Territorial Oklahoma Lives On in This Town’s Historic District & Wild West Heritage

Guthrie, Oklahoma

Right in the heart of Oklahoma sits Guthrie, a town that looks like it was pulled from a history book.

With thousands of historic buildings and a main street that hasn’t changed much since 1900, this place proves some towns age like fine wine.

Here’s what makes Oklahoma’s original capital worth a full day of your time.

The Historic Downtown

Guthrie’s downtown has over 2,000 Victorian-era buildings spread across 1,400 acres.

You’ll see original storefronts, ornate facades, and decorative ironwork that looks straight out of 1889, when the Land Run transformed this railroad stop into a city of 10,000 people in just one day.

The Beautiful Masonic Temple

Built in 1923, this Masonic temple spans 400,000 square feet and features 16 huge columns sweeping 70 feet skyward.

Inside, you’ll find 14 distinct rooms, each decorated in different historical styles including Egyptian, Assyrian, and Pompeian.

Don’t miss the main auditorium with its massive unsupported cement arch or the impressive pipe organ with over 3,000 pipes that still gets tuned twice yearly.

Tours run Monday through Thursday at 10 AM for $10 per person (free for students and Masons).

The Oklahoma Territorial Museum

The Oklahoma Territorial Museum, established in 1973, showcases artifacts from 1889 to 1913, documenting the territory’s journey to statehood.

You’ll see actual tools used by settlers, period clothing, and government documents from Oklahoma’s earliest days.

The museum opens Tuesday through Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM, and you can even access genealogical records including marriage certificates from 1890-1906 and Logan County burial records.

The Oklahoma Frontier Drugstore Museum

Step into an authentic 1890s pharmacy at the Oklahoma Frontier Drugstore Museum, established in 1992 in the historic Gaffney Building.

You’ll spot fascinating items like antique leech jars, asthma cigarettes, and old-time “cures” with wild health claims.

Look for the special poison bottles with raised ridges so pharmacists could identify them in the dark by touch alone.

You can weave between original pharmacy counters packed with vintage medicine bottles, and don’t miss the adjoining apothecary garden (added in 2006) showcasing the medicinal plants frontier doctors actually used.

Hop on Guthrie’s Trolley Service

See the historic district the old-fashioned way on Guthrie’s trolley service.

You’ll catch the trolley at the corner of 2nd and Harrison for a 45-minute narrated tour past the city’s most significant buildings.

Guides point out spots like the Blue Bell Saloon where famous cowboy actor Tom Mix once worked as a bartender.

The trolley connects major attractions throughout downtown and features authentic wooden benches and brass fixtures that recreate the feel of early 1900s transportation.

The WanderFolk Distillery

Taste Oklahoma-made spirits at WanderFolk Distillery, established in 2012 as the state’s first legal distillery since Prohibition.

Located at 124 E Oklahoma Ave in downtown Guthrie, they craft botanical vodkas, gin, and their signature Same Old Moses whiskey and rye.

You can tour the facility Wednesday through Saturday to see their copper stills, fermentation tanks, and aging barrels up close while learning about the distilling process.

Bluegrass pickers from around the world jam under the trees each October

Mark your calendar for the first full weekend in October when the Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival takes over Cottonwood Flats.

Founded in 1996 by renowned musician Byron Berline, this three-day celebration brings together top bluegrass, traditional, and Americana musicians from across the US and around the world.

Beyond the main stage performances, you can join workshops to learn instrumental techniques, watch impromptu jam sessions under shade trees, or check out handmade instruments at the craft booths.

The festival even holds instrument auctions to fund youth music scholarships.

Serious collectors travel hundreds of miles for these vintage treasures

Guthrie’s historic district doubles as an antique hunter’s paradise.

You’ll find stores specializing in everything from Victorian furniture to authentic mid-century modern pieces.

Stop by Licorice Man in the downtown district for unique territorial-era collectibles along with old-fashioned candy.

Many shops feature locally-found items with direct connections to Oklahoma Territory, including authentic frontier tools, household goods, and decorative pieces that survived from statehood days.

Thousands of flame-makers tell the story of human innovation

Did you know the world’s largest collection of lighters and fire-starting devices lives in Guthrie? This one-of-a-kind museum displays thousands of specimens tracing the evolution of fire-making technology through the ages.

You’ll see everything from primitive fire starters to ornate luxury lighters made from precious metals and gems.

The collection includes military lighters from various conflicts, advertising lighters from bygone businesses, and novelty lighters in bizarre shapes.

Carolers in period costumes sing while you ride in horse-drawn carriages

See how early Oklahomans celebrated the holidays during Guthrie’s annual Territorial Christmas festivities.

The celebration has earned Guthrie the nickname “Oklahoma’s Christmas Capital.”

You can ride in horse-drawn carriages while carolers in historical costumes perform traditional songs along the streets.

Local shops and restaurants embrace the Victorian theme with costumed staff and 19th-century holiday items for sale.

Don’t miss the Territorial Homes Tour featuring historic residences decorated with antique ornaments and natural greenery.

The Pollard Theatre’s production of “A Territorial Christmas Carol” reimagines the classic tale with local historical connections.

Legendary outlaws and lawmen faced off right where you’re standing

Step back into the Wild West at Boot Hill Cemetery, final resting place for outlaws from Oklahoma’s territorial days.

The most famous resident is Bill Doolin, leader of the notorious Wild Bunch gang who terrorized the territory in the 1890s.

Clear historical markers explain how these outlaws met their ends, with Doolin gunned down by lawmen Heck Thomas and Bill Tilghman.

The cemetery name itself comes from the Western saying that outlaws “died with their boots on.”

Grandma’s home remedies came straight from these garden plants

Added in 2006 to celebrate the Oklahoma Frontier Drugstore Museum’s 25th anniversary, this medicinal garden showcases the plants frontier doctors actually used for remedies.

You can stroll among historically accurate herb beds arranged as they would have been in territorial times.

Each plant features identification markers explaining its historical medicinal uses, from fever remedies to digestive aids.