Dates & times
All times are local to the venue · America/Chicago
- 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Crossroads of America: Oklahoma’s Route 66 Screening in Oklahoma City
The documentary sets the hardships of the Dust Bowl era against the rise of postwar road trips, then looks toward the people shaping Route 66’s future. Its Oklahoma story is framed not only around travelers, but also around the communities and businesses beside the highway.
A changing road, and the people beside it
Crossroads of America: Oklahoma’s Route 66 traces a shift in the highway’s role: from the hardship of the Dust Bowl era to the post-World War II growth of road travel. The contrast gives the film a way to examine Route 66 as a changing part of Oklahoma’s history, rather than as a single, unchanging symbol of the open road.
The Oklahoma Historical Society says the film also turns toward the highway’s future through interviews with historians and interactions with small-business owners. That present-day focus connects the road’s earlier history to people whose work and communities remain part of its story.
Further reading: Crossroads of America: Oklahoma's Route 66 film screening and author event with Jim Ross and Shellee Graham | OHS Calendar ↗
A road history told through local lives
The Society’s wider Route 66 resources offer a useful frame for that community focus. They include portraits of people who lived, worked, and traveled through Afton, made by photographer S. J. Tyler between 1913 and 1950. They also document the Threatt Filling Station near Luther, a family-operated business that served African American travelers as well as local residents.
Those examples are broader Oklahoma history resources, not a list of subjects confirmed for the film. They show how Route 66 history can be read through the people and places along it, as well as through the journeys it made possible.
Further reading: Route 66 Resources | Oklahoma Historical Society ↗
A book signing before the screening
The Oklahoma History Center listing schedules Jim Ross and Shellee Graham to sign their book, Route 66: The First 100 Years, before the film. It describes a signing, not an author talk. The book will be available to purchase at the Museum Store; buying it is not stated as a condition of attending the free screening.
Ross also wrote a 1995 Chronicles of Oklahoma article on Route 66 in the state, “’Proud of What It Means’: Route 66, Oklahoma’s Mother Road.” The Society’s Route 66 resource page lists the article alongside other research and archival material.
Further reading: Crossroads of America: Oklahoma's Route 66 film screening and author event with Jim Ross and Shellee Graham | OHS Calendar ↗ · Route 66 Resources | Oklahoma Historical Society ↗
A signing, then the film
The signing has its own hour before the screening, giving the book and its authors a distinct place in the evening. The event listing describes a signing rather than a talk or discussion.
Monday, November 2, 2026 · Oklahoma History Center
- Doors open
- Book signing with authors Jim Ross and Shellee Graham for Route 66: The First 100 Years
- Screening of Crossroads of America: Oklahoma’s Route 66
Plan the evening
Monday, November 2
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. The signing is scheduled for 6–7 p.m., followed by the screening at 7 p.m. The event listing gives an overall window through 8 p.m.
Free screening; book purchase optional
The screening is free, and the film’s official site says tickets are not required. Route 66: The First 100 Years will be available for purchase at the Museum Store; the event listing does not make buying the book a requirement.
Crossroads of America: Oklahoma's Route 66 film screening and author event with Jim Ross and Shellee Graham | OHS Calendar ↗ · Crossroads of America: Oklahoma’s Route 66 | A Documentary Film ↗
Oklahoma History Center
The event is at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73105. The venue lists 405-522-0765 as its phone number.
Crossroads of America: Oklahoma's Route 66 film screening and author event with Jim Ross and Shellee Graham | OHS Calendar ↗ · Visit | Oklahoma Historical Society ↗
Venue-wide visitor information
The Oklahoma History Center lists free parking, including bus parking, and wheelchair-accessible parking. Complimentary wheelchairs, audio tours, and audio-tour scripts are available at the Admissions Desk; the audio tour is offered in English, Spanish, French, and German.
Other venue-wide amenities include a private nursing pod on the first floor, changing tables in all museum restrooms, and an adult changing station in the first-floor family restroom. Visitors under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. These are general venue provisions, not arrangements specific to this screening.
Getting to the Oklahoma History Center
Address and entrance
The screening is at the Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73105. The venue places its entrance on the north side of NE 23rd Street.
Crossroads of America: Oklahoma's Route 66 film screening and author event with Jim Ross and Shellee Graham | OHS Calendar ↗ · Visit | Oklahoma Historical Society ↗
Driving from Tulsa, Guthrie, or Shawnee
From Tulsa, take I-44 west to I-35 south, exit at NE 23rd Street, and go west past N Kelley Avenue. From Guthrie, take I-35 south to NE 23rd Street and go west past Kelley. From Shawnee, take I-40 west to I-35 north, then take NE 23rd Street west past Kelley.
Driving from Norman, the airport, or El Reno
From Norman, take I-35 north to the I-40/I-35 junction, continue north on I-235, and take the NE 23rd Street exit east. From Will Rogers World Airport, take I-44 north to I-40 east, then I-235 north to NE 23rd; head east past Lincoln Boulevard. From El Reno, take I-40 east to I-235 north, then follow NE 23rd Street east past Lincoln Boulevard.
Parking and other travel modes
The venue lists free parking, including bus parking, and wheelchair-accessible parking. Its published directions describe driving routes but do not give public-transit details. The map links can calculate directions from your own starting point.
Before you make a plan
Do I need a ticket for the screening?
No. The screening is free, and the film’s official site says tickets are not required.
Crossroads of America: Oklahoma's Route 66 film screening and author event with Jim Ross and Shellee Graham | OHS Calendar ↗ · Crossroads of America: Oklahoma’s Route 66 | A Documentary Film ↗
Is the signing an author talk?
The OHS event listing describes a book signing from 6 to 7 p.m., not a talk or discussion. The book will be available for purchase, but buying it is not listed as a condition of attendance.
Who is listed for the signing?
The OHS event listing names Jim Ross and Shellee Graham; the film’s official site also lists Michael Wallis for November 2. Check with the organizer if meeting a particular author is important to your plans.
Crossroads of America: Oklahoma's Route 66 film screening and author event with Jim Ross and Shellee Graham | OHS Calendar ↗ · Crossroads of America: Oklahoma’s Route 66 | A Documentary Film ↗
Can visitors under 18 attend without an adult?
No. The Oklahoma History Center’s visitor information says visitors under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Location & Google Maps
Oklahoma History Center
800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Map search by venue and address. Check the organiser’s entrance details before travelling.