Bartlesville Vicinity Attractions
Visit the Chamber of Commerce's website or call its tourism office at
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Woolaroc Ranch and Museum
Frank Phillips' countryside retreat is 14 miles southwest of Bartlesville on state highway 123. The facility has a world-renowned museum (featuring archeological specimens, American Indian artifacts, and Western art) as well as a 3600 acre wildlife preserve, the National Y-Indian Guide Center, historic Frank Phillips lodge, and a picnic area, nature trails, and summer time children's petting zoo. It originated from a large oil and gas strike on Lease 185, with a gas plant built at "Phillipsburg" and the construction of Clyde Lake, named after Phillips General Manager Clyde Alexander, to supply water for the plant. Frank Phillips loved the lake and surrounding canyon and made it the centerpiece of a cattle ranch. The area surrounding present-day Woolaroc is part of the sprawling Hughes Ranch, which pastures unadoptable wild mustangs. Visit woolaroc.org or call(918) 336-0307.
Osage Hills State Park
Nature lovers and campers will also enjoy this facility 12 miles west of Bartlesville on federal highway 60. It was developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the depression and features eight rental cabins, 20 campsites with water and electric hook-ups and baths with showers, hiking trails, tennis, boat rentals, fishing, swimming, and two picnic shelters. Visit www.travelok.com for more information and view my online park map. The park office phone is(918) 336-4141.
Tom Mix Museum
Tom Mix was the silent movie "King of the Cowboys". He was a deputy town marshall in Dewey and was discovered by a film crew while he was working at the Dewey Portland Cement plant. At the Tom Mix Museum you will find his movie costumes, memorabilia, photographs, and personal property. More information is available from the Oklahoma Historical Society, or call(918) 534-1555.
Dewey Hotel Museum
This three-story Victorian building was completed by Jacob Bartles in 1900. The gaming room in the tower drew many early ranchers and oil developers. See the hotel info on the City of Dewey's website or call(918) 534-0215 or532-4416.
Keepsake Candle Factory
Antiques in wax are produced by ingenious mold-making and wax-blending at this factory two miles west of Bartlesville along federal highway 60 on Radar Hill. Visit www.keepsakecandles.com or call336-0351 locally or call(888) 636-0351 toll-free for tour information.
Prairie Song, IT
10 miles northeast of Bartlesville, this is a recreated Indian Territory prairie town. Over twenty years, just for fun, Ken Tate constructed a cabin, schoolhouse, chapel, general store, post office, dance hall, and more. Saloon gal Naughty Nellie gives tours of the village. Ken's wife Marilyn Tate is the granddaughter of Sherman Moore, who once owned 50,000 acres of ranch land in the area with Jim Todd. Visit www.prairiesong.net or call(918) 534-2662.
George Miksch Sutton Avian Research Center
Although the facility is not open to the public, this center provides a variety of educational presentations in area schools, etc. in its effort to promote conservation, education, and research on endangered, rare, and neglected species of birds. It was responsible for the Southern Bald Eagle Project which released over 200 of those birds in a repopulation effort. This project was featured in the November 1992 National Geographic. Current research projects include studying declining songbirds in the shortgrass and tallgrass prairies and examining various raptors throughout Oklahoma. Visit www.suttoncenter.org or call(918) 336-7778.
