The Active Historian

Hey friend, welcome back to another post! Today, we’re getting our kicks on Route 66 – see what I did there?! The Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum sits on Route 66 on the edge of Warwick, Oklahoma. This was neat place to stop – let me show you around!

Museum History

The Seaba Station was built in 1921 by John and Alice Seaba. At first, this was a DX station that served “NevrNox” gasoline. John also rebuilt machines and engines in the shop.

This was five years before U.S. Highway 66 would officially open in 1926.

In 1951, John sold his business to Victor and June Briggs.

In 1995, Sonny and Sue Preston purchased the building. They restored the building and opened the Seaba Station Antiques & Gifts store.

The Seaba Filling Station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995 as well.

In October 2007, Gerald Tims and Jerry Ries bought the building. They wanted to do more restoration work to the front of the building. Their goal was to make it look like the original building. They also wanted to put a motorcycle museum in the inside of the building. They wanted to show lots of brands and how they changed throughout the years.

The Seaba Filling Station Motorcycle Museum opened in the summer of 2010. Speaking of motorcycles, let’s go look at some of them now!

Some of the Motorcycles on Display

There are over 65 vintage motorcycles in this museum from 1908 to present-day. I don’t know enough about motorcycles to have picked a favorite piece out in this museum, but I did think it was all pretty neat!

Historic Outhouse Building

This historic outhouse building was constructed in 1921 with the opening of the filling station. This was one of the best outhouses in the 1920s that had some of the best amenities. This outhouse had cast iron toilets that “flushed the entire time individuals sat on the rims of the toilets.” (NPS)

Concluding Thoughts

I enjoyed stopping by this museum in Warwick – it’s not everyday you find a museum full of motorcycles. I learned about this museum through the Oklahoma Route 66 Passport program. You can pick up one of these books at various locations and then make stops along Route 66 to collect stamps. I have the old red book that I’m currently working through and the new yellow book. They each have slightly different stops!

I encourage you to check out the Oklahoma Route 66 Passport! I’m having a lot of fun completing it and seeing places in Oklahoma that I’ve never been before. If you want to see the places I’ve visited check out my guide or story highlight on Instagram!

Happy traveling! I’ll talk to ya soon! 🙂

Visit

336992 East OK-66

Warwick, OK 74881

Sources

Seaba Station – website

“Oklahoma MPS Saba’s Filling Station” – National Register of Historic Places application

“Oklahoma: Seaba Station” – National Park Service

“Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum” – TravelOK website