Wonderful little museum in the heart of Western Oklahoma. Came to visit while staying with family…read morein the area and I have to say for a town of less than 15k people this is a pretty nice establishment! The museum is set into a pretty interesting building as well. I can't truly pin-point the architectural style of it, but I'd say it's mainly mid century modern with a dusting of art deco thrown in, just for good measure. The cupola as you first enter is quite impressive. It is lined with murals depicting life in western oklahoma thru the centuries. Vibrant colors and simple scenes make for a stunning entry. The installation begin with native Americans infographics and artifacts, moving into the Temple Houston's room, then by the depression era/dust bowl room, to showcase some old area relics (bank, post office, photography studio, sheriff) ending right at the gift shop. From here you can visit the outdoor annex buildings, via a beautiful courtyard, where agricultural implements as well as a reconstruction sod-dwelling are on display. A gem for anyone who is interested in the historical features of this region. Also FREE of charge, not sure how you could ever go wrong with free education! ^__^

I've been coming here for quite a few years, as I travel to Woodward to visit family on holidays…read moreevery year. I've seen the museum grow and change over the years, and its developed into quite a resource for local history that I think would interest people from outside the area. While most of the exhibits are the same year after year, whoever has done the curating recently has really given them new life, making me actually see them in a new light, and appreciate the rich history of Woodward and the surrounding area. The only real critique I would have is that the Plains Indians exhibit isn't as large as it could be, but that may be due to available space. There is certainly a lot of Native American history to explore, and it seems there is an abrupt transition between the Plains Indians exhibit and the Pioneers exhibit. Granted, that transition was pretty abrupt historically, but I doubt that was taken into consideration. Because of their connection to each other in local history, I would have placed the Ft. Supply exhibit closer to the Plains Indians exhibit instead of across the museum, as the timeline jumps from room to room, and it would have put each exhibit into context if they had been physically closer. Even a slight adjustment to current exhibit layout and a creative use of floor space would provide the room necessary to join the two together. That's just a minor quibble that doesn't detract from what the museum is attempting to do, which is to show the rich and diverse history of the region. The other bigger issue I have is the use of one wing of the museum as an art gallery for an artist (is he even local?) to sell his paintings and wood carvings. I wouldn't even mention it if the art were Woodward or Oklahoma sourced or related, but as best as I can tell, there's no explanation made, no connection given (some of the photos are even captioned with out-of-state locations like Colorado) -- you just find yourself in a room with woodcraft and photos from some guy, with a price tag. Sure, support your local artist, but surely there are more local artists who could have used some of that space as well? A showcase of local artists instead of one huge room dedicated to one? I wouldn't mind it so much if I remembered a good chunk of the museum is out in the annex, which isn't marked well -- I always forget to check out the whole other half of the museum because it's in a whole other building, so I keep missing out. Better signage would at least insure people check out the other exhibits. Or, turn the annex into the art gallery and keep all the museum exhibits under one roof. I think this issue drops it from 5 to 4 stars for me. Otherwise, I think the current curator has done quite a good job with the exhibits, to the point I was really impressed during my recent visit there, despite my feelings about the artist gallery. I've visited a fair number of museums, and this still ranks as one of the best small town museums (I'd almost venture to say "hidden treasure") I've visited.

Next stop on our cross-country road trip was one I've been wanting do for years! The Twister…read moremuseum. We actually added about 3 hours on our drive just so I could visit! Twister is my favorite movie, so visiting was huge for me. The ladies at the museum had so much information and behind-the-scenes knowledge. There are artifacts from the originally movie, photos, letters, costumes and even THE original Dorothy from the movie. There are pieces from the new Twisters movie, including the yellow barrels and trailer used in the film. The museum is free, but they operate on donations, so please donate to keep this gem open. Also, but some merch to help them out!

If you're a fan of the 1996 movie Twister, or you're fascinated by tornadoes and storm chasing, the…read moreTwister Movie Museum in Wakita is an interesting stop. I surprised my wife (cue the eye roll ) with a two-hour drive from Edmond to visit the filming location. The drive through rural Oklahoma was enjoyable and actually helped set the mood for thinking about the movie and why this area was chosen. The museum is housed in what was once the production office during filming, which is a neat piece of history in itself. Inside you'll find movie memorabilia, photos from the set, props, Dorothy, the yellow "Twister" barrels, a Twister pinball machine (which was donated by Bill Paxton), and plenty of behind-the-scenes items that fans will appreciate. The highlight of our visit was Linda, the museum host. Lori and I were the only visitors, so we had the opportunity to ask lots of questions. Linda was friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to share stories about the filming and the town's connection to the movie. She definitely made the visit more enjoyable. We spent about 30 minutes exploring everything. So, was it worth a two-hour drive? That depends. If you're a die-hard Twister fan, a storm-chasing enthusiast, or someone like me who enjoys checking unique Oklahoma destinations off a retirement bucket list, I'd say yes. If you're simply looking for a major museum experience, you may find it a little underwhelming. For me, it was a fun adventure, an enjoyable drive through Oklahoma, and another memorable stop on our travels. Rating: (3/5) - Worth visiting if it matches your interests, especially if you're already exploring north-central Oklahoma.

What an American treasure! Please stop by and make a donation. We need to make sure the history…read moreis not lost. All of the volunteers were very welcoming. We learned about Watermelon, the 40-year-conductor who created the museum. There are tons of RR items inside plus several cars and engines. Please don't miss this.

This is an eclectic museum of railroad paraphanalia, as well as a significant number of full-scale…read morepieces of rolling stock in the adjacent rail yard. Run by "Watermelon" Campbell and his delightful wife, Edna, the collection is the result of a lifetime dedication by a knowledgeable railroad man. Watermelon served as a conductor in a career of more than 40 years; he has put together an assemblage of dining car china, a collection of switch locks, lanterns, railroad signage, photographs, railroad scrip from the 19th century, railroad matchbooks, playing card sets, ticket punches, and hundreds of other items that tell the promotional story of working railroads. The museum also includes extensive N-scale and HO-scale working layouts. 11 cabooses are part of the rolling stock collection and can be walked through and experienced. The Frisco Mountain-type 1519 locomotive is also part of the collection (once on display in an Enid park) and the cab can be visited using a (somewhat steep) ramp. Young children will not enjoy this museum as much as adults and railroad enthusiasts, though the ability to explore real-world trains may appeal to some younger folks. Go to this museum soon, as Watermelon turns 97 on Memorial Day 2019 and his stories are a significant part of the visit. The $5 suggested donation is a trifle for the things you will learn here.

I haven't been in a long time but I support Children learning in a hands-on & creative environment…read more- Exploration is key!! - I wouldn't have become an International Architect & Engineer otherwise! Please support our Children's Educations!

This is a great place to take my grandkids. They are from OKC and have lots of options there but…read morestill enjoy Leonardo's. My only complaint is the cost. A membership isn't really feasible considering they only visit sporadically. I think it would be great if they gave a discount to the adults who are supervising children.

Sod House is a must see. Take your kids/grandkids…read more Good history lesson without seeming like it. Renea, the curator is awesome of all the knowledge on the Soddy. You'll want to take lots of pictures!

You're driving how many hours to go see a what?…read more Telling people that you're going to a sod house will likely result in their bewilderment. I find it fascinating and first came upon the sod house museum a number of years ago as I was driving the smaller roads in this area. I saw a sign for the sod house museum and couldn't resist. A few weeks ago, I decided to return for another visit. So, what is a sod house? It's sort of a dirt igloo only bigger. A sod plow was used to split the grass in the fields into long rows. A shovel then sectioned the rows into 18" dirt blocks. These blocks were used to build the walls of the 'soddy' (which is the slang term for the house). Trees on the land were sourced to form the rafters that lay across the top of the structure. More sod blocks were laid on top of the rafters like shingles. The roof on this soddy may have been about a foot thick. Alkali clay found nearby was the ingredient in a pasty compound used to finish the interior walls. It was essentially a home-made plaster. A thin cloth was used as the finished ceiling. Newspaper was initially used as wallpaper. This soddy was unusual in that it had two rooms and, incredibly, it's over 120 years old. (It's only been safely protected in this museum shell since 1967.) Oklahoma gets some rough weather and a soddy house was lucky to last a few years. Homesteaders essentially relied on dirt as protection. That wasn't the only hardship. Unlike a real house, residents essentially shared their space with the animal kingdom. Rodents lived in the walls. Snakes slithered in the ceiling. They were good neighbors in the big picture, though, because bugs were an ever present problem. It puts modern-day hardships in perspective, doesn't it? Why didn't folks just build a real house? Poverty and lack of resources. Homesteaders barely had enough money for their farm tools. Proper lumber was not readily available and it was expensive so the few trees on a property were a luxury to obtain the rafters. Personally, I truly think this simple museum is one of the most historic places in the United States. This sod house is National Park Service or Smithsonian-worthy both culturally and architecturally. It's no less important than a Native American ruin or Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Not only is this soddy over 120 years old, which is remarkable in itself, but it's the last one in Oklahoma built by a homesteader. It's also an original. It hasn't been rebuilt -- aside from some newer sod in the late 1960s -- and it's not a modern-day replica. Sod houses once numbered in the thousands across the plains and into Canada. Few stand now and this one is a window into a time that, frankly, probably very of us know existed. Oklahoma seems to take this humble museum for granted and it hangs on by a thread. Unless politicians, historians, and residents take this place up as an important cause, this crucial link the the past might fade away in time like the thousands of other sod houses. Are you planning next summer's trip to jet off to the architectural wonders of Europe or some other far-flung place? Instead, you might consider loading up the car and settle in for the long drive to Aline, Oklahoma.

Well worth a visit! Great staff and with interesting displays that flows through history nicely.read more

It was a pretty fun time with the family. I just wished they had a better prize for finding the…read morelittle dinosaur, suggesting a sticker or key chain. But otherwise it was interesting seeing all the different things inside.

Didn't enjoy the museum. Found it to be lacking. The museum BEFORE the renovation had more…read moreinteresting exhibits. It's a beautiful building. The grounds are nice. The new exhibits are limited. Really enjoyed the old photographs they used to have downstairs. Need more history exhibits on pioneers, local native Americans , the hispanics and Chinese workers who helped build the local railroad (cemetery nearby with several of the workers buried there), local incidents w klan, etc.

Very nice place to learn about the land run and local info about Enid. The facility is very modern…read moreand they have a great theatre inside where you watch a 20 min history wrap-up. We didn't get a chance to see the schoolhouse and outbuildings this time because there wasn't an available guide (apparently required). I was with two of my kids and it's not super kid-friendly but has a nice gift shop for them. I will definitely go back when I'm not having to watch the kids so much.

A fantastic, neat and well organized museum! Even if you are…read morenot a history buff, the best and most interesting display about the Cherokee Strip is found at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in Enid. It is a fascinating, complete, and easy to understand description of the 1893 Land Run and the people who settled Northwest Oklahoma. If you haven't been there, don't miss it!

I think this is a very well done museum for such a small town. I learned alot about Enid and…read moreOklahoma! Be sure to take the grounds tour which has original buildings back from the land rush!