Mr. Gene Autry; WWII Veteran, Hollywood Legend in 93 movies, Radio singer , and even a TV star, They even have a little town named after him. This tiny little museum is located in the former post office of Gene Autry Oklahoma, formerly known as Berwin. On of the first things you will see is the massive amount of movie posters hanging on the wall. As I said before, he stared in 93 films, some of these you may recognize, others not so much. One particular one you may recognize, is Riders In The Sky very much related to the song originally sung by Burl Ives.
Now while this museum is primarily about the man Gene Autry and other Singing cowboys, there is a small section dedicated to the actual town. Here you will see an old post office section and some antiques like old cameras and this old 3D viewer
Between these two rooms is a collections of drawings of other famous cowboys including one of my favorite actors. James "Jimmy" Stewart. You may recognize him if you watch It's A Wonderful Life every Christmas.
There is lots of memorabilia dedicated to Mr. Gene Autry as well as other cowboys. Be sure and stop by to check them all out. Now there is a gift shop with some cool stuff in it. Like any other gift shop, they sell T-shirts, mugs, pins, etc. However, you can also buy Oklahoma Centennial Anniversary Belt buckles for you cowboys out there. They are a tad bit expensive so watch out. You can also buy one of the many movies, full restored by the way, Starring Gene Autry, as well as cook books and even a little guitar. The guitar is worth a pretty penny though....$450. Gene Autry Oklahoma may be a small town with less than 100 people in it, but its centered across a Legendary man that has escaped the jaws of death both in the movies and in real life in WWII.
Address:
NOTE!: Because Gene Autry is so small, it may not be trackable via GPS. Nevertheless, I will give the physical Address as well as driving directions which is pretty simple. The address is 47 Prairie St. For driving directions, Take I-35 and get off on Exit 40 and head East on Hwy 53. Watch for the signs and simply follow them.
Hours of Operation:
Mon - Sat. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Sun. Closed
Closed on major holidays
Every state has some sort of botanical paradise. For the Oklahoma city myriad gardens, it resembles more of a rain forest.....and a desert. Here you can find all sorts of interesting plants. They even have a few animals on display, but plants are the main focus here.. Its always nice and warm inside as well as a little damp, much like the real rain forest. To walk around the whole exhibit take around 30 minutes max. One of the first sights you will come to experience is the mini waterfall as well as two very talkative parrots.
From the over talkative parrots, take the trail until you reach the desert area, where you will find all sorts of species of cactus and desert animals. From here take the crystal bridge that features an view over the whole area.
The Oklahoma City Myriad Gardens may not take long to go through, but it is definitely a pretty sight to see with all the different types of plants around the area. Now this museum is currently being added to. There is no gift shop, nor cafe...yet. It shouldn't be too much longer till they get these new additions so keep checking back.
Admit it! You, like everyone else at some point in time, played with some sort of action figure from your favorite TV show as a kid. You might even be somewhat of a nerdy fan of Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel or DC Comics, etc. Well fear not, for I have found your paradise. Presenting The Toy and Action Figure Museum. Here you will find an amazing collection of toys dating all the way back to the 60's. In fact, one of the first things you will see is a mock version of a 40 year old nerds bedroom paradise while still living with his mother.
Now there are several sections of this museum that are dedicated to certain genres of action figures. My personal favorite was the Military action figures area led by the Captain America himself. Speaking off, there are two bikes used in the actual movie on display here.
Now because this is a TOY museum, toys aren't only on display, in fact for the little kids, you can ride them, such as this Batman Forever ride which cost only one quarter.
There is an exhibit for practically every cartoon and action film. From The Simpsons, to Star trek, your bound to find something that you remember playing with. Speaking of playing, in the play area, you can team up with your superhero kid and dress up in your favorite costume, and go and save the world. There are costumes for the kids and, yes, even for the adults.
There is much more to see in this museum so I wont ruin the surprises that await you when you come to visit. Be sure to visit the gift shop before you leave. I would say that like any gift shop they sell the usual stuff like T-shirts, key chains, and mugs. Only thing is, this isn't your normal museum so this won't be your normal gift shop either. What kind of Toy museum wouldn't sell toys? That's right, you can buy toys that your kid can use to start his own collection, or that you can add on to yours. You can also buy comic books, Star trek and Star Wars books, and even superhero PEZ dispensers. So what are you waiting for? Nerds unite and come to The Toy and Action Figure Museum.
Entertainment: 4
Educational: 3
Price: 4
Gift Shop: 5
Cafe: N/A
Overall: 4
Additional Information
Address: 111 S. Chickasaw, Pauls Valley, OK
Hours of Operation:
Mon - Sat: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sun. 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Closed on Thanksgiving day, Christmas Day and Easter Sunday.
It was just a regular day like any other. It just wouldn't end that way. At 9:01 a.m. on April 19th 1995, a massive explosion rocked downtown Oklahoma City and blew away one entire side of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal building. The chaos of the scene was staggering. No one knew what was happening. what they later found out was Timothy McVeigh, a militia movement sympathizer, who was angry at the government for the raids at Waco and Red Ruby, took a Ryder truck filled with nearly 3 tons of explosives and fertilizer and detonated it right in front of the federal building. 163 innocent people, 19 of them children, left home that day never to return. As you enter the sacred grounds, you will notice first the two arches. One with the time of detonation, 9:01. The other is the time of the first moments of recovery, 9:03. When you step between the two arches, time stops. A somber quiet fills the air as the second thing you see, is 163 bronze chairs; the regular chairs depicting each adult that was killed, the smaller ones being for the children.
Between the museum and the chairs is a reflecting pool. Now its time to enter the actual museum. One of the first things you will see is a quote: "We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived, and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope, and serenity." You will start out on the third floor of what is formerly the Journal Record Building. Here you will learn a little bit about terrorism itself, and the Alfred P. Murrah Building before the actual attack and learn all about the various organizations that called it home as well as some of the art in the building. Some of these organizations included: US Postal Service, Americas Kids Day Care, USMC Recruiting command, ATF, and Social Security Administration. You will also see a layout of the area around the building. One of these buildings was the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. As you make your way into the next room, you will hear an actual recording of a hearing in the water resources board moments before the explosion. Now I must warn you on this part. First off, this is NOT a staged recording with an explosion sound effect. This is the recording of the moment that the actual bomb went off and if your not prepared for the sudden sound, it will make you jump. That being said, if you have a weak heart, you might want to skip this area. When the bomb goes off, so do the lights and all the victims of the bombing lights the room. You will then make your way into the moments right after the attack. One of the things you will see is local station News 9 covering the explosion. Unfortunately, I cant find a video of them covering it, but here is News 5 doing the exact same thing.
As you enter this area, the feeling of shock and awe hits you like a ton of bricks. Seeing the devastation and the wreckage simply overcomes you. Unfortunately, its not over. In this room, you will see objects recovered right after the explosion. Such as this metal door that shows the concussive shock wave that sent it flying, and the lone shoe belonging to Ashley Eckles, one of the 19 children who perished in the blast.
In the next area, you will get the chance to listen to actual survivors stories and the thoughts and feelings they had in the aftermath of the bombing. You will also get to learn about the amazing, yet tragic story or Rebecca Ann Anderson. She was a licensed practical nurse who died helping the victims after she suffered from a head injury. She was later named one of the top five heroes in 1995 by Newsweek magazine. The news of the bombing obviously made national news. It also made world headlines, which is what you will see in the next area as clips from news organizations ranging from as far Iceland and Japan covering the story. After you see the shock around the world that the bombing has created, you will get to see actual evidence obtained that later convicted Timothy McVeigh and co-conspirator Terry Nichols. One of these was the axle to the Ryder truck used as the bomb.
The bombing affected everyone, and in true American spirit, brought everyone together. The images, however, will forever be burned into our memories. One of these images was the haunting photo of fireman Chris Fields holding the mangled body of one year old Baylee Almon. She was alive when they found her, but despite best efforts, perished at the hospital. Her photo still stands in The Hall of Honor, a pictorial memorial of all those who perished as well as an item of their personal belongings.
Because of the impact of the bomb, the Journal Records building had several floors collapse which is still untouched. On June 2nd 1997, Timothy was found guilty of 15 counts of murder and conspiracy, and sentenced to execution by lethal injection. He was executed in June of 2001.
Healing is the most crucial part of any tragedy. For Oklahoma city, one way was by means of origami cranes. Now before you ask how having a bunch of paper folded Japanese birds will heal anything, there is a story behind it all. The idea came from a Japanese story of a girl named Sadako and her 1000 Origami cranes, which was ultimately a symbol of healing. Over the course of several years following the bombing, over 10,000 origami cranes were sent to Oklahoma City. The last area is for the kids. Here they can dress just like one of the heroes who helped with the recovery. If you want to know more information you can visit the virtual archives right next door.
As you leave the memorial be sure to visit the gift shop. Like every gift shop, they have t-shirts, mugs, books, etc. However, there is one particular item that is worth mentioning. A single pendant of an angel with stained glass embedded in it. This stained glass is from the nearby church that was shattered when the bomb went off. It is a little expensive but is worth every penny. When you first enter the memorial, you feel a somber quite like none other. When you leave, you leave with a new understanding on the impact terrorism can have on not only an individual, but also a nation. As a final word, I leave you with this quote i created myself. Like the Phoenix, from the ashes of our past, We will rise into the future anew.
The banjo, it is said, is the only instrument that cannot play a sad song. After visiting the American Banjo Museum, you might come to see why that is the case. Now, the Banjo might seem like a good old fashioned American icon, especially if you are into bluegrass or jazz, but what if I told you its origins come from a black spot in American history. The banjo actually started out as an African instrument that was brought over to the US by means of.....slaves. In fact, some of the earliest banjos were made from cut open gourds and a little string. It wasn't until the mid-to-late 1800's that the banjo started picking up popularity, going as far as performing in groups called Minstrels. By this time, however, the banjo wasn't just a "black" instrument. Even white folk were picking up the banjo to play. In fact, one of the more famous of the earliest minstrel groups was Christy's Minstrels, founded by E.P Christy. The popular song "Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)" was made by this very group. Now, when you enter the museum, you will start out by learning of the history of the banjo, which includes a description of the Christy's Minstrels. Once you learn about the history of the banjo, then make your way into seeing some of the actual banjos of the period, such as this banjo belonging to William Boucher, circa 1845.
Now as you move along in the years, you will notice that the banjo becomes more elaborate. Such as the Gibson All American banjo shown below. By the way. Gibson also made many electric guitars used by many famous rock stars. The banjo was quite the centerpiece of American Jazz and later bluegrass. So much so that they even made parlors that featured banjo music while you sat and ate your meal...kinda like a dinner and a show. The banjo even made it into Hollywood when it was featured in the movie "Deliverance".
All of what I have talked about so far is on the first floor. Make your way up to the second floor where there are many more banjos on display, including this one of a kind bass banjo made by Gibson.
One famous group you will learn about is "The Kingston Trio". Created by Dave Guard, Bob Shane, and Nick Reynolds. This group was certainly the hit among the men, and the heart throb among the women. In fact, they were such a hit, out of the 19 albums they recorded that made the Billboard 100, 14 made the Top 10, and five of them hit the #1 spot. I will let you see for yourself in the video at the bottom. The American Banjo Museum features a large number of banjos that have both enriched and shaped our history. Visiting the museum might just make you want to pick one up yourself and start playing. As a matter of fact, be sure to visit the gift shop. You can buy a banjo as well as instruction books on how to play. Be warned though, they don't come cheap; costing as high as $475 for a five string banjo Then of course, like every gift shop, there are T-shirts, shot glasses, books, magnets, etc. They do have on sale some albums from the Kingston Trio as well as some banjo picks. By the way, if you have ever seen the show "Malcolm In the Middle", you will have heard this song before.
Entertainment: 3
Educational: 4
Price: 4
Cafe: N/A
Gift Shop:4
Overall: 4 Additional Information
Address: 9 E. Sheridan Ave. Oklahoma City, OK
Hours of Operation:
Tues- Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sun. 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Closed on Mondays, and major holidays
Price:
Adults: $6
Seniors (55+) and Students: $5
Youth (5-17): $4
Children (under 5): Free
Family (2 adults - 2 children): $15
Hello out there, those of you who view my blog from time to time. First off let me say that I apologize for not putting up new content. So let me explain why I have not posted up anything new. First off, I work full time at a place called Atlantic Aviation. What do we do? We service insanely expensive private aircraft, such as Gulf streams, Cessna Citation series, Lear Jets, Etc. I get to meet some cool people and see some pretty interesting aircraft. Such as this Fully restored, 1956 Twin Radial engine Beech 17. She's a beauty huh?
Now if going to work for 40+ hours a week wasn't stressful enough. I also go to school in hopes of becoming a certified A&P Mechanic. A&P stands for Air frame and Power plant, and is a Federal license to be able to do real maintenance on aircraft. There are three tests for each of the three areas in the A&P Program. A Written, Oral, and Practical exam for General, Air frame, and Power plant and over all, I have to study for 42 different sections.
Ok so maybe that's not the BEST picture of me to show when I say I want to fix planes, but you get the idea So on most days, I wake up, go to school, go to work, and go straight home to bed only to wake up and do the whole routine again. That means there isn't much time to go gallivanting around checking out new hot spots and museums so I can show the rest of the world how cool some of these places really are. Now as of recently, I have been getting mini-breaks between classes and work. However the little time I do have has been spent studying for my written exams or investigating possible jobs outside of Oklahoma relating to aircraft maintenance.
In short, I do apologize for not being able to update by blog as much as I would like, But I promise that within a few short weeks, I should have something new (finally) to show you. Thank you very much for checking out my blog, and I hope you will continue to show your support for American Attractions.
