Inside Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios

If roadside kitsch had a mothership, it might just be Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios (1347 E. 11th St., Tulsa, OK, 918-895-9769) on Route 66 (try saying that three times fast!) in Tulsa. Occupying a restored 1950s PEMCO gas station, this delightfully oddball souvenir shop is home to an entire galaxy’s worth of retro gifts, Route 66 keepsakes and quirky photo ops, plus Buck and Stella Atom, a 20-foot-tall fiberglass space cowboy and cowgirl, respectively. 

The woman behind the Buck Atom’s magic is Mary Beth Babcock, a Tulsa local and ambassador with an infectious passion for all things offbeat. She opened the shop in 2018, launching Buck Atom as a one-of-a-kind mascot that mashed up old-school Americana with unexpected outer space flair. “Buck-Cowboy, Atom-Space—you mash them together and have a SPACE COWBOY!” Babcock shares with a laugh. By 2019, Buck had been transformed into a giant Muffler Man attraction thanks to Virginia artist Mark Cline. In the years since, space cowgirl Stella Atom, clad in a red fringe-trimmed dress and a bandanna, joined Buck.

Babcock sees travelers from all over the globe—New Zealand, Japan, Germany and beyond, sometimes all in the same day—all drawn to Buck and Stella as they cruise the Mother Road. “You never know who you might run into,” she says, coyly suggesting that filming locations frequently bring celebrities to town.

She’s also a driving force behind Route 66 preservation efforts and a self-proclaimed “cheerleader for Tulsa.” In fact, Babcock was named a 2024 Tulsan of the Year for her role in advocating for local tourism. This comes 13 years after winning Oklahoma Today’s esteemed Oklahoman of the Year award in 2011, when she owned her first two small businesses: an Oklahoma-themed gift shop called Dwelling Spaces and coffee shop JoeBot. 

Just last year, Babcock opened another nostalgic Mother Road stop, Meadow Gold Mack. Sitting next to the iconic Meadow Gold sign, the shop features items from over 60 local makers and vendors.

As Route 66 gears up to celebrate its 100th birthday in 2026, Babcock is already dreaming up ways to make it unforgettable, starting with Tulsa’s planned parade in May and stocking Buck Atom’s with collectible centennial souvenirs. 

Favorite Route 66 stop: The Blue Whale of Catoosa.