the Blue Whale in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.

Kids are seen swimming here, but you wouldn't think it was allowed looking at the Blue Whale now.

This looks like a wonderful way to spend a Saturday with the kiddos.

ARK

Stands for Animal Reptile Kingdom, and was supposed to only grow. Can you imagine how different things might have been if they had expanded?

Souvenirs, Pet Corral, Snake Pits, Nature Trails, and a Swimming area to boot! While some of these photos made their way to the

A snake charmer showing off his skills to a group likely on a tour of the snake pits. How many snakes do you see here?

A tribute to the Native American

This woman has likely handled reptiles for a very long time as she is very comfortable around them. These photos were all taken sometime between 1970 and 1980.

Blue Whale Catoosa

ARK

A 2022-2023 Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant was used to make some of these documents available. Oklahoma Preservation Grants are provided by the Oklahoma Historical Society.