Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park

Ed Galloway was a woodworking teacher who retired to a farm near Foyil in the late 1930s and set about building something extraordinary. Fascinated by Native American art and history, and by the totem poles of the Pacific Northwest, he decided to build his own, not in wood but in concrete, mixing and hauling the cement himself by hand.

He worked on the great totem pole and the surrounding park for roughly two decades, into the 1940s and beyond, shaping and painting the enormous structure and filling the grounds with smaller sculptures and a many-sided building he called the Fiddle House. It was a retirement project on an almost impossible scale, driven purely by his own imagination and love of the craft.

The centerpiece rises about ninety feet, built over a base shaped like a great turtle and covered from bottom to top with carved and painted images, hundreds of them, drawn from Native American cultures across the continent. Galloway sculpted the wet concrete into faces, animals, birds, and geometric designs, then painted the whole in bold colors.

It is important to understand what it is and is not. Galloway was not Native, and this is his own folk-art tribute inspired by the totem traditions of other peoples, not an authentic tribal totem raised within a living totem-carving culture. Seen for what it is, a self-taught artist's monumental homage, it is genuinely remarkable, a triumph of vision and sheer persistence.

Beyond the great pole, the grounds hold other Galloway creations, including the Fiddle House, an eleven-sided building he raised to display the hundreds of fiddles he carved, along with other artwork and mementos of his life. It now serves as a small museum and gift area telling his story.

For years after Galloway's death the park fell into disrepair, its concrete cracking and its paint fading. A local arts group and volunteers took up its restoration, repairing the totem pole and the buildings and repainting the fading images. Their care is why the park survives today as a cherished piece of the state's folk-art heritage.

The park sits in the green, rolling northeast corner of Oklahoma, in the historic Cherokee Nation, just a couple of miles off Route 66. Its proximity to the Mother Road has made it a favorite detour for road-trippers seeking out the offbeat and handmade landmarks that give old Route 66 its character.

Nearby Claremore and Chelsea add more to a day out, from Will Rogers history to vintage Route 66 sights, but the totem pole park stands on its own as one of the most striking pieces of folk art anywhere along the old highway, and a testament to what one determined person can build.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park, near Foyil in northeastern Oklahoma, is a delightful folk-art park centered on the world's largest concrete totem pole, a towering and colorful creation of the folk artist Ed Galloway. Over many years, Galloway hand-built this enormous, richly decorated concrete totem pole, covered in colorful figures and designs, along with other folk-art structures, as a labor of love and a tribute to Native American culture. A beloved example of American folk art and a landmark of Route 66-era roadside creativity, the park charms visitors with its whimsy and craftsmanship. A colorful and unique folk-art park, it delights visitors. With its giant totem pole, the park offers a fascinating destination in Oklahoma.

The centerpiece of Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park is the world's largest concrete totem pole, an enormous, towering structure that the folk artist Ed Galloway built by hand over many years, covering it in colorful painted figures, animals, and designs. Created as a labor of love and a tribute to Native American culture and imagery, the giant totem pole is a remarkable work of folk art and craftsmanship. Its scale and detail are astonishing. Marveling at this creation is the heart of a visit to Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park in Oklahoma.

You can marvel at the world's largest concrete totem pole with its colorful figures and designs, see other folk-art structures Galloway created, including a fiddle-shaped building, and appreciate this whimsical labor of love and tribute to Native American imagery. The giant totem pole, the folk-art structures, and the charming, creative spirit of the place are the draws, making it a delightful and unusual stop. The craftsmanship and color are highlights. With its folk art, the park offers a rewarding experience near Foyil, Oklahoma.

The park is an outdoor folk-art site that can be visited and admired year-round, with the mild months of spring through fall the most pleasant for strolling the grounds and enjoying the colorful creations. Because any indoor or staffed features may keep limited hours, checking current information before you go is wise. For the most pleasant visit, aim for the mild months at Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park in Oklahoma.

Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park is near Foyil in northeastern Oklahoma, along the historic Route 66 corridor, within reach of Claremore, the Route 66 attractions of the region, and the routes toward Tulsa to the southwest. That makes Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park a fascinating stop to combine with the Route 66 attractions of northeastern Oklahoma on a visit to the state.