Will Rogers is one of the most famous people to come out of Oklahoma. He was proud of his Oklahoma and Cherokee heritage. The Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma and Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch in Oologah, Oklahoma are great places to visit to learn more about this historic, larger-than-life man.
Who is Will Rogers?
If you don’t know, Will Rogers was a famous entertainer in the early 1900s. He started as a trick roper and was given the nickname “Cherokee Cowboy”. He was an extremely charismatic and witty man.
His career quickly evolved to include vaudeville performances, film roles, writing newspaper columns, and radio broadcasting. His famous quote “I never met a man I didn’t like” sums him up pretty well. By the time he died in 1935 in an airplane crash in Alaska, he was a beloved American icon.
Will Rogers Memorial Museum: Claremore, Oklahoma
The Will Rogers Memorial Museum houses the world’s largest collection of Will Rogers memorabilia. It includes 12 galleries of history and memorabilia, theaters to watch Will Rogers’ movies and listen to his radio broadcasts, a hands-on children’s museum, and his final resting place.
History of the Will Rogers Memorial
After Will’s unfortunate death in 1935, people across the country wanted to do something to honor this American icon. After much discussion, Will’s wife, Betty, decided to create the memorial in Claremore, Oklahoma. They had bought the land in 1911 with hopes to retire there someday, so she thought that would be the best spot to honor him.
People across the country donated money including some big-name businessmen. The Oklahoma legislature made a $200,000 contribution to make it happen. The memorial was completed in time to dedicate it on Will’s 59th birthday.
Enhanced Tour
The museum offers an enhanced tour through their website that you can listen to on your phone as you walk around. We chose not to bother since we had kids to wrangle, but it would be great if you want additional information.
West Gallery
The West Gallery sets the tone for Will Roger’s western upbringing. It has saddles, statues, and western art.
Charles Banks Wilson
Fellow Oklahoman, Charles Banks Wilson, painted Will Rogers numerous times. This small gallery displays a couple of those portraits.
Rotunda
The rotunda contains a bronze statue of Will that was dedicated to the museum in 1938. He is in a suit with a tie. He is relaxed with a smirk on his face and his hands in his pockets.
Will Rogers Heritage Hall
The Heritage Gallery showcases Will’s family history including his Cherokee heritage and immediate family.
Radio Broadcast Gallery
The Radio Gallery gives information about Will’s radio career. His first broadcast was in 1922. He became an extremely popular and persuasive public speaker. In the gallery, there is a television that broadcasts some of his speeches.
Mini-Theater
Will Rogers was a popular movie star. The mini-theater plays Will Rogers’ films daily. It is lined with Will Rogers movie memorabilia from the 1920s and 1930s.
Will’s Study
Will’s study is a replica of the study at his ranch in Pacific Palisades, California.
South Gallery
The south gallery is split into different parts of Will’s career: wild west shows, vaudeville, Ziegfeld Follies, movies, writings, and his relationship with Charlie Russell. A mural at the end of the gallery also shows the different aspects of his career. You can sit and watch the Ziegfeld Follies perform on television in this area.
Diorama Gallery
The diorama gallery contains 13 different dioramas that depict parts of Will’s life.
East Hall & Ropin’ Fool Gallery
The east hall contains artwork of Will Rogers. The Ropin’ Fool gallery displays ropes and saddles. You can also watch the movie displayed on the television.
The Final Journey
The final journey walks you through the event surrounding Will Rogers’ death. He was traveling to Barrow, Alaska in 1935 with Wiley Post. They stopped to ask for directions and crashed shortly after takeoff. The video showing the people in line for his funeral is unbelievable. The country was truly heartbroken to lose him.
Theater
The Will Rogers Theater is a great attraction in the museum. Will Rogers had a very successful movie career with credit in over 70 movies. This theater plays some movies about him and his life.
We decided to watch the 10-minute movie Roping Fool. It was fantastic. It shows footage of all of his famous rope tricks while his son narrates what is happening. If you only have time to watch one movie, I highly recommend it.
Other movies available to watch are The Story of Will Rogers, Will Rogers 1920s, Will Rogers: A Biography, Will Rogers: Look Back in Laughter, and Will Rogers: American Politics. These movies range from 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Children’s Museum
The children’s museum was a huge surprise to me. It is located in the basement. As you walk down the steps, the walls and ceiling are completely covered. It feels like you are in the woods with animals popping out behind the trees to see what you are doing.
Once you get to the bottom, there are different little rooms with things to do. Some of the options are a puppet show, a pulpit for speeches, saddles to ride on, dress-up clothes for acting on stage, lincoln logs, puzzles, and old black and white mickey mouse cartoons on the television. Your kids will be entertained as long as you want down here.
Will Rogers Burial
Will Rogers was originally buried in California. After a tomb was built in Claremore, Will Rogers was buried at the memorial alongside his family. The sarcophagus is surrounded by a beautiful sunken garden with flowers and trees. A statue of Will riding a horse in his traditional cowboy attire is perched on a pedestal overlooking Claremore. The stone next to his grave reads, “If you live life right, death is a joke as far as fear is concerned.”
Will Rogers Museum Store
The museum store offers a variety of souvenirs to take back home with you: kid toys, magnets, jewelry, books, clothing, food, etc.
Museum Events
The Will Rogers Museum offers many events throughout the year. Family Days are held on the third Saturday of the month from April through October. These events have a special feature to highlight the time period that Will lived. The 2021 schedule includes a high wheel, lawn games, snow cones, women’s suffrage, life in the early 1900s, and basket weaving.
Another recurring event throughout the year is movie night in the on-site theater. They play old films featuring Will Rogers and others from that period. For the latest events, check out their website.
Things to Know
- Cost: $7.00 adults, $5.00 for Seniors(62+) and Military, $3.00 Children 6-17, Children under 5 are free
- Address: 1720 W. Will Rogers Blvd. Claremore, OK 74017
- Hours: 10 AM – 5 PM daily from March 1 – November 10
- Closed Mondays and Tuesdays from November 11 – February 28
- Suggested Length of Time: The minimum amount of time that I would suggest is 1 hour. If you want to watch multiple movies in the theater and play in the children’s museum awhile, you could spend four hours here easily.
- Website: https://www.willrogers.com/
- Route 66 Passport: Don’t forget to get your Oklahoma Route 66 passport stamped while you are here. You can pick up a new book in the museum store if you don’t already have one.
Click here for more things to do in Claremore, Oklahoma.
Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch: Oologah, Oklahoma
I was looking for something to do on a hot summer morning with the kids. Will Rogers Birthplace isn’t too far from our house, so I decided that we would see what was there. We were pleasantly surprised at what a nice little piece of history is preserved here.
Located just 20 miles north of the memorial, you could definitely visit the memorial and birthplace ranch in one day.
As you drive up to the ranch, you see the old house, a barn, a white picket fence, and a pasture overlooking the valley. It gives you a sense of how people used to live.
The Rogers’ house, “White House on the Verdigris”, was built in 1875. This is not the original site for the home; it was moved to this site to preserve it when Oologah Lake was created.
Will’s father, Clem, ran a huge ranching operation covering up to 60,000 acres at its peak. There is a recording playing on a loop that gives details about the history of the family that can be heard as you walk around inside and outside the house.
Inside, clear barriers prevent you from walking into all the rooms. But, you can get a good look at the living room, bedroom, and kitchen on the first floor. The second floor is closed to visitors.
The barn is an added gem to the site. Although it isn’t the original, the two-story barn is a replica of what would have been on their property. There is a covered wagon and a coach that was very cool to see up close. It makes you realize how uncomfortable it must have been to travel in one. There is also a display of saddles.
A room has been created inside the barn that contains the restrooms and many tables. There are also tables outside making this a great picnic spot.
My kids enjoyed the animals on the property the most. There is a pasture with horses and donkeys. A baby calf was being bottle-fed in the barn while we were there. There are also chickens, goats, and a few cats running around. My kids had a great time watching the animals, and I enjoyed learning about the history of the property.
Will Rogers/Wiley Post Fly-In Event
In mid-August, the ranch puts on the annual Will Rogers/Wiley Post Fly-In. It is a free event to honor people who have lost their lives in small aircraft including Will Rogers and Wiley Post. Over 100 pilots usually fly to the ranch to take part in the event. You can set up lawn chairs and watch the planes arrive in the morning. Once they land, you can talk to the pilots and take a look at their planes up close.
Things to Know
- Cost: Free, Donations accepted
- Address: 9501 E. 380 Rd., Oologah, OK 74053
- Hours: 10 AM – 5 PM daily from March 1 – November 10
- Closed Mondays and Tuesdays from November 11 – February 28
- Suggested Length of Time: About an hour
- Restrooms: Located in the barn
- Tables: There are tables inside the barn and outside under the trees.
