When we drove through Arcadia, we couldn’t help but notice this unmistakable, majestic red structure standing right beside Route 66 — a true symbol of this stretch of Oklahoma’s Mother Road.
Unfortunately, when we passed by, we didn’t know it could actually be visited. Not only is it open to the public, but inside there’s a small museum and a gift shop, and they even host live music and community events. The entrance is free, and every Saturday at 1:00 PM you can join one of their guided public tours.
Later, reading about its story, I realized how fascinating this place really is. The barn was built in 1898 by local farmer William Harrison Odor, who used native bur oak boards soaked while still green, then bent them into shape for the roof and walls — a clever and unique method that gives the barn its perfectly round silhouette.
Odor’s idea was simple but brilliant: since tornadoes often hit Oklahoma, he believed that if the building was round, “the wind would hit and go around it instead of through it.” Whether or not that was true, his barn has certainly survived the test of time — and of countless storms.
The Arcadia Round Barn is 60 feet (18 meters) in diameter and 43 feet (13 meters) tall. Step inside and you’ll find a beautiful wooden dance floor upstairs, which has hosted parties since the early 1900s — the place still echoes with that same joyful spirit.
In the 1980s the structure was collapsing, but a group of passionate retirees, the Over-the-Hill Gang, rebuilt it by hand, beam by beam. Thanks to them, the barn was restored in 1992 and honored with a National Preservation Award the following year.
Today it’s one of Oklahoma’s most photographed Route 66 landmarks, standing proudly across from Pops 66 Soda Ranch, greeting travelers with its perfect red curve and century-old charm.
I can’t wait to go back, walk through its doors, breathe the scent of aged oak, and chat with the volunteers who keep this living legend alive.
