Art museums, ancient Indian cabins, battlefields and state parks: all that and more await in Oklahoma, also known as the Sooner State. We’ve gathered some of the most important and iconic natural, historic, and cultural Oklahoma landmarks to put on your list for your next visit.
Top Landmarks in Oklahoma
Oklahoma Landmarks
Beavers Bend State Park and Nature Center
With its dramatic rock formations, towering mountains, vibrant evergreen forests and waterside views, there’s a reason that Beavers Bend State Park and Nature Center is one of the most commonly visited natural landscapes in all of Oklahoma.
The park’s 26-mile David Boren Trail makes for excellent hiking and biking opportunities. The park also includes a full-sized 18-hole golf course. The on-site nature center offers unique and entertaining programs and events such as arts and crafts classes and nature films.
Attractions and Camping Nearby
Located in the lush southeastern corner of the state, Beavers Bend State Park and Nature Center is near the McCurtain County Game Reserve. It’s also within easy reach of the urban conveniences of Broken Bow and Idabel. There you can find attractions like the Choctaw Casino and Museum of the Red River.
RV camping is available in the state park, so you can stay right in the middle of all the fun.
Cherokee National Capitol
Also known as the Cherokee National Courthouse, the Cherokee National Capitol was first completed in 1869. It served as the capitol building for the Cherokee Nation from that year through 1907, which was when Oklahoma achieved official statehood.
Today it’s the site of the Cherokee nation’s supreme court and judicial branch of government. This important site has also been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1966 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961. Along with its historical and cultural cache, the brick building is also simply a stately artifact of the 19th and 20th centuries to admire.
Attractions and Camping Nearby
The Cherokee National Capitol is located in the town of Park Hill is just a few miles south of Tahlequah where you’ll find the Cherokee National Prison Museum. It’s also within easy driving distance of the Cherokee State Game Refuge and the Cookson Hills State Game Refuge.
Camping can be found at Strayhorn Landing, a lovely Army COE campground.
Chickasaw National Recreation Area
Tucked into the scenic foothills of the Arbuckle Mountains, the Chickasaw National Recreation Area spans nearly 10,000 sweeping acres. The wilderness was named in honor of the Cherokee Native Americans who lived here before they were relocated by white people in the 1800s, and who also sold more than 600 acres of this land to the federal government thereafter.
These days, the park is known not only for its historical legacy and story but also for the stunning array of outdoor recreation opportunities it offers.
Attractions and Camping Nearby
Located in south-central Oklahoma just outside of the city of Sulphur, this Recreation Area is within easy driving distance of the Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge and Lake Murray State Park. You’ll also want to check out the Chickasaw Cultural Center while you’re in the area.
You can set up camp at the national recreation area, and the campsites are wonderful.
Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum
Many of us remember where we were when the news of the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995 began to roll in. The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum is a site set aside to commemorate and honor the lives of those who were lost in that terrorist attack, as well as survivors, rescuers, and others who were affected. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places the same day it was opened back in October of 1997, the museum was formally dedicated on the fifth anniversary of the bombing in the year 2000.
While the memorial and museum have many interesting features, one of the most iconic and inspiring is the Survivor Tree. This is an American elm located on the north side of the memorial which sustained serious damage during the attack, but nonetheless survived.
Attractions and Camping Nearby
Nestled in the heart of Oklahoma City right between downtown and midtown, this destination is very close to other area must-visits like the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and the Oklahoma Museum of Telephone History.
As far as camping goes, we recommend the Twin Fountains RV Park.
Honey Springs Battlefield
Otherwise known as the Affair at Elk Creek, the Battle of Honey Springs took place on July 17, 1863, marking an important victory for the Union forces in their quest to gain control of Indian Territory. It was a unique battle in the Civil War for a number of reasons: firstly, it was the largest skirmish in what would later become the state of Oklahoma. Secondly, on both sides, white men represented the minority of participants. Native Americans fought on both sides, and African American combatants aided the Union forces.
Today, this battlefield is both listed on the National Register of Historic Places and listed as a National Historic Landmark.
Attractions and Camping Nearby
Although it’s located in what might feel like the middle of nowhere, Honey Springs Battlefield is actually a very short drive from the Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame in nearby Rentiesville, as well as Lake Eufaula State Park, Greenleaf State Park and other wildernesses.
Lake Eufaula State Park is one of the best places for camping nearby.
Sequoyah’s Cabin
Sequoyah was responsible for creating the written language of the Cherokee people, creating a Cherokee syllabary that is still in use today. Sequoyah’s Cabin was built in 1929 and housed Sequoyah while he was teaching his written language system to Cherokees who lived in the western reaches of the territory. It was then acquired by the Oklahoma Historical Society in 1936.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966 and considered a National Historic Landmark since 1965, this one’s certainly an important spot to put onto your list of must-sees in Oklahoma.
Attractions and Camping Nearby
Located outside of the small town of Akins close to the border of Oklahoma and Arkansas, it would be fair to say this landmark is quite remote… though it’s still less than two hours from Tulsa. If you do drive into Tulsa, be sure to see attractions like the Gathering Place.
Wondering where to stay? Your can set up camp in the Sallisaw/Fort Smith West KOA Holiday.
Philbrook Museum of Art
Waite Phillips — and his wife Genevieve, who shared this space with him as a home when they were alive — was not an artist. Rather, he was an oil pioneer. But the big money brought in by that business gave him the leverage to be the philanthropist, which is how today his 1920s villa is home to this expansive and important art collection, which focuses on Native American art and artisan items like basketry, pottery, and jewelry.
The Philbrook Museum of Art was first opened in 1939 and also began offering studio art classes in 1940. Today, the space is more focused on display with certain community events such as lectures and curator tours. Be sure to take a walk around one of the museum’s well-manicured gardens as well as enjoying its interior attractions.
Attractions and Camping Nearby
Located in Tulsa proper, the Philbrook is nearby to the Tulsa Historical Society & Museum, Gathering Place riverfront park, and Woodward Park, which features a Victorian conservatory and arboretum.
Warrior RV Park is a great place to stay while you visit the area.
Boston Avenue United Methodist Church
Don’t let its name fool you: the Boston Avenue United Methodist Church is located in none other than the thriving city of Tulsa, and cuts an imposing and iconic figure against the city skyline. Dating back to 1929, this building offers a stunning example of art deco architecture and also features striking interior details.
Uniquely, the structure was designed by Adah Robinson, an art teacher at Tulsa’s Central High School, and Bruce Goff, a former student of Robinson’s who also designed her home and studio. It is also a functioning house of worship today.
Attractions and Camping Nearby
Another Tulsa landmark, this church is located in a district of the town where many churches exist, such as the Holy Family Cathedral and the First Christian Church. Need to get out of town for a while? Check out nearby Keystone State Park.
Wondering about another place to stay? Mingo RV Park is a good pick.
Price Tower
A landmark tower measuring nineteen levels and 221 feet high, this skyscraper was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It’s the only skyscraper of Wright’s design ever brought to fruition, and one of only two existent vertically-oriented Wright buildings in the world — the other being the S.C. Johnson Wax Research Tower in Racine, Wisconsin.
The tower was commissioned by Harold Price as a corporate headquarters for his oil company. Today it is part of the series of art exhibits and tourist attractions hosted by Price Tower Arts Center.
Attractions and Camping Nearby
If you visit this landmark, you’ll surely want to pay a quick visit to the nearby Phillips Petroleum Company Museum — since this company did take ownership of the tower in the 1980s. An easy day’s drive north of Tulsa, this area is also close to Osage Hills State Park.
Riverside RV Resort and Campground is one of the best places to camp nearby.
Quartz Mountain State Park
Last but not least, we journey west into the more desert-like areas of Oklahoma to get to Quartz Mountain State Park. Here, cactus-studded landscapes and refreshing lakeside views are around every corner.
While rock climbers take to the unique geological formations that characterize the area, boaters take to the lake for paddling and swimmers hop in the lake. Meanwhile, many others simply enjoy languishing along the shores and enjoying the sunshine, shade, and beautiful views that juxtapose desert landscapes with waterfront relaxation.
Attractions and Camping Nearby
This southwestern Oklahoma location is only a short trip from the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. Museum of the Western Prairie is also nearby and worth exploring.
There are more than 100 campsites in Quartz Mountain State Park, so plan to stay there.
Planning an RV Trip to Oklahoma
An Oklahoma RV trip is the perfect way to see all these incredible Oklahoma landmarks. Make sure to also see the best state parks and campgrounds and the big cities of Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Edmond.
