[ Destination Tahlequah ]
Highlight | Cherokee Culture
After visiting the Chickasaw in Sulphur, groups can travel about 190 miles northeast to Tahlequah, the tribal capital of the Cherokee Nation, where a wide range of cultural and historical activities is available.
The Cherokee Heritage Center gives visitors a historic overview of the Cherokee Nation. Among the most significant sections of the museum is the Trail of Tears exhibit, which tells the story of how the Cherokee were forcibly removed from their ancestral homelands in the East and marched halfway across the country to settle in Oklahoma.
The heritage center isn’t all sad, though: After visiting the history exhibit, groups can step out of the museum and into the Ancient Village to experience a re-creation of a Cherokee community as it would have existed before European contact. Interpreters demonstrate crafts such as basketry and flint knapping, and groups can try their hand at stickball and blowguns.
While you’re there: The Cherokee Nation has a robust tourism offering that takes groups on various outings in Tahlequah and the surrounding area. Guides can give tours focused on subjects such as the Civil War and Will Rogers history, and the organization can prepare immersive Cherokee food, art and storytelling activities.
[ Destination Claremore ]
Highlight | Will Rogers
One of the most famous American figures of the 20th century had Oklahoma and Cherokee roots. In Claremore, visitors remember a beloved personality at the Will Rogers Memorial and Museum.
Rogers was born in nearby Oologah, where his birthplace ranch is open for tours, and his Western experience growing up in Oklahoma became an integral part of his career as a trick roper, actor, radio commentator, newspaper columnist and philanthropist. At the memorial and museum, visitors learn about each of those elements of Rogers’ life and the impact that his Oklahoma childhood had on him.
The Will Rogers Theatre at the museum plays clips from some of the many movies in which Rogers appeared; other exhibits showcase some of his most memorable and humorous quotes. A large monument marks Rogers’ grave site at the memorial.
While you’re there: The J.M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum in Claremore claims to exhibit the largest privately owned gun collection in the world. In addition to a multitude of weaponry, visitors also see antique music boxes, musical instruments and beer steins from around the world.
[ Destination Tulsa ]
Highlight | American Art
Not far from Claremore, Tulsa is a hip and vibrant city that blends Western culture and urban sophistication. Those two elements come together in striking harmony at Tulsa’s Gilcrease Museum.
Located on the University of Tulsa campus, the Gilcrease Museum is one of the country’s leading institutions for the collection and preservation of American art. The museum has more than 10,000 paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures created by some 400 American artists. The collection spans the Colonial period to present day art.
Among the most notable aspects of the Gilcrease is its connection to Oklahoma and the West. The museum houses the world’s largest collection of art and artifacts from the American West, along with significant holdings in Native American art and artifacts.
While you’re there: The Philbrook Art Museum is housed in the 1927 home of a Tulsa oil magnate and has 23 acres of gardens. The Woodie Guthrie Center memorializes the American folk songwriter famous for writing “This Land is Your Land.”
