Ancient mountains, waterfalls, pine-covered forests, mesas, tallgrass, prairies—discover why Oklahoma is America in it’s most pristine state. It’s unique history has made for a rich, colorful and exuberant heritage that Oklahomans delight in sharing. Explore a past that spans American Indians, oil and cattle barons, cowboys and pioneers of jazz—all in a setting that remains remarkably pure and unspoiled.

Oklahoma City
Oklahoma's largest city and state capital is an easy-going patchwork of cosmopolitan and country. Thanks to a citywide revitalization effort, downtown Oklahoma City now boasts the nation's premier minor league ballpark and a canal that flows beside choice restaurants, shops and quaint cafes in the historic Bricktown entertainment district. A fleet of water taxis provides tours on the mile-long waterway.

Many people associate Oklahoma City with the destruction of the Alfred P. Murrah building, when 168 people lost their lives. The Oklahoma City National Memorial will be completed in the year 2000 and will be a three-part memorial serving as a sanctuary to all who visit the site. The on-site memorial uses symbolism to communicate the impact of the destruction on April 19, 1995. The memorial Center will serve as an interactive learning museum. The National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism and Violence will be dedicated to the eradication of terrorist activity.

Tulsa
Tulsa is another cosmopolitan town. National touring exhibitions can be seen at the Philbrook Museum of Art. For great western art, check out the Gilcrease Museum, and music legends are commemorated at Oklahoma's Jazz Hall of Fame. Other unique attractions worth a stop include the Elsing Museum, Ida Dennie Willis Museum of Miniatures, Dolls & Toys, Tulsa Air and Space Center and the Fenster Museum of Jewish Art.

For a great shopping experience, a visit to Cherry Street or Utica Square is a must, and for those who would rather spend the afternoon on the links, Tulsa has several exclusive golf courses to choose from. During summer months, Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic musical, Oklahoma!, is performed at the Discoveryland amphitheater, where a barbecue dinner and roping lessons add to the evening's entertainment. Tulsa is also home to events such as Mayfest, the Gatesway International Balloon Festival, Oktoberfest and the Tulsa Powwow of Champions.

National Cowboy Hall of Fame
Founded In 1965, the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center (in Oklahoma City) was originally conceived as a tribute to the men and women who helped establish the West. Since 1994, the museum has experienced its own westward expansion, tripling in size to 200,000 square feet. Visitors view art from Prix de West Award winners, the finest contemporary artists in the nation, as well as significant works by master artists Charles Russell, Frederic Remington, and Albert Bierstadt, among others.

Of the numerous heroic-sized works on display, visitors are most awed by James Earle Fraser's famous 18-foot sculpture, End of the Trail, Colorado sculptor, Gerald Balciar's 16,000-pound white marble cougar, aptly named Canyon Princess, and Windows to the West, five breathtaking western landscapes by Albuquerque artist, Wilson Hurley. The sprawling complex also contains Prosperity Junction, a 14,000 square foot turn-of-the-century western town, and three major exhibition galleries, the American Cowboy Gallery, the American Rodeo Gallery, and the Western Entertainment Gallery. Outside, the stunning landscape boasts both botanical and natural gardens.

Woolaroc Ranch and Museum
Woolaroc is a place of bygone times, locked forever in another era. Spurred into existence by the oil boom, Woolaroc became an oasis amidst the excitement of the times. Named for the woods, lakes and rocks in the area, Woolaroc was eventually designated a museum and wildlife preserve.

The 1920s brought to life this retreat, under the ownership of Frank Phillips, founder of Phillips Petroleum Company. Before earning millions and becoming the only white honorary chief of the Osage Indian Nation, a young Frank Phillips witnessed the last days of the Old West. His intrigue for cowboys, outlaws, Native Americans and the untamed spirit of the West was infinite. The novelty of the area attracted U.S. Presidents, dignitaries, tycoons, heroes and the stars of the day. Today, Woolaroc stands as a lasting icon of the most romanced era of American history, remarkably unchanged from Phillip’s era.

Oklahoma City Zoo
Acknowledged as one of the ten best zoos in the United States and the oldest in the Southwest, the OKC Zoo is landscaped on 110 beautiful acres and is home to more than 2,800 animals. It offers picnic areas and rides, concessions, tours and classes. Some featured exhibits include the Cat Forest/Lion Overlook comprised of lions, tigers, jaguars, and leopards, and the Great EscApe, showcasing gorillas, orangutans, and chimpanzees. One of the zoo's most popular attractions is Aquaticus, which features aquariums, a dolphin and sea lion show, and marine mammals. The zoo amphitheater offers a variety of programs under the stars.

Will Rogers Memorial Museum
The 16,652 square-foot, eight-gallery museum was built of fossilized limestone quarried nearby. Opened in 1938, the main building was financed by a $200,000 appropriation by the Oklahoma Legislature. The east wing was added in 1982 using additional legislative appropriations. During the 1990-95 period, the entire museum was remodeled with $3 million of private and public funds.

The museum frames the family tomb in the sunken garden. Spread across the southern horizon is the Tiawah Valley. The 20-acre museum grounds, purchased by Will Rogers in 1911 for $500 an acre, was the planned site for his retirement. Following his untimely death, his widow and children donated the land, along with great parts of the collection.

A 2,400 square foot library serves as offices for the staff of the Will Rogers Memorial. Research space also is available for scholars and writers. Included in the library are more than 2,000 volumes by, about or referencing Will Rogers in addition to texts on Indians, vaudeville, early motion pictures and the 1879-1935 era.

Carefully protected archives include 15,000 photographs, thousands of original manuscripts, private letters, contracts and personal papers. Housed in a sub-terrain vault served by the elevator at the south end of this gallery, the vault has special humidity-temperature controls and is encircled by the children's museum area.

Alabaster Caverns State Park
The Alabaster Caverns are home to the largest gypsum cave in the world. The cavern’s namesake is a form of gypsum and can be seen in a variety of colors including pink, white, and sometimes black. The cave dates back over 200 million years when the area was covered by an inland sea. These days a small stream, once a powerful river, flows throughout the various tunnels. In addition to the gypsum formations, there are several varieties of bats that call the caverns home.

Five undeveloped caves in the park may be explored with a special permit acquired from the park office. Those who undertake this adventure (available March through September) must have proper safety equipment.

The park also has a wonderful trail system consisting of four main trails. Raptor's Roost is suited for all ages of hikers and is so named for the birds of prey that habitat its length. The more adventurous hiker can follow one of the more rugged trails, to an area once spanned by a Natural Bridge, just one-half mile from the visitor center.

The park's gift shop has souvenirs including items made from alabaster. Inside the gift shop is an educational center with information on the history of the area and its geology (and its bats). The park also has a swimming pool with a concession stand and changing house, a horseshoe pit, a volleyball court, camping areas, picnic tables, picnic shelters, and 2 group shelters with electricity, water, and grills. Campsites are semi-modern with or without electricity and water.

Population: 3,258,000.

State Capital: Oklahoma City.

Entered the Union: November 16, 1907 as the 46th state.

State Motto: Labor omnia vincit (Labor conquers all things).

Origin of Name: From two Choctaw Indian words meaning red people.

State Bird: Scissor-tailed flycatcher.

State Flower: Mistletoe.

State Nickname: Sooner State.

State Song: Oklahoma.