This post includes some affiliate links. If you make a qualifying purchase through one of these links, we will receive a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.

History of Ponca City

Ponca City was named after the Ponca tribe that was given this land during the resettlement of tribes. The land was picked for close proximity to the Arkansas River. E.W. Marland moved to Oklahoma and started the Marland Oil Company. This company once controlled 10% of the world’s oil reserves. In 1929 Marland Oil merged with Conoco oil company, which later merged with Phillips Petroleum. In 2012 the company split and ConocoPhillips has the upstream portion of the company and Phillips 66 has the refining and transportation portions of company. Phillips 66 still operates the largest refinery in OK.

There are many places of interest here especially if you love history. Make sure you take your camera, because if you’re like me you’ll be taking lots of pictures. If you love to keep memories from your trip, make sure you get the free pamphlets from the museums to keep for your memories.

Standing Bear Park and Museum

This park and museum were built to help educate people about the history and cultural importance of the Native American culture and tribes in the area. Six tribes are represented: Ponca, Kaw, Osage, Pawnee, Otoe-Missouria and Tonkawa. In the middle of the park is a 22-foot statue of Standing Bear a Ponca chief. He was chosen for his fight with the government for Native American rights. He went to Washington and won his case that the judged ruled that all Natives have the same legal rights as all US citizens. There are many things to see in both the museum and park that help understand Native American history.

Marland Mansion Estate and Grand Home

E.W. Marland had two houses when he was in Ponca City. After moving to his second home, Marland Mansion, his first home became a museum. It showcases technology that had not been seen before such as a central vacuuming system and automatic dishwasher. It has the first indoor swimming pool built in Oklahoma. E. W. Marland later went on to be the 10th governor of Oklahoma and then turned his mansion into a museum that highlights his history and the history of oil in Oklahoma. These are a must see for history buffs!

More places to explore.

Pioneer Woman Museum– this is a museum that celebrates the history of all the women who helped shape the new frontier in the US. There is a great statue depicting the women and a very informative museum.

Conoco Museum– When Conoco merged with Marland Oil in 1929 it helped shape the history of the oil industry. They built this museum so that people could learn about the history of the oil industry.

Town of Ponca City– Riding through town you will find many historic buildings along with government offices and Sharp’s Indian Store that sells many native items and was established in 1989. I love finding older towns like this and learning about the history. This was a great place to stop.

Another place to check out is Kaw Lake. It is 8 miles east of Ponca City. You can enjoy camping, swimming, and boating here. We didn’t go here, but locals do recommend it.

Casinos

Osage-Ponca City: not only is there a casino here, but also a hotel with a pool and hot tub, fitness center, and business center. Hotel rooms come with coffee makers, mini-refrigerator, and other amenities. There are over 400 slot machines here. If you get hungry, there are two restaurants here. We stayed here and if you plan on staying in the area, I recommend it. The rooms are really nice, the food is good and of course we got to gamble!

Blue Star Gaming and Casino: This is a small casino in Ponca City. There are 100 slot machines here and a bingo hall. There is also a restaurant here that has some really good deals sometimes, so check it out while you are there. This is a great place for locals and tourists alike. If you like checking out all types of casinos, I would recommend coming here.

7 Clans Casino: 7 Clans has two casinos near Ponca City. The first is in Newkirk which is 15 miles from Ponca City. The second is in Red Rock, approximately 18 miles away. We went to the one in Newkirk. It has over 450 slot machines. 7 clans operate 3 casinos, 2 gasinos and First Council Casino and Resort. We still get offers from 7 clans for slot play and entertainment. Check one of them out if you have time.

Native Lights Casino: This casino is owned by the Tonkawa tribe. There are over 400 slot machines and electronic table games. If you’re hungry you can stop at the Buffalo Grill & Lounge. There is also a smoke shop on the property. We really enjoyed this casino because of the great people here.

Conclusion

Ponca City and the surrounding area is full of history and well worth the trip. If you love to learn about the history, enjoy the scenery, or love going to new casinos, this is a great place to explore. I know every state has some great places to explore, some well-known and others not so much and I encourage everyone to see what there is to explore near you and take a weekend, grab your camera and have fun. If you’re planning a vacation, investigate areas that aren’t so well known for tourists. You never know what you might find. Take some time and find your adventure! If you would like to see some of our travel videos click her: https://youtu.be/OpJ4jTrsxJs

The post Why you should visit Ponca City, Oklahoma appeared first on scenicroutetravelers.com.

This post includes some affiliate links. If you make a qualifying purchase through one of these links, we will receive a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.

The Horses

There are so many things to do in Shawnee, but one of the things it is best known for is the painted horses. The horses came to be in 2007 when Shawnee was celebrating their centennial. The mayor came up with the idea for local artists to paint the horses and help them get their names in public. There are over 3 dozen horses around town. In 2023, Shawnee was hit by a F2 tornado and a few of the horses were damaged so if you go to see them, please understand if one of the ones you’re looking for isn’t there. They are working to get them fixed. To learn more about the horses and download a map go to Painted Horses | Visit Shawnee, OK.

History

A little bit about the town. After the Civil War, the Sac & Fox tribe settled here, followed by the Kickapoo, Shawnee and Potawatomi. They all still share this land. In 1896, a railway system was built here. Trains played a big role in the 20’s to Shawnee’s economy. The Santa Fe Train Depot was built as the central hub. Another big industry in the 20’s was agriculture, specifically cotton. There were 8 or more cotton mills in the area. With World War 2, manufacturing came into play with Sylvania corporation moving here. Shawnee milling company still employs many people. Another well-known company started in Shawnee is Sonic Drive-ins which were born in Shawnee in 1959.

Places of Interest

As previously mentioned, Santa Fe Depot was built for the railroad industry. The train industry came to a stop in 1971, but the depot has been transformed into the Pottawatomie County Museum. It still has some of the brick streets and a collection of memorabilia.

Some other museums worth mentioning are Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art, which has ancient mummies, Aerospace Career Musuem, & be sure to stop at St. Gregory’s Abbey. The monks arrived in Shawnee in 1927 and started a catholic university here. To learn about the Native Americans in the area visit the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center. There is a gift shop here and of course I bought some original art! The Citizen Potawatomi Nation also has an eagle aviary that you can visit.

Another place of interest is Oklahoma Baptist University. The campus is beautiful, and you can great selfies in front of the bison statues on campus.

Outdoor Adventures

If you’re looking to do some outdoor activities, Shawnee has them. There are the Shawnee Twin Lakes where you can fish, swim, water ski or hang out and have a picnic and enjoy the views. Another option is The Japanese Peace Garden & Shawnee Airport Track. You can get your exercise by running or biking around the airport and enjoying the garden. There is a butterfly garden at OSU extension, an arboretum at OK Baptist university or go get wet at Shawnee Splash Water Park.

Casinos

Last but not least, I have to mention the 5 casinos in the area. In Oklahoma all casinos are run by Native American tribes. There are some really small casinos and some luxurious resorts in Oklahoma, but I have to say that I love all of them here because the people are so friendly and they just have a great atmosphere.

First on the list in Shawnee is the Thunderbird Casino- Absentee Shawnee Tribe. The next one is Kickapoo Casino- Kickapoo Nation of OK. Next up is The Black Hawk Casino- Sac & Fox Nation. The last two are both Citizen Potawatomi Nation casinos; FireLake Casino and Grand Casino. We really enjoyed all of these casinos and we have stayed at the Grand a couple of times. For more on these go to our casino website.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many things to explore in Shawnee. We had a lot of fun riding around looking for the painted horses. Santa Fe depot was really unique and if you have read some of our other posts, you know I am very interested in Native American culture and arts, so the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center was a bonus for me.

I hope this inspires you to explore areas of interest to you and maybe even plan a trip to Oklahoma. There is so much more in this state than I would have ever imagined. Having now moved to Nevada, I’m finding so many things to do in the southwestern states, so I think if you look you can probably find lots of interesting things in every state. I hope this inspires you to look for your own adventure, even if it’s just a day trip near you! For more of our travel adventures, please go to : https://youtu.be/pDGpKMQWPoM

The post Best things to do in Shawnee, Oklahoma appeared first on scenicroutetravelers.com.