Breakfast at the hotel before we depart for the
Standing Bean Museum and Education Center
where we will head the story of Ponca Chief
Standing Bear. The story reached a national audience in 1879 when he and 30 followers began
their journey from Oklahoma to Nebraska to bury
his eldest son, head this story detailing their many
trials of the Standing Bear Museum and Education Center. Also at home in the Standing Bear
Park is a 22 foot bronze statue, Oklahoma’s tallest
statues, of Pone Chief Standing Bear, a monumental tribute to all Native Americans. A colorful
60-foot diameter circular viewing court is located
at the foot of Ponca Chief Standing Bear and contains large limestone boulders around perimeter
affixed with bronze deals of each of the six area
tribes including Kaw, Osage, Otoe-Missouria,
Pawnee, Ponca and Tonawa.
For more information, contact:
[email protected]
918-341-8688
Visitclaremore.org
Experience Claremore, home of the legendary Will
Rogers… American Cowboy, humorist, comedian,
vaudeville performer, actor columnist, and radio
commentator… it’s no wonder that Will is often referred to as “Oklahoma’s Favorite Son”
Watch Out for Gun Slingers as we arrive at the J.M
Davis Arms & Historical Museum and tour the largest privately-owned gun collection in the world.
The museum contains not only firearms but also
antiques music boxes,
musical instruments, and
steins from around the
world.
After breakfast at the hotel, we head to Tahlequah
to the Cherokee Heritage Center. Built on the original site of the Cherokee Female Seminary, visitors
will experience Cherokee life as you are guided
through
a
living
Ancient Village. The
center also features
the Trail of Tears
Exhibit, which chronicles
the
federal
government’s forced
removal of the Cherokees from their ancestral
homelands during the 1830’s. Discover Adam’s Corner Rural Village, an interpretative town that illustrates Cherokee communities in Indian Territory
during the late 19th Century.
Next Stop is the Will Rogers Memorial Museum,
which includes 12 galleries and tells the life of Will
Rogers. Rogers’ style of rope tricks entertained
audiences all over the world as he began performing in circuses abroad,
then on the Vaudeville
stages of New York.
Next stop is the Murrell Home, to experience the
elite Cherokee society! Then onward to Owen’s
Schoolhouse when we will
be greeted by a special
guest and enjoy a “Taste
of Cherokee” traditional
meal with entertainment.
After touring the museum, we will enjoy
some authentic cowboy grub with a chuck wagon dinner and then settle into the museums auditorium for some cowboy
entertainment and comedy. (Lodging two nights in
Claremore)
Next, explore the Cherokee National Capital Building, built in 1869. The Cherokee National Supreme
Court Museum is the oldest government building
standing in Oklahoma. Also, The Cherokee National
Prison Museum will tell stories of some of the most
notorious crimes and punishment. Featuring a live
blacksmith and gallows, the Museum shares the
evolution of Cherokee Law.
One last stop at the Seminary Hall at Northeastern
State University before heading back to Claremore.
Dinner included before settling in at host hotel.
After Breakfast, head
to Oolagah to visit the
Will Rogers Birthplace
Ranch. Tour Iron Dog
Ranch,
a
working
ranch,
and
home
where Will Rogers was born.
Our introduction to Oil Barons begins at Woolaroc,
the summer home of Frank Phillips of Phillips 66
Oil. It was in the middle of Indian Territory that
Frank and his brother hit the first big gusher. We’ll
tour the ranch house and enjoy the natural surroundings that embraces it’s name.
Box lunches on the coach as we travel to Ponca
City to the Conoco Museum. Immerse yourself in
127 years of history, explore a doodle bugger work
site, 1950’s research and development laboratory,
and visit an early service station with a working
visible gravity-fed gasoline pump.
Next, we head to the Marland Grand Home, built by
E. W. Marland and modeled after the Davenzati
Palace in Florence, Italy. Known as the Palace on
the Prarie, the mansion pays incredible attention to
detail with carved wood, sculptured stone, wrought
iron arched doorways, Waterford crystal chandeliers and hand-painted, gold leafed ceilings.
Enjoy a catered dinner in this “American Castle”
with dinner entertainment of the properties tales.
Retire for the evening, settling in your host hotel in
Ponca City.