Will Rogers Memorial

Bring your teenagers and allow them some REAL history! This man understood stardom and power. A gifted entertainer with a message. Plan on at least an hour but 2 would be better. A trip out to the birthplace ranch is worth it but not overly necessary. Younger kids will be a pest!

A beautiful site in Claremore Oklahoma. Will Rogers, the roping fool, was pretty amazing person. It is fun to learn more about his life and legacy. Well worth a few hours if you are in the area.

i had family come for a visit and took them to memorial. i expected it to be pretty lame and was pleasantly surprised. it’s huge! we spent 3 hours and could have easily spent more. the grounds are also beautiful.

We were staying at Skiatook Lake and had planned a day trip into Tulsa for some sightseeing. Upon seeing the Will Rogers Memorial on our map we decided to make a slight detour for a visit. We are glad we did.
This memorial/​museum is run by very enthusiastic volunteers who are happy to explain to you how about ‘touring’ the facility. The building contains lots of memorabilia along with movies and photos. For those of you without a clear understanding of who Will Rogers was (like me) you will leave here better informed. It’s also a beautiful building with beautiful scenery, reason enough to visit!
There is no formal charge for admission but the do have several donation boxes located throughout the museum requesting $ 5 per person

as far as oklahoma goes… illinois has lincoln, tennessee has elvis.
oklahoma has will rogers.
everything in this state is named after him. there’s even a university right next to his memorial and museum called rogers state university. because of a work related experience i had a few years ago, i had become very attached to will and betty’s story. they had a great life together. now, granted, being as involved as he was in politics, show business, and, unfortunately, aviation, they didn’t see each other all the time. but first and foremost, will rogers was a respectful, kind man who loved his family and put them above everything else. i respect him for that, and for many of the great things he’s said and philosophies he adhered to in life. so going to look at his stuff was a big deal to me.
the museum is set up really well. admission is by donation only, so if you only have five dollars, you pay five dollars. there’s a bunch of galleries, each focusing on a different aspect of will’s life. there’s an area with artifacts from his childhood and growing up around lake oogalah. there’s a room dedicated to his family life with betty blake and all his children. there’s an area for his show biz life, with the follies pictures and the crazy vaudeville lifestyle. there’s an area for his politics adventures, his friendships with people like presidents and more politicians. and there’s a memorial room with all the western unions from people all over the world offering their condolences. people like laurel and hardy, groucho marx and his wife, and presidents.
aside of all the galleries, there’s also areas to watch footage of will and his endeavors through the arts, listen to clips of shows, and interviews or those ever famous quotes he made.
when you go outside, there’s a monument overlooking all of the city. it’s really, really beautiful. on the day i was there i was, yet again, one of few people there. and looking out over the town with blue skies and rolling green hills was just extremely peaceful.
it’s really a great tribute to will rogers. and it’s an interesting stop in a trip across the country.