The Most Scrumptious Museums in Tulsa

The Outsiders House Museum

★★★★★ 4.9 (33)

"Visiting Tulsa and looking for things to do? Put this on your list! So...what is this place? It was used as the Curtis Brothers' home in the movie "The Outsiders". It is a movie set and museum all rolled up in one. There are lots of pics and original props throughout the home and/or items similar to the ones used. You can sit down on the floor with a cake & beer like Two-Bit did, or sit at the desk as Ponyboy did for fun or a great pic. Sure, this is just a movie set house and not based on a true story, but a good part of us can relate to someone in the book, the movie, and/or the messages we got from the story in general. When you tour the home...you can almost be transported to another era, another time, and really relate to the characters in the story. How was this possible? A longtime fan of the novel and movie is Hip Hop artist Danny Boy O'Connor. He visited the home on a tour and just couldn't shake how the home should be preserved. In 2016, he bought the home and the work began. They are still working on it, but it's been open to the public for a few years. I am impressed with the preservation of this home...they really did a good job. It is such a great story and this is a wonderful place to preserve the story forever. I would suggest watching the movie before you go or watch it again to refresh your memory. Some of the workers at the museum were extras in the movie and it's fun to hear their stories. Please be advised they are only open Friday-Sunday from 11am - 4pm...so plan accordingly. There is a small parking lot in the back and a few parking spaces along the street. Please keep in mind this is in a neighborhood, so please respect private property and keep the noise level down. There is a cool gift shop with restrooms as well. If you're a fan of the book or movie, it's worth a stop! Just go...do it for Johnny! Stay Gold!"

Drennen Scott Home

★★★★★ 5 (3)

"This place is great! We had a history lesson while we were guided with our amazing tour guide Barbara!!! She was very informative and super sweet woman! We could have spent the whole day with her talking about history of the town Van Buren, AR and the history of the Drennen Scott Home! This Home / museum is free and is worth the stop! We rode the free trolley from the train depot, We had seen furniture and personal belongings from 1800s , it was amazing to learn how people had lived and how the town had started! I won't give away all the information so go check the place out and have fun :)"

Oklahoma Railway Museum

★★★★★ 4.5 (20)

"A thoroughly enjoyable rail museum in the okc. They have their own parking lot which never seems to quite fill up, although on the excursion days I think there is a grass lot they open up for overflow parking. As always in oklahoma come early if you want the shaded spots.They have a sizable collection and it will take you some time to work your way all around and through it. I should also mention that it's entirely outdoor, so no shelter from the heat or rain. Well for the rain you could go inside the cars. For the heat there is nothing to be done. This is a self guided tour, although there is a giftshop (with no fixed hours)on site with folks that can answer questions, for the most part you will wander, read and explore as your heart dictates. Most-but not all-of the cars are refurbished and are open to walk (climb) in, the usual exemptions being the some of the locomotives as most of the equipment here is fully refurbished to working order. They have an especially fine selection of restored caboose's.Upon occasion they will offer excursion trips of a few hours or so, or other special events. The cars (both of them) that have a/c can be rented for events such as birthday parties etc. which seems to be the condition required to get the air conditioning on. There are picnic benches and a small children's playground should you need such things, along with public restrooms.All in all it's not too shabby a way to kill a few hours on a lovely day."

The Oklahoma Territorial Museum

★★★★☆ 4.4 (5)

"I truly enjoyed this little museum that gives a very descriptive detail of the Land Rush of 1889 when all the Oklahoma territory was being laid out for claim (up to 160 acres), and the lengths people went to claim the land. It also offers detailed descriptions on how these people lived, what they did to achieve the land, the participants in the rush, and overall outlining the very details that achieved the early parts of Oklahoma settlement.The museum itself is very interactive. It is laid out very nicely and you could easily spend 2 to 3 hours in her going through everything if you took your time.There is a cost to enter the museum varying from children to senior pricing.The 1970s building that occupies the museum is connected building connected to the Carnegie library next door that was established in 1908."

Cherokee National Prison Museum

★★★☆☆ 3 (1)

"I wish I could give this like a 3.5... It's not quite a 4 but not so much a 3 either. The entry fee is $5 and you walk in to a small little "gift shop" of shelves filled with books and local, handmade, and Cherokee gifts including marbles, pins that say "Osiyo" and books from Cherokee writers. The main exhibit is really about 2 rooms that are all open to each other. There are life size scale mannequins with "outlaw" and "prisoner" regalia, as it is a prison museum. There are a few interesting stories as well as a few interactive activities such as pulling the weight of a dumbell that would have been attached to a prisoner's leg. Outside there is a replica of the "gallows" and the space that the prisoners might have lived and worked.The museum doesn't take long at all to get through so if you were bringing a large group, consider doing a tour of multiple historic places in the area (and there are a few within walking distance). The museum is interesting but not exactly enough to keep you entertained for long, although, it's very specific. If I were in Tahlequah again, I would recommend touring but I would likely not drive a far distance to visit. Original Tip:$5 entry, takes about 30-40 minutes to go through at most"

Cherokee National History Museum

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"On Wednesday we drove to Tahlequah, the capital city of both the Cherokee Nation and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians. Their reservation spans 14 counties in Northeastern Oklahoma.In 1830, gold was discovered on Cherokee lands. The exact same year, not only were Cherokees legally prohibited from mining for gold on their own lands Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830. In exchange for $5 million the Cherokee people would "exchange" their homelands for lands in Oklahoma. Not only were the people who signed the treaty on behalf of the Cherokee not elected officials of the tribe in any capacity, the US government never paid the money out, nor were the Cherokee given a seated representative in the US House of Representatives per the 1835 Treaty of New Echota. More than 100,000 Native Americans, including the Cherokees were forcibly removed from their homes in the Carolinas, Appalachia and Alabama. The Seminoles of Florida even went to war for 7 years against the US government to try to hold onto their land. People were hunted, killed and those who were captured were forced to march a thousand miles on a journey that became known as "The Trail of Tears" due to 4,000 people dying on the forced relocation march.After the Native Americans were forcibly removed, their land and gold mining rights were then given to wealthy white settlers in lotteries. This land became the massive plantations (corporate farms) of the slave-era. I've been to Tahlequah before but they tore down the original museum that I visited in favor of turning this courthouse into a museum. Personally, the trail of tears exhibit was a better exhibit at the former museum. It always stuck with me how they had eyewitness accounts of US soldiers bayonetting pregnant women on the trail. It's just evil."

State Capitol Publishing Museum

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"Despite the negative review from the other tourist, I really enjoyed seeing this building and the rest of Historic downtown Gutherie. There is so much history in that area and I'm glad that there are plenty of signs/placards in front of historic buildings around town that tell you its story. I really appreciated all of the detail and stories that the historical fund/society put into all of the informational signs. It's fun to look around town from the first State Capital building and see that each building was built in the late 1800s or the early 1900s. It feels like everything around you takes you back in time. I love those experiences. They also offer a trolley ride for a reasonable price which I believe shuttles you around town. The trolley is really neat but I didn't get a chance to take it but saw others enjoying their ride on it. I highly recommend that you take some time to visit and walk around the old parts of a historic town that's been beautifully preserved l and restored."

Science Museum Oklahoma

★★★★☆ 4.4 (208)

"My family and I were visiting Oklahoma City. On our second to last day, we went to the Science Museum in OKC. We are from Vegas, and the Science Museum in Oklahoma City is by far the best science museum we have ever been to! There is nothing like the Science Museum at OKC in Las Vegas!We had arrived at 9:30 A.M., and stayed all day, until closing, at around 5:00 P.M. My daughter had the best time at the Science Museum!The Science Museum in Oklahoma City is known for its engaging and hands-on approach to science education. During our visit, they were remodeling their main theatre area, but in the other section of the museum, team members were making cotton candy for the holidays, making balloons, and had several arts stations set up for the holidays. The Science Museum was festive! Visitors of all ages can explore all the exhibits from physics, technology, astrology, biology, and so much more! There are two different levels to the science museum, and make sure you give yourself enough time if this is your first time visiting. I felt like we had to rush the second floor since we spent so much time in the first area.One of the highlights of the museum is the planetarium. It provides a variety of shows throughout the day. One of the shows that my family and I saw was the journey through the cosmos! We felt so immersed in the awe-inspiring show! What was nice was that the show was interactive. You could ask the team members to show different planets and moons. You'll not only explore our solar system, but some of the distant galaxies as well!Make sure to check the science museums show schedule online. Typically, there are shows and events every hour. There are a ton of exhibitsThe Science FloorTinkering GarageFinityCurioCityKickpatrick PlanetariumsmART SpaceLight MindedDestination SpaceKidSpace The GardensAviation GalleryOklahoma Aviation and Space Hall of Fame Gadget TreesTiny TracksEye On the SkyBig Game TheoryOceanariumPower PlayEnergy QuestMighty MouthElemental WorldsFollow the MonarchsSome of the areas my daughter spent the most of the time The Science Floor:There is a Segway station where you can ride a Segway. The Segway goes through a variety of different obstacles. She did this event a few times throughout the day.Big Game TheoryWe played a game of checkers and chess with an oversized light peg board. The games took approximately 45 minutes each. The Big Game Theory is located on the second floor. The checkers game is next to the gymnasium. She also played with the tumbling blocks and giant stacking. Eye on the Sky:We made a few different tornados. There is a trick to it, but a lot of fun! Gadget Trees:Two-story tree house with a massive spiral slide! We spent a lot of time running around in the indoor playground. There was also a self pully (6 pulleys & 28 feet of rope!)CurioCity:20,000 square feet of endless activities. There are a variety of obstacle courses, a circus area where you can tightrope, self-power a merry-go-round, a fun-room, and a super cool indoor playground area. It had a lot of slides and tons of climbing inside. This was by far one of our favorite areas. She also spent a lot of time in the dinosaur area, excavating dinosaur bones!If you're local in OKC, and you haven't visited this place, you need to go! It was a blast! All of the exhibits are educational. My favorite was the Tiny Tracks. We actually go to walk through a Pullman Parlor Car. We got to see how people traveled in the 20th century! There is also a restaurant and café area inside the OKC Science Museum. Single-Day AdmissionsAdult (13-64)$20.95Senior (65+) $15.95Child (3-12) $15.95The Single-Day admission was totally worth it, especially since we spent all day inside the museum. If you're local, you can also get a membership that allows unlimited admissions to the museum for a year and exclusive access to events. I would get a membership if I was local to OKC. My family and I had such an amazing time!"

Tulsa Art Deco Museum

★★★★☆ 3.9 (13)

"Saying this is a museum is a bit of a stretch, but this is a lovely building to visit. The building is stunning, there is so much history and detail in everything from the floor to the ceiling, that it is worth seeing. There are a few art deco displays behind glass on the first floor in-between current businesses, and that's all there is to look at during your visit. However, for a FREE museum, it's a great place to visit for 5 - 15 minutes. If they were to charge, it wouldn't be worth it."

Skeletons Museum Of Osteology

★★★★★ 4.7 (157)

"My daughter saw a video on YouTube about the Skeleton's Museum of Osteology in Oklahoma City and their star, Indy. After watching the video, she asked if we could go on a family vacation to Oklahoma City. We are from Las Vegas and decided to book a week at Oklahoma City before the holidays!We visited the Skeletons Museum of Osteology on a Monday morning as soon as it opened. It is the latest Osteology Museum in the U.S. Current hours of operation are the followingMonday - Friday: 9:00 A.M - 5:00 P.MSaturday: 10:00 A.M - 5:00 P.MSunday: 11:00 A.M - 5:00 P.M You can visit their website to view upcoming events. Some of their 2024 events include the followingDIY SkullariumJunior Forensics Homeschool Days: IE: Animal CSIThe museum displays over 450 real skeletons from all over the world. It provides a wide range of educational opportunities. Some of the exhibits include human anatomy & Forensics, locomotion & Skeleton Adaptions, Oklahoma Wildlife, and so much more! This museum is family-owned and operated! The admission prices are inexpensive, and we spent about a half day inside the museum.Adults (12+): $13.00Youth (3-11): $11.00Children under 3: Free with paid adultAfter we paid, we were given a few educational sheets to complete. If you get the questions correct, you're provided a small gift at the gift shop. The forensics & pathology were interesting. I didn't realize how much the human skull changes in such a short period of time. There was an exhibit that guided you through the timeline of skull development and even a section on facial reconstruction. It was interesting and intriguing, and I learned a lot! One of the parts of the exhibit showed oral hygiene. There were different jaws and the oral impact on the jaw. The exhibit also had areas for different animals and their locomotion.Aerial Locomotion: FlightArboreal Locomotion: Tree ClimbingAquatic Locomotion: SwimmingCursorial Locomotion: RunningFossorial Locomotion: DiggingSaltatorial Locomotion: JumpingThe museum was also decorated for the holidays. There was a holiday photo booth with a festive tree on display! My daughter also had a chance to say "Hi" to Sir Indiana Jones, Indy. Sir Indy is a rescued cat and is the official Kitty of Skulls! We also bought a few memorabilia items at the gift shop. I'm so glad that we had a chance to have a family vacation in OKC and visit the Skeletons Museum of Osteology."

Route 66 Interpretive Center

★★★★★ 5 (7)

"A must stop. It is a beautiful restored National Guard Armory made from hand carved sandstone blocks. Plenty of local and Rt. 66 history on display and shown on short film clips. Lots if fun info provided. Worth the trip."

The American Pigeon Museum and Library

★★★★★ 4.7 (10)

"A breeding and training center for racing pigeons. You can see a bird that is worth over $10,000. It is open to the public and the friendly, and somewhat crazy, staff seems more than happy to give free tours. Sadly, this may be the most fun you will have in OKC. To go there and not stop at the Pigeon Center is to go to Paris and not see the Eiffel Tower."

Osage County Historical Society Museum

★★★★★ 4.5 (2)

"Always eagered to visit Native American museums and this was a delight to visit. The artifacts on display goes back 400 years and explains the history of Osage county. A great historical museum of Native Americans."

Pioneer Woman Museum

★★★☆☆ 2.7 (3)

"I feel kind of weird being the first to review on Yelp a museum that is over 55 years old.I come to Ponca City once a year for business and have wanted to stop here to visit. Today I finally did not knowing what to expect. I walked in and paid the $4 admission fee (less for seniors and minors). The museum is small with two exhibit rooms and a small gift shop. The permanent exhibit chronicles life for women from the settler days to the 20th century. There are banners honoring several Oklahoma women and their achievements in advancing women's rights and other causes. This exhibit is in one room. The travelling exhibit in the other room was about female journalists in Oklahoma. The primary attraction is the large statue of the Pioneer Woman out front.I must be honest and say I found the museum to be very simple and boring. I don't really understand its purpose and perhaps I am missing the point. I do understand the statue and how it honors the pioneer women but the interior displays are plain and in my opinion not worthy of having an inside museum for. The only saving grace if you want to attend is the very low admission price. I have to give a 2 score to be fair with other museums I have rated. I just can't give this place a 3. I hope that someone else can come in and give a different review with a different perspective and provide a higher rating.I forgot to take any pictures:("

Armstrong Auditorium

★★★★★ 4.5 (8) • $$$

"Beautiful and masterfully impressive auditorium that sets the standard in construction, and the materials used. What a wonderful and amazing history this lovely place has, and the quality of the entertainment provided here. Truly a gem in the middle of nowhere."

Elvis Barbershop Museum

★★★★★ 4.5 (2)

"Great, quick stop for a history or military buff and/or Elvis fan. Lots of memorabilia about Elvis when he had his military haircut and stay at Camp Chaffee when he joined the Army. Friendly volunteer was there to share lots of info. Another room full of Chaffee and area history. Free admission . Walk across the parking lot to check out the Museum of Chaffee History too."

Fred Jones Jr. Museum Of Art

★★★★☆ 4.2 (33)

"Outstanding art museum for a university campus. Collection rivals a mid-size city or small large city museum. The second floor dedicated to western art is quite impressive. Worth noting: from the photographs, the art museum is getting reviews on this page for the natural history museum which is a few blocks away. It, however, is also fantastic and needs to better promote that it has the largest dinosaur fossil on exhibit in the United States. Bottom line: both museums are exceptional. Staff are fantastic. If I only had time to visit one, it would be the art museum but that is only due to personal preference. If you have time, stop in on both."

Tulsa Zoo

★★★★☆ 4 (134)

"I enjoy visiting different Zoos around the country - and this place is cute. Bigger then expected it had some fun things like the ability to feed the giraffes, observe, rhinos, watch, chimpanzees play, and enjoy an assortment of other animals. One of the more interesting things that I know it was the massive amount of different areas for children, be they the playground, pet farm, and just a lot of great family activities. If in Tulsa looking to spend a day it was well run and clean with good animalEnclosures"

Muskogee War Memorial Park

★★★★★ 4.8 (8)

"This was actually my first trip out to the park and museum. It was very interesting to walk through. We brought my family that was visiting from North and South Carolina to visit. They had sat down earlier in the week and decided this was one of the places they would enjoy visiting while they were here. Thank You to the staff for being so nice during the visit, it made for a wonderful experience and funny conversation. I would highly recommend for people to put this museum on their list to visit."

Philbrook Museum of Art

★★★★★ 4.7 (183)

"There are so many reasons why people should visit Philbrook Museum of Art. Although incomplete, these are just a few reasons: amazing museum and art collections, fascinating historical background of the facility, exquisite gardens, and inspirations. The museum was formerly the home of oilman Waite Phillips. It houses over 8,500 works of art. Accompanied the originally 72-room Italian Renaissance-style mansion now museum is 23 acres of exquisite English gardens. Inside this historical villa lies a melting pot of rich international cultures and Tulsa cultures, on full display. Philbrook Museum of Art is a national treasure of Tulsa and is the top attraction of the city. When visiting, it is difficult to not be inspired. I know I have as these are some of the best pictures I have taken of a museum/garden."

Five Civilized Tribes Museum

★★★★★ 5 (5)

"Nice journey into American Indian history with wonderful American Indian women with so much knowledge and enthusiasm to bring the ongoing story to the limelight. This story is a must for all Americans to learn and appreciate. We thoroughly enjoyed the historical explanations and artwork and artifacts."

Greenwood Rising

★★★★★ 4.8 (43)

"Although some locals say this center isn't the best way to learn about the history of Tulsa, I still learned a lot. I understand that there are many sides to a story and I accept the onus to seek information from many different perspectives and people.I appreciated visiting this center and liked the setup and flow of the information. It engaged different senses and offered captioning.I recommend visiting this center AND speaking to as many locals and descendants as possible."

Marland Mansion & Estate

★★★★★ 5 (9)

"What you will find if you ever tour Herculaneum, or the EW Marland Mansion, is that after people are comfortable and well-fed, additional wealth basically is poured into art. Lots of art. Big art, small art. I especially delight in small artful details, and am posting a few pics as examples. Just know that this place is packed with them. Almost anywhere you look, there's something interesting.The Petroleum Hall Of Fame resides on the bottom floor. I view it very differently than the two women who wandered in and commented, "A good old boys' club." They need to read Atlas Shrugged! One of the men on that wall employed my grandpa - he worked for Hughes Oil. Personally I would not be willing to make the sacrifices necessary for my picture to be on that wall, but I appreciate the way of life those guys made possible. EW Marland in particular seems to have been quite generous in funding hospitals and many other things that benefitted all Ponca City residents.Have you seen the large portrait of Lydie? Apparently the artist disliked her, so he painted a serpent in near her feet. But I can't decide if that's also the reason the angle of her leg is so wrong, or if it was just a lack of talent. Either way, I'm surprised the Marlands would hang that portrait. Maybe they never noticed."

Stillwater History Museum at the Sheerar

★★★★☆ 3.7 (3)

"A lovely little museum dedicated to the history of Stillwater, Oklahoma. For a small building and crew, they manage to do a lot in the community. A hosting space, gathering place, and many educational events throughout the year. Stop in and buy a ticket to travel through time."

Seaba Station

★★★★★ 4.9 (8)

"One of the classic spots along Route 66, Seaba Station is a motorcycle museum. It's also a rally point for lots of folks who trailer their motorcycles to here, camp, and then drive along Route 66.The museum is free (or at least, no one asked me for money) and is a collection of a LOT of motorcycles, motorcycle racing memorabilia and other motorcycle stuff. It was interesting and I'm sure would have been even more so for someone who could better recognize the bikes and their significance. There are a few captures here and there but not many. They also have a gift shop.[Review 16239 overall - 76 in Oklahoma - 1745 of 2021.]"

Fort Smith Museum of History

★★★★★ 5 (3)

"Since I'm not from this area, I wouldn't know what to expect. Obviously, the early U.S. Army had a fort here. They say something about defending against an Indian uprising. I could write for days about such a thing, but that takes away from the museum.The museum has a few exhibits for free in the lobby. If you want to see the rest of the first, and the second floor, it's $5.00 for adults, which isn't bad, considering the amount of information and the orderly way in which it's presented. Of course, flash photography is not wanted, as it can cause older items to deteriorate more quickly.They had early maps of the area, including a French map of the Native American Indians, which was quite informative. A handy guide to French would have made it accessible to everyone.They presented many items from the 1800s and early 1900s throughout the building, including vehicles, tools, and clothing. There were newspaper articles explaining events. I was surprised to see the creative use of typography, given the difficulty of manually assembling a page of metallic type. Along with this, they showed a couple of printing presses.On the second floor, they went into later years, up through the 1960s, and touched on subjects more likely to still be on the minds of older generations in the area.I suspect that school kids will go to the museum no matter what, but those who don't know about the history of the area should take the trip. Besides, feeding a museum in order to help preserve your history isn't a bad thing at all."

Oklahoma Firefighter's Museum

★★★★☆ 4.2 (14)

"This review is long overdue. Established in 1967, this firefighter museum boasts artifacts from the London Fire Brigade and a dozen fully restored firetrucks. Among its attractions is a captivating wall adorned with over 7000 fire patches collected from various locations. We were so impressed that we even brought along a couple of patches to contribute to their collection. Our visit was thoroughly enjoyable, and we spent a considerable amount of time exploring the exhibits. We highly recommend it, especially for families with children who are sure to love it too. The admission prices are family-friendly: adults are six dollars, seniors are five dollars, children aged 6 to 12 are three dollars, and children under three enter for free--truly unbeatable value. We're eagerly looking forward to our next visit.Make sure to check out their little store with merchandise. We left with a bag full.4/13/24"

Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum

★★★★★ 5 (4)

"Lovely museum with cars kept pristine. Loads of information and beautiful exhibits. It is located right on Route 66. Plenty of parking"

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

★★★★★ 4.5 (183)

"The cowboy heritage is wonderful attraction just a bit off from Historic Route 66. It is an attraction worth the money and more things to see. It great educational tool for school and adults. The visit needs 3 hours to finish. It start at the west wing and work your self to outside display and east wing. The west wing is the major display. It start with Indian history. There is map of each territory of Indian. I finally realized the Apache only occupied a small area. I also notice the movie killer of the flower moon talk about the Osage tribe. This tribe occupied a big area. You also learn the Indian participation in world war. At the museum you will learn how people travel through Well Fargo coach to the west. Then later you learn cowboy ranch system. The use of hot press for identification of their livestock. The cowboy lasso to catch and tame the cow. The out side garden you can practice the lasso to go on top of the fade bull. There are many photo opportunities at the outside."

Cherokee National Supreme Court Museum

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"On Wednesday, after visiting the Cherokee National History Museum in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, we visited the Cherokee National Supreme Court Museum.The building that houses the museum was built in 1844 and is the oldest still-standing government building in Oklahoma. Not only was this the Cherokee Nation's Supreme Court, but it also housed the printing office of the Cherokee Advocate, a weekly bilingual English & Cherokee-language newspaper and the Tahlequah District Courts. Inside the building is a small courtroom on the ground floor and the printing press and newspaper office on the upper level. Prior to the Indian Removal Act of 1830, the Cherokee Nation had its own courts.According to two separate signs on exhibits in the museum;"In 1817, a group of Cherokees known as the Old Settlers left the Cherokee Nation in the east and moved west of the Mississippi River to the Arkansas Territory where they set up a new government and court system. In 1828, the Old Settlers relocated to Indian Territory and brought their government with them. After the rest of the Cherokee people were forcibly removed from their southeastern homeland to Indian Territory in 1838 and 1839, they and the Old Settlers set about reuniting and created a new constitution which provided for the re- establishment of a legal system.""For many years Cherokee justice was practiced according to Blood Law, also known as Clan Law, an ancient form of tribal law aimed at restoring balance to individuals or tribal life. If something was taken from one clan, it had to be repaid by the offender's clan in order to restore balance.The creation of the modern court system used by the Cherokee Nation today stemmed from the tribe's need to adapt to a new world order and deal with the new United States government. At the same time, it was important to accommodate traditions and customs, so the Cherokees took examples from European and American courts and fused them with their own traditions and views on justice.In 1820, the Cherokees divided their land into eight districts with a judge and a marshal for each. Courts were held twice a year in each district, and exercised both judicial and legislative functions. A Supreme Court was created to determine cases appealed from the district courts. The Cherokee Nation had established a judicial system preceding that of the State of Georgia by ten years.In 1828, the Cherokee Nation adopted a constitution that gave district courts jurisdiction over cases of misdemeanor, theft to the amount of one hundred dollars, and any criminal cases except murder. The circuit courts, which were to sit twice a year in each district, had original jurisdiction over murder trials and cases of theft exceeding one hundred dollars. They had appellate jurisdiction over suits involving sums over twenty-five dollars.The Supreme Court sat for one month annually at the capital. It had original jurisdiction over murder cases; jurisdiction to hear appeals and review decisions of lower courts; and any cases brought before it from the circuit courts. District judges were elected by the people, while circuit and Supreme Court judges were appointed by tribal legislature.Every offender whose case was brought to a Cherokee court was given the right to trial by a jury of six men for minor offenses and twelve men for murder cases. Because the Cherokees had no jail, offenders were kept under guard until trial."What I found extra interesting was that in the exhibit for the Cherokee printing press, there was a sign about the predecessor of the Cherokee Advocate, the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper. This sign talked about a Cherokee editor of the Cherokee Phoenix, Elias Boudinot, who was upset that he was overruled when wanting to print pro-Indian-relocation articles. He ended up leaving the newspaper and was one of the non-elected representatives for the Cherokee Nation in signing an agreement to forcibly removed the Cherokee from their lands to modern day Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears. I definitely felt like this should have been more prominently displayed because seriously WTF?! For the record, he was taken out by vigilantes for selling out his nation and is buried not too far from the museum.Overall, it was a very informative museum despite its small size. According to the visitor book, we were the only people who visited that day. We stayed the last 45 minutes until closing. Visited: May 2024."

Tulsa Historical Society and Museum

★★★★★ 4.6 (9)

"I love architecture and am glad the Samuel Travis mansion was spared. The mansion is so altered, it is a little sad. There is a museum, but I didn't have time to visit. I will go back to check it all out.....soon! I was allowed to view the fountain in the original sunroom, I completely misremembered it. :("

Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History

★★★★★ 4.7 (43)

"Okay, this is an amazing museum, with wonderfully interactive exhibits for the kids, and adults can learn so much too if they are interested and want to. They've thought of everything here, like when you're walking through the dinosaur exhibit, every big stripe in the carpet represents a mass extinction... how cool is that? This would have been a wonderful thing to do on a rainy Saturday anyway, but our experience was immensely enhanced by the fantastic docent, Ms. Nance (Dr. Nance, perhaps?). You could tell by her "4000 hour" pin on her lapel that she's spent many a Saturday doing just what she did with us. She picked us, wondering around a little bit overwhelmed, and gave us the tour of a lifetime of that dinosaur room. Many of the fossils she had worked on herself, and she had so many stories about when and how they were found, so many of them right here in Oklahoma. She told us more than I think I've ever learned in such a short amount of time, and you know we were getting such an infinitesimal fraction of what she knows on the topic. She was so patient with my littles (my three year old daughter and five year old nephew) and she even got out her keys and got out a dinosaur pinky for us to hold. Now, you guys know me. I was interested in what she was saying, because it was such an awesome thing to get to learn so much so quickly. But what I really wanted to do was hear her life story. She mentioned scuba diving in the pacific, going on digs, living in California, college in Massachusetts... I wanted to plunk her down at the coffee shop and get the full story. Maybe next time! If you see a docent, feel free to ask them for a mini tour! And if you see a mini tour in progress, just join in. There were people looking at us, I think they were wondering why we were getting the star treatment. I don't know why she chose us but I'm so glad she did! Thank you, Ms/Dr Nance!"

Church Studio

★★★★★ 4.8 (9)

"This historical landmark will be the new gem in Tulsa's tourist stops. We went during opening week when the entry fee was a $5 donation. (Note that I would gladly pay more to tour this place again and will do so. May even consider a membership.)The new addition (where you enter) merges well with the old architecture and allows for the exhibiting of all the artifacts that the owner has accumulated over the years about the Tulsa Sound (and about the church history...as a church before it was a studio).You can just hear and see and imagine all the history of this place. Don't miss going into the belfry (meditation chamber) for the peaceful atmosphere and to see a chair originally owned by Russell (from his Maple Ridge mansion). Also don't miss poking your head into the truly vintage bathroom to scope out the wallpaper and the famous bidet. I believe the studio will be a staple to the emerging neighborhood. There's a separate merch store and a record shop adjacent. Don't miss going across the street to Mangos."

Drumright Historical Museum

★★★★★ 4.5 (2)

"I didn't expect much from a small-town museum, but there are a lot of unique and entertaining things, including a big mural, a huge collection of salt and pepper shakers, tons of WWII memorabilia, and an old train car outside."

Sapulpa Historical Museum

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"We have visited local town museums around the country, and this one is in the top 5. The displays are put together with care and a keen eye to detail. The amount of artifacts they have on local history is incredible. The Curator talked with us for quite a while about the town's history as well as the museum's. She was knowledgeable and very, very nice. She took us over to the fire museum (part of the main museum), unlocked it for us, and gave us a personal tour. We then went back to the main museum building and were amazed by all the themed rooms and the displays within them. You can really tell they are passionate about their town and its history. We can't recommend this stop highly enough."