My husband is Choctaw so I brought him here to Durant to learn and explore. This was our first stop. We had a phenomenal time at this facility, so educational and fun to tour. SOOOO updated and incredibly media smart with fun learning tools and videos. I cannot say enough good things about this Choctaw cultural center. read more

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Great air conditioning. Looking forward to trying the cafe (they were closed when I visited) and the interesting menu options

They have changed the menu, food still good in the cafe. Excellent lunch stop. Try the salmon plate and lavender lemonade. Fried bread is excellent read more

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We've been to many cultural centers but this is up there on the list. The place is huge and the café has amazing traditional food. Some of the BEST fry bread around!! Definitely worth a visit for the history and for lunch!! read more

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This museum is worth so much more than the cost of admission. From the immersive Choctaw life displays to the food offered, I can't recommend this place enough. Make sure to set aside more time than you think you need as there are quite a few exhibits to see. This is an especially kid friendly stop. read more

Choctaw Cultural Center - Modern kitchen gardens - Museums Near Me - Calera, Oklahoma

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Staff was friendly, museum was very clean and organized. The gift shop was also very clean and organized.

Incredible experience. Very clean! Amazing staff. Great service. The play area for children is incredible and the food court is exceptional

My experience at the Choctaw Cultural Center was literally life-changing. My young adult son and I went through the incredible interactive and life-size displays already eager to learn about this First People's experience. But with the immersive and direct way the information was presented (never offensive or accusing) we not only learned the history of these people, but understood more of our own. While we have always strived to be inclusive and to present a balanced view of history in America, the way the information was provided in these displays allowed us to understand the European roll in culture in a new way. This was the first time that I had this level of discussion with my adult son, and I believe that our relationship and our perception of place in America has been been beneficially altered by our experience here. A more factual interpretation of our experience would include starting at the incredible initial display of Choctaw leaders over the ages and their impact on their community. This display leads to the video introduction room which then opens into a life size cornfield display as you begin your transition into a Choctaw community with life-size representations of the people, their environment, and way of living. The interactive electronic devices allow you to a deeper understanding of various parts of the display and the meaning that they had for this incredible society. A cave with interactive videos and voiceover storytelling (initiated with your hand fitting over the handprint in the wall) provides more historical information on their travels and displacement to their current home land. Further down the hall individual rooms with informational videos present pivotal points in the history of the Choctaw people. All of these provide significant and deeper meaning to the interpretation of standard art displaying their people from a third hand observer which are demonstrated in a hallway with art and interpretation. Further displays include a small town, and a room dedicated to service and outstanding achievements within the American military. This museum was absolutely the highlight of our trip to Oklahoma, and is an absolute must not miss! PS Plan to have at least a snack here, their café has fabulous native foods that were fun, exciting, and of course delicious to try. read more

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This is a really good place to visit if you're in the area. I know a lot of people just go for the casino's but there is so much more to enjoy in the area and much better ways to celebrate the culture of the Choctaw people. The Cultural Center has a great walk through museum with a living village and a walk through forest and farm that teaches you the culture and the language. There is a military section about code talkers, there is an area honoring the education traditions, a walk through cave system with interactive videos, a separate area that has revolving shows and highlights native artist as well as a gift shop, restaurant and a theater. It is also the location of the preservation society for the Choctaws and the ladies that work there are friendly and knowledgeable. It is on par with more famous history museums and the quality of the displays is amazing. The mannequins alone will make you question if they are real or not. The lady reading in the display with the horse had me watching her for a couple minutes because I thought she would come to life! There is a restaurant inside as well that has wonderful food and is priced well. You could spend a day there easily. I've been twice and loved it both times. If you have an afternoon between slot tournaments you should def go for lunch and a walk through. read more

Hands down one the best experiences for learning about the Choctaw. We planned to stay for an hour. We spent over 5 hours there. It's extremely computer interactive with exhibits you can actually touch and smell. Great place to take friends and family. We got to see a live dance demonstration with singing and explanations for each dance. They are making plans to include any audience members who like to try it. There is also a cafe where you can order Choctaw food that was eaten back then. Also, a gift shop full of nice memorabilia. Some of the employees are Choctaw and they are very informative. We plan to make this our regular visit. read more

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Enjoyed our experience at this museum. Exhibits are very well done. Informative history information. Don't miss the cafe - very good food. Gift shop on the small side would have liked to have more local artist choices available for purchase. read more

Exceeded all of my expectations. A truly wonderful experience, and Becka (apologies if I spelled it wrong) was an extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and inspiring tour guide. read more

The cafe is so good! We come back just for the cafe. The exhibit, living village, and luksi activity center are an amazing place to learn and spend the day. We'll definitely return next time we're in town. read more

Choctaw Cultural Center - Salmon, broccoli onions, wild rice. Lavender lemonade, coconut s'more. Everything was soo good. - Museums Near Me - Calera, Oklahoma

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this place is amazing the food is to die for and the drinks are too. this place is definitely recommended!!!!

Came in not knowing anything about my heritage, left feeling connected. As an adoptee, I am so grateful for cultural centers. All I carried with me from my first family is my Choctaw/Cherokee great grandmother's name. When I reconnected with my family, my great grandma had lost many of her memories & was not fully aware of the history of her people. I am so so glad to be able to visit places like this to fill in the blanks & answer my questions. Next time I visit, I hope to bring my mom & sisters too! Yakoke to everyone who brought this place into existence. read more

Enjoyable little museum and cafe! The food was delicious and many items on the menu represented traditional food. The service was really slow, but the rooms were clean and well cared for. We enjoyed walking through the museum and felt that they presented a lot of valuable information. read more

The Food at the Champuli Cafe is some of the best I've ever had! The fry bread taco, the grape dumplings, the lavender lemonade..EVERYTHING was perfection! read more

This was a highlight of our trip! We started in the very nice cafe and everyone in my party really enjoyed to food. The exhibits are very tasteful and of high quality with a great deal of attention to detail. The Choctaw should be very proud! It's a must-see! read more

Need a Chahta Chef to prepare Chahta cuisine. It's a native Cultural Center, so probably employ actual native people.

Rainy days are perfect for a day here. You can easily spend hours here taking in the exhibits and afternoon live exhibitions of stickball and dance, etc. The cafe is pretty good and they have great specials. The fried pies are delicious. We recommend the bbq pork sandwich with the bacon jam and fries with their dipping sauce. read more