After a day at Lake Murray State Park, I decided to check out what Ardmore, Oklahoma, has to offer. This small town has some surprising gems, like the Mercy Train, a stunning Chickasaw Nation silo mural, and a quirky doll collection. Read on for these off-the-beaten-path finds and other fun things to do in Ardmore, OK!
If Lake Murray State Park, home to Tucker Tower Nature Center, wasn’t on your radar, read my article (linked below) about my visit. You will definitely want to go there!
Exploring Lake Murray State Park – Ardmore, Oklahoma
Things to Do in Ardmore, OK, Near Lake Murray State Park
Visit Depot Park to see the Mercy Train
On September 27, 1915, the deadliest and most destructive explosion of its time rocked Ardmore. It was a catastrophic event that changed safety regulations forever.
A railroad car filled with casinghead gasoline, a highly volatile substance, arrived in Ardmore. As the temperature rose, gas started to leak from the car. Despite the danger, the train conductor refused to move it due to a nearby fire. A representative from the Ardmore Refining Company removed the dome from the car, which only made things worse. Gas and vapors filled the air, and at 2:20 p.m., an explosion devastated downtown Ardmore, killing forty-three people and injuring many others.
In the wake of the tragedy, a train filled with aid workers, known as the “Mercy Train,” arrived from Gainesville, Texas, to help the stricken town. The locomotive, No. 1108, eventually found a permanent home in Depot Park.
See the Chickasaw Nation Silo Mural
A massive mural on Bluebonnet Feed’s grain elevator—72 feet wide and 127 feet high—captures the culture and history of the Chickasaw Nation in southern Oklahoma. The mural features a Chickasaw warrior, two horses, and elements like sun, clouds, and wind patterns.
Dr. Bob Palmer, the artist behind this mural and many others in Ardmore and across Oklahoma captures the state’s history through his vibrant works. Check out his book, Painting Oklahoma and Beyond, if you’re intrigued by his art and the stories of Oklahoma.
Other Ardmore Murals
As a mural enthusiast, I always search for new finds wherever I go. Cruising around downtown Ardmore, I spotted several amazing murals. If you’re into murals, too, take a little driving tour and see what you can discover!
Explore the Quirky Eliza Cruce Hall Doll Museum
Check out this impressive collection of over 300 antique dolls, some of the world’s rarest and finest. It includes dolls made of porcelain, leather, bisque, wax, and wood, and it even features dolls that once belonged to Marie Antoinette!
When you enter the library, head to the back left corner to find the mirrored glass display cases. Eliza Cruce Hall, niece of Oklahoma’s second governor, Lee Cruce, donated her collection to the Ardmore Public Library in 1971.
Pro tip: Swing by the circulation desk and borrow the collection guidebook. The doll collection is extensive, so the guide helped me focus on some of the rarest and most unusual dolls.
I was fascinated by the French Court Dolls, which are rare, historic, hand-carved wooden dolls. Only seven were made, and the museum has three of them. It’s believed they originally belonged to Marie Antoinette!
I was also captivated by the English Pedlars and their miniature wares. They have over 150 tiny items, including needles, ribbons, books, pitchers, jars, baskets, and framed photos.
Check out the George and Martha Washington dolls by Emma C. Clear from around 1940. She was the first American to create china, Parian, and bisque dolls. These dolls are among her finest, rivaling the best old Dresden dolls. The hands are incredibly unique, modeled after real human hands with detailed veins, making them one-of-a-kind.
There were so many interesting dolls in the collection I’d love to feature in this post, but I couldn’t photograph them all. You’ll have to visit the Eliza Cruce Hall Doll Museum to see them all, but here are a few more that caught my eye!
Oil Patch Warrior Statue
Memorial Park. 410 W Main St, Ardmore, OK 73401
Here’s an intriguing backstory: In March 1943, a group of 42 rugged oil drillers from Oklahoma and Texas embarked on a secret mission aboard the HMS Queen Elizabeth. Their destination? London, where they would drill oil wells in Sherwood Forest. With oil crucial to Britain’s wartime efforts and German U-boats threatening tanker ships, this operation was vital. The American drillers, representing Nobles Drilling Corporation and Fain-Porter Drilling Company, collaborated with Britain’s D’Arcy Exploration Company to ensure a steady oil supply despite the perilous conditions.
The camouflaged rigs hid in the forest, and the men lived in a monastery with the monks. By the end of their one-year contract, they had drilled 106 wells, boosting oil production.
To honor these men, a sculpture called “The Oil Patch Warrior” was erected in Ardmore in 2001. It is a replica of the original from 1991 near Nottingham, England. For more on this story, check out The Secrets of Sherwood Forest: Oil Production in England During World War II.
Greater Southwest Historical Museum
35 Sunset Dr SW, Ardmore, OK 73401
The Greater Southwest Historical Museum is housed in the 1936 Ardmore National Guard Armory. That might be reason enough to visit, but I was drawn to the “From the Ashes” exhibit, which vividly recounts Ardmore’s two major disasters: the Great Fire and the Gas Explosion at Depot Park, which I mentioned above.
You’ll also find exhibits on local farming, ranching history, and early industries in South Central Oklahoma, like oil, cotton, and the railroad. The Military Memorial Museum also showcases a rare WWII barrack painting and uniforms from all seven military branches.
Catch Some High-Speed Action
Get ready for a night of high-speed fun! Watch stock cars tear up the oval at Southern Oklahoma Speedway, or head to Ardmore Dragway to see dragsters fly down America’s oldest continually run dragstrip—once an old airport runway!
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