Oklahoma sits at the crossroads of the American South, Midwest, and Southwest, offering travelers a remarkable blend of Native American heritage, cowboy culture, Art Deco architecture, and wide-open natural landscapes. Home to 39 federally recognized tribal nations, more than any other state, Oklahoma's cultural tapestry is uniquely rich. Oklahoma City pulses with energy around Bricktown's canal district and world-class museums, while Tulsa showcases one of America's finest collections of Art Deco buildings alongside the Greenwood District, the historic Black Wall Street. Nature lovers find endless space in the Wichita Mountains, the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, and the lakes and rivers of the Ouachita region.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Oklahoma.
-
1
Multiple Native peoples including Osage, Quapaw, and Wichita inhabit present-day Oklahoma
-
2
Indian Removal Act forces relocation of Five Civilized Tribes to Indian Territory; Trail of Tears claims thousands of lives
-
3
Civil War divides Oklahoma tribal nations; most ally with Confederacy under pressure
-
4
Land Run of April 22 opens 'Unassigned Lands'; Oklahoma City established in a single day
-
5
First commercially successful oil well in Oklahoma drilled at Bartlesville (Nellie Johnstone #1)
-
6
Oklahoma admitted to the Union as the 46th state on November 16
-
7
Tulsa Race Massacre destroys the prosperous Greenwood District; estimated 300+ killed; 10,000 left homeless
-
8
Dust Bowl devastates western Oklahoma; Great Depression sends 'Okies' west to California; Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath inspired by this exodus
-
9
Oklahoma City bombing on April 19 kills 168; Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building destroyed
-
10
Oklahoma City National Memorial opens; tribal gaming expands economic opportunities; state's cultural heritage internationally recognized
Historical sites
Places where Oklahoma's past comes alive.
Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum
Where: Downtown Oklahoma City
Admission: $15 adults, $12 seniors/students; outdoor memorial free 24/7
Greenwood Rising History Center (Tulsa Race Massacre)
Where: Greenwood District, Tulsa
Admission: $10 adults, $7 seniors/students
Five Civilized Tribes Museum
Where: Muskogee
Admission: $8 adults, $5 seniors/students
Oklahoma History Center
Where: Northeast Oklahoma City
Admission: $7 adults, $5 children
Cherokee Heritage Center
Where: Park Hill, near Tahlequah
Admission: $8 adults, $6 seniors, $4 children
Fort Gibson Historic Site
Where: Fort Gibson, northeast Oklahoma
Admission: Free
Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve
Where: Bartlesville
Admission: $10 adults, $5 children
Sequoyah's Cabin State Historic Site
Where: Sallisaw, eastern Oklahoma
Admission: $3 adults, $1 children