7 Of The Most Adorable Small Towns In Oklahoma
Tornado Alley and Route 66 are Oklahoma's major draws (yes, people actually go on tornado-chasing tours). But in between lie adorable towns that feel like home, filled with traditional American flavor.
From ghost-sightings to historical sites, there's endless things to see. Shuck Me! brings crawfish and margaritas to the table in Broken Bow. Medicine Park, with its red cobblestones, keeps its 1900s history alive in the popular Historic District, known as Oklahoma's first planned resort town. State parks hog the spotlight in Eufaula, while the Cove Marina brings adventurers together for boating and fishing. The towns listed below are some of Oklahoma's cutest, each one presenting a different side of this state.
Pawhuska
Like most American towns, Pawhuska celebrates its history every chance it gets. The historic downtown area has 86 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church built in 1910. The stained glass windows are something to behold, as are the vaulted ceilings.
Pawhuska's history also includes Ben Johnson, the only man to have won a Rodeo World Championship and an Academy Award. Johnson has a museum (Ben Johnson Cowboy Museum) dedicated to him, where visitors can also learn more about Western Art. Some of the attractions that sit around the town are more about testing nerves than being idyllic. The Swinging Bridge is a prime example, and those with a fear of heights may want to steer clear. Safety returns at the Constantine Theater, one of the oldest performing arts venues in Oklahoma. The theatre boasts a full performing arts roster and even a ghost or two.
Broken Bow
Broken Bow appeals to families with the Beavers Bend Depot and the Beavers Bend Safari Park. The depot runs a train through the woods, past deer and other animals. The safari park allows kids to hand-feed bison and zebra. The town is also home to the Maze of Hochatown, designed to keep the young ones busy for at least a couple of hours. The maze is around 1.5 miles with puzzles and checkpoints. There is also a viewing tower at the center.
In the fall, Beavers Bend State Park offers guided cruises around Broken Bow Lake. And, in November, the Beavers Bend Folk Festival & Craft show brings the community together as they dance to folk music and explore the different vendor stalls. When hunger pangs strike, Shuck Me! stands ready with some of the best crawfish in the state.
Guthrie
The Oklahoma Territorial Museum & Carnegie Library tells Guthrie's history in a fun way. The exhibits center on pioneer life and how people made a living in the Wild West. There is also the Frontier Drugstore Museum, which sits inside a real and preserved 19th-century drugstore. The museum holds tools used back in the day as well as authentic 19th-century soda fountains. It will take quite a few weeks to explore all of the Historic District's buildings, since it is home to more than 2,000 historic structures. It is the largest historic urban district in the state and the place where people can see the Scottish Rite Masonic Temple and the State Capital Publishing Museum along with the above-mentioned museums.
This charming town turns a little bit mysterious (or downright spooky) at the Stone Lion Inn. Said to be one of the most haunted B&B's in the state, people have reported the ghost of a child tucking them in at night.
Chandler
Things get less creepy in Chandler, where the Route 66 Interpretive Center keeps the historic Route 66 alive through interactive displays. The memorabilia dates back to the 1930s, and the Mother Road video is as nostalgic as they come. The 'drive' takes visitors through the Dust Bowl and subsequent eras in the seat of different cars.
Chandler also still boasts original neon Route 66 signs, like the Route 66 Bowl sign. Just west of town in Warwick, The Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum revs up the engines (figuratively speaking) of vintage and historic motorcycles. Some of the motorcycles date back as far as 1908. And, at the H&S Theatre, people can watch new releases in a historic setting.
Medicine Park
The red cobblestones in Medicine Park made the town look like something from a fairytale. The stones were taken from the nearby Wichita Mountains and were hand-set by some of the town's first residents. Medicine Park was also the first cobblestone community in the country, and cobblestone buildings can still be seen here today. Some of the most popular attractions include the East Lake Drive Cottages, the Old Plantation Restaurant, and the former dance hall next to Bath Lake. The lake is bright blue and ideal for wading or picnicking on the shores. There are also strange and stunning rock formations to see at the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, as well as birds, bison, and elk.
Hugo
Twenty-two circuses once spent their winters in the charming town of Hugo. The animals and performers preferred the milder winters of southern Oklahoma, and Hugo became known as Circus City. There are still circus performances in town today, and at the local Mount Olivet Cemetery, people can visit Showmen's Rest.
This part of the cemetery was founded around 1960 after the death of circus owner Kelly Miller. The gravestones are designed in the circus spirit with sculpted elephants, circus tents made out of stone, and a marker for trapeze artist Grace McFarland. The main monument in the middle of the cemetery depicts an elephant balancing on two legs. More circus-related attractions await at the Frisco Depot Museum, including a miniature circus. Those wanting a break from all things circus can head out to Hugo Lake Park and get out on Hugo Lake on a pontoon boat or enjoy a BBQ at one of the campsites.
Eufaula
Eufaula has its own historic draws, including the Centennial Clock and the Foley Building dome. But the main attractions are Cove Marina and the state's largest lake, Lake Eufaula. The marina offers more than 400 covered and wet boat slips, and visitors can also rent tritoon boats, pontoons, tubes, houseboats, and ski boats.
Lake Eufaula sits next to Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park at Lake Eufaula. The park houses a massive jumping pillow and floating obstacle course as well as a mini golf course and swimming pool. The lake stretches along more than 600 miles of shoreline and has several swim beaches. The outdoor activities are endless, with boating, fishing, hunting, and four-wheeling. There are also two state parks to explore, namely Lake Eufaula State Park and Arrowhead Area at Lake Eufaula State Park.
Oklahoma's Adorable Towns Have Real Character
There is nothing superficial about these towns. Each one brings another facet of America to the fore. There are circus legends to learn and cowboys to honor. Ghost stories get an extra tale for extra shivers, and river stones hold up historic resorts. This part of the U.S. truly highlights the warmth and character of the American heartland.
