You’ve day-tripped to some of Oklahoma’s hot spots outside and inside the metro area. How about the unusual and weird attractions?
See as many as a million bats fly over your head at twilight during the open-to-the-public Selman Bat Watches, which begin May 27 and end Aug. 2, at the Alabaster Caverns State Park in Freedom in northwest Oklahoma. Print out a registration form online to enter a drawing for one of the coveted spots. Tickets are $12 per adult age 13 and older and $6 for children ages 8 to 12. While you’re in the area, tour the caverns, which include the largest natural gypsum cave in the world that is open to the public.
If you’re into unusual roadside attractions, especially if you’re continuing your U.S. Route 66 exploring, you might want to travel to Catoosa for The Blue Whale. The icon was built in 1972 near what was then a swimming hole, and it has always been a popular novelty for travelers, even before it was restored around 1995.
Head northeast to Bartlesville for the Woolaroc Museum, which is located in the former home of Phillips Petroleum Co. founder Frank Phillips and then, as you explore the area, don’t miss the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve near Pawhuska.
Also note that Oklahoma is home to 38 federally recognized Native American tribes, and many of them showcase their own unique history with cultural centers. For a start, explore the Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur, the Cherokee Heritage Center in Tahlequah, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Capitol Museum in Durant, or the Five Civilized Tribes Museum in Muskogee.
If you’re into archaeology and ancient history, the Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center in Spiro is worth a trip. The mounds site, which was created between 850 and 1450 AD, is the only prehistoric Native American archaeological site open to the public.
[Image courtesy of The Blue Whale]
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