Claremore, Oklahoma

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Tourism

The city bills itself as the birthplace of entertainer Will Rogers, but this is an inaccuracy because he was born 12 miles to the north, in the town of Oologah, Oklahoma. The Will Rogers Memorial Museum, a large 1930s museum of the entertainer's life, is another major attraction. Claremore also offers the largest private gun collection in the world, housed in the J.M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum. The town is also the home of Rogers State University. In the late 1990s, the city constructed a state-of-the-art Recreation and Convention Center to attract more tourism.

Related Topics:
Will Rogers - Oologah, Oklahoma - Will Rogers Memorial Museum - 1930s - J.M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum - Rogers State University - 1990s

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The Rogers County Historical Society has renovated several local historic sites and opened them to the public. One of their successful projects in 1995 was the renovation of Belvidere Mansion, the 1907 Victorian-style mansion of prominent citizen and banker John M. Bayless. Working in conjunction with the Kansas Grassroots Art Association during the 1990s, the RCHS restored Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park, which is located ten miles north of town on Route 66.

Related Topics:
Rogers County Historical Society - Belvidere Mansion - Victorian-style - John M. Bayless - Kansas Grassroots Art Association - Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park - Route 66

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Claremore was also the childhood home of singer Patti Page and playwright Lynn Riggs, author of Green Grow the Lilacs, the basis for Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical Oklahoma! A museum of the life of Lynn Riggs is located in the town's historic library. The Oklahoma Military Academy Museum is located on the campus of Rogers State University. Claremore is also the site of frequent rodeos at the Will Rogers Stampede Outdoor Arena. The Will Rogers Downs, a large horseracing track, conducts horse races two weeks out of every year, and the Will Rogers Racetrack nearby conducts drag races regularly.

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