History is meant to be collected, preserved and shared. By honoring our past, we’re bound together through culture, geography and mutual experiences that have uniquely touched us all.
When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.– Alexis de Tocqueville
A Stitch in Time
And nowhere is that more true than in Oklahoma, where the waving wheat mixes with the red dirt to create a state unlike anywhere else. Here, the legacy of resilient frontiersmen, native peoples and rough-riding cowboys is evident at every turn.
Histories make men wise; poets, witty; the mathematics, subtle; natural philosophy, deep; moral, grave; logic and rhetoric, able to contend.– Francis Bacon
Blast From the Past
Tap into your pioneering side at Harn Homestead.
Go back in time to the days of the Old West at the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center.
Uncover Civil War history at Fort Washita Historic Site and Museum, established in 1842.
Picture yourself in turn-of-the-century Tishomingo at the Chickasaw National Capitol.
Gaze up at the replica of the world-famous Winnie Mae plane, immersing yourself in the heritage of the Sooner state at Oklahoma History Center.
One for the Record Books
Keep the past alive with a history-filled retreat in Oklahoma.
History Buff Destinations
Fort Washita Historic Site and Museum is a must-visit destination for military history buffs. Established in 1842, Fort Washita served as the southwestern-most military post of the United States and was built to maintain peace for the newly removed Choctaws and Chickasaws. Today, the restored Fort Washita is a National Historic Landmark and free museum offering visitors a glimpse into life before and during the Civil War.
Experience a slice of Native American history in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, at the first Chickasaw Council House built in Indian Territory. Today, the Council House Museum honors the rich culture of the Chickasaw people and features one of the largest collections of Chickasaw arts and cultural artifacts in the state.
The Chickasaw National Capitol Building provides the ultimate trip back in time through Chickasaw history. The Victorian, gothic-style building was dedicated in 1898 and served as the Nation's capitol until 1906. Today, it acts as a stately museum representing the Nation's past.
Artifacts of all varieties can be found at the Greater Southwest Historical Museum, ranging from an early electric car to a steam-pumper fire engine to the Wichita Falls Spudder Rig that was widely used in the Ardmore area oil fields from the 1920s to the 1940s. The centerpiece, however, is the Sam Noble Hall, featuring exhibits that recreate Western life at the turn of the century.
Chosen CNN’s top travel destination for Oklahoma in 2014, the Chickasaw Cultural Center is one of the largest, most comprehensive tribal cultural centers in the United States. Come celebrate, embrace and share the heritage that binds the Chickasaw Nation together.
If you're a cowboy or history buff, make it a point to tour the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center & Garis Gallery of the American West in Duncan, Oklahoma. This interactive museum immerses visitors in the rough-and-tumble world of the historic Chisholm Trail, which was used in the post-Civil War era to drive cattle from Texas ranches to Kansas railheads.
Featuring a variety of high-tech, interactive exhibits, the Oklahoma Hall of Fame at Gaylord-Pickens Museum allows visitors to virtually meet notable Oklahomans to get a sense of the various faces, voices and spirits that make this state what it is today.
Harn Homestead, claimed during the Land Run of 1889, is a 10-acre historical homestead in Oklahoma City. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Harn now serves as a museum and popular field trip destination where kids can learn about life during the territorial days of Oklahoma.
History buffs shouldn’t miss the 215,000-square-foot Oklahoma History Center. Situated on 18 acres in Oklahoma City, this learning center displays over 2,000 artifacts exploring Oklahoma’s unique heritage, from the state’s rich Native American culture to the land run days to the thriving present day.
Witness the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s collection of more than 28,000 Western and American Indian art and artifacts that preserve the history and cultures of the American West. Be sure to check out the variety of works by renowned American artist Frederic Remington, as well as the massive “End of the Trail” sculpture that greets visitors upon arrival.
