3 Interesting Museums to Visit in the Sallisaw, OK Area

When you’re looking for something interesting to do in the Sallisaw, Oklahoma area, you might want to consider visiting one of our many museums. With so much history and culture to learn about, there are a number of unique places to choose from. Try one of the following museums the next time you need a day of entertainment.

Five Civilized Tribes Museum

Because many Native American tribes have roots in the state of Oklahoma, it comes as no surprise that you can learn a lot about several of them in Sallisaw. The Five Civilized Tribes Museum is a great place to find out more about the history, culture, and art of tribes such as the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee, and Seminole. 

This museum is housed in the historic Union Indian Agency building which was built in 1875 by the United States government. You can view the artwork by many Native Americans featured in the gallery, including the very famous artist, Jerome Tiger. He was very influential in the Native American community. His works very masterful at merging traditional culture with the contemporary style of Native American art.

14 Flags Museum

For a unique look at Oklahoma’s colorful history, visit the 14 Flags Museum. It is located at the corner of U.S. Highway’s 59 and 65 in downtown Sallisaw. This outdoor museum features historic structures which include cabins and a train depot. The Lattimore cabin is the oldest structure on the property, it was built in 1835 by Samuel Lattimore, an early Cherokee settler. This cabin was built from hand-cut logs and still bears the marks made by the axes used to fell them.

There are two other cabins found here as well, along with the Old Sallisaw Train Depot which will remind you of the strong influence the railroad industry had on this area. In a third cabin, you can also view a Trail of Tears exhibit. The name of this museum comes from the 14 tribes and nations which helped shape Oklahoma.

Sequoyah’s Cabin Museum

Sequoyah’s Cabin Museum is located within a 10-acre park and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The cabin was built by a famous Cherokee man known as Sequoyah. He is best known for being the creator of the Cherokee written language, but also for being a silversmith. A visit to this cabin will take you back in time and give you a glimpse into what it was like trying to increase literacy for the Cherokee Nation in the 1830s.

Many artifacts depicting early Cherokee life, the great accomplishments of Sequoyah, and his contributions to Oklahoma history can be found within the cabin. So that future generations can explore this unique piece of history, the cabin was enclosed in a protective, native stone cover building in 1936.

When you need something different to keep you busy for the day, visit one of these three museums. They offer an interesting and unique experience that you’ll only find in Sallisaw.

 

Image via Flickr by jc-pics | CC BY 2.0 | Cropped from original

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