Just a few miles off old Route 66 near Chelsea and Foyil, Oklahoma, lies a whimsical world where concrete and steel meet Native-inspired imagery. It’s folk art on a massive scale, and there’s nothing else on the Mother Road quite like it.
Where You’ll Find It
Address: 21300 OK-28A, Chelsea (technically Foyil), Oklahoma
Located just 3.5 miles east of Route 66 at Foyil, this roadside attraction is easy to reach and hard to forget. The park is free to enter and open daily from dawn to dusk. The small museum and gift shop operate from March through December.
Who Made It and Why
The park is the life’s work of Nathan Edward “Ed” Galloway—a veteran, teacher, and master craftsman who poured his retirement years into building concrete folk-art monuments. He began construction in 1937 with a vision to create something both educational and inspirational.
The centerpiece is the World’s Largest Concrete Totem Pole, standing approximately 90 feet tall and built atop a massive concrete turtle. The pole is covered in hundreds of hand-sculpted images—birds, animals, and stylized Native figures. Galloway claimed it was his way of honoring Native culture and engaging young minds.
In addition to the totem pole, Galloway created an 11-sided Fiddle House to display his handmade violins, as well as picnic tables, gateposts, birdbaths, and other sculptures—each one wrapped in his unique style of symbolism and folk storytelling.
History and Restoration
Construction spanned from 1937 to 1948, with additions continuing until 1961. Galloway used a staggering 28 tons of cement, 6 tons of steel, and 100 tons of stone and sand to bring his vision to life.
After his death in 1962, the park fell into disrepair. But in the 1980s and ’90s, the Kansas Grassroots Art Association began restoration efforts. Ongoing work into the 2020s has kept the park alive and accessible to new generations of travelers.
Today, the park is maintained by the Rogers County Historical Society and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
What to Do When You Visit
- Marvel at the massive totem pole, studying the vibrant carvings and colorful designs up close
- Visit the Fiddle House Museum, where you’ll find Galloway’s handcrafted violins, gifts, and more background on his life and work
- Picnic at one of Galloway’s concrete tables, many of which are sculptural works in their own right
- Wander the nature trail, which loops around the site and past several smaller totems and bird-bath poles
- Explore the details, from tree-shaped sculptures to painted posts—you could spend an hour just soaking it all in
- Bring snacks, as there are no food vendors on site
Why It Still Matters
Totem Pole Park is pure outsider art, rooted in Route 66’s tradition of bold, offbeat attractions. It blends folk imagination with a desire to educate, and while it was never meant to be a polished monument, that’s part of its charm.
Weathered, colorful, and unapologetically strange, it stands as a living dream—built by one man, for everyone.
