First off: I think this has GREAT potential. As the world's tallest hill (at 1,999 ft, 2,000 would…read moreclassify it as a mountain), it's definitely a landmark! Visit The World's Tallest Hill!!! The World's Tallest Hill boasts beautiful views of the rolling hills of Eastern Oklahoma, those same hills and mountains that reach over from Western Arkansas and the Ozarks. In the fall, I can imagine these hills are on "fire" with fall color, a great destination for central-south America for fall-color viewing. Why does it earn only 3 stars? 2 things knock a star each off: 1. The road up to The World's Tallest Hill (yes, I'm going to keep saying that!) is a nightmare upkeep-wise. Pot-craters, crumbling roads, you could almost consider it an off-road experience. As a hiker, I typically care loosely about the road to the top of a high place, but if there is going to be one, it should be in good repair. 2. The top, or "peak" could use some sprucing up. The viewpoint is great! And the official sign is wonderful! But it's a little awkward up there. Again, probably just another "unkempt" issue that is easy to resolve. Eventually I could see a cute gift/snack/trinket shop up there to cash out on literally being The World's Tallest Hill, almost a satirical approach, while still pretty impressive! Who would have thought Eastern Oklahoma was the home of The World's Tallest Hill. I was impressed as it was, but could stand to be even more impressed again!

Well, it's a hot day, we ended up spending a bit of time here learning about the history of Fort…read moreSmith, how integral it was into the colonization of the west, as well as their turbulent times trying to manage both the tribal communities and the white settlers who were moving into the area rapidly. It's a fascinating history And one that you have to spend a little bit of time going to the museum and understanding the different angles. I guess that's a purpose of a museum, right? We learned a little bit about Judge Isaac, Parker, as one of the first influences that had to deal with the wild West murderers and people committing heinous crimes that until he arrived, didn't face many consequences as there was no federal government system that was in control of the area and the tribunal process did not cover non-native Americans. Fascinating history. You can even see a replica of the courthouse as well as the gallows as they were over 160 people hang here. Take a rock across the railroad tracks and read a bit about the trail of tears. There are plenty of areas to contemplate the history. Bring a picnic, there are many places to relax and spread out. The museum is actually free, is air-conditioned and had clean restrooms

Really interesting historical site. We've been to a ton of National Parks and National Monuments /…read moreHistorical Sites. This is top 10 for sure! The information is presented in a fun way that really grabs your interest. There's a nice out door area to walk and explore more. The rangers were all very friendly and informative. Worth a stop for sure!

It's fun to see for sure!! The building it is attached is closed and/or abandoned. The driveway is…read moreon an incline and there are potholes and broken glass everywhere. Just keep your eye out and you can avoid them.

Funny photo op in Ft Smith. No idea about the building and if it actually opens as a business…read moreduring the holidays. But the World's Largest Christmas Pickle is definitely worth a stop if you are in the area. Bonus: there's a cool looking water tower next door too.

Convenient and neat place in downtown Alma for family and also historic for the long time local…read morebrand of canned foods "Popeyes" for which the park is named!

I believe that it's because Alma is a major spinach-producing region and so they have a statue to…read morePopeye here. Of course, Popeye is well known for downing a can of spinach before his muscles spring out and he beats up Brutus to save Olive Oyl. It's a cute park with a fountain and a dedicated parking area. The light poles in the parking area have power outlets and are therefore Level 1 chargers. Free. Thanks, City of Alma! I hung out here for an hour or so to put some electrons into my on-board battery. [Review 674 of 2024 - 344 in Arkansas - 21705 overall]

Important and terribly unfortunate ;and shameful) part of American history. Need to learn more and…read morespend more time in this area. Very moving experience that should motivate all of us to learn to love each other and work to stomp out racism of all forms ...

Really glad I made the trip to Black Wall Street. In recent years, it's been talked about more…read morethrough film, tv shows and new stories and wanted to visit the area. What a tragic part of history, but I am glad the area has been preserved for people to visit and learn more about this part of history. There's several boutique shops, cafes and murals you can visit. There's also a museum, which was closed at the time we visited. If you're in Tusla, definitely worth a visit.

This landmark is the final resting place for some of the original settlers or pioneers of the area…read more It's located right off the Quachita trail. There is a sign posted at the cemetery that explains the history. Land was patented by James L. Witherspoon in April, 1861. After his death, E.S. Mosher acquired the land in 1897 with the exception of a 2 acre tract of land that became a family cemetery and for 20 residents of Rich Mountain. The sign lists their names. There is a sad story about the young Wilkerson girl that died and is buried there. The Forest Service acquired the land on August 21, 1923.

You get quite a history lesson with your tour! Highly recommend it the owner is really nice and…read moregreat at telling stories.

The famous Tulsa Cave House was built by Joseph Koberling Sr. and James Purzer during the 1920's…read more Originally this cave like building was designed as a restaurant with outdoor dining. This restaurant served as a front to a speakeasy at night (with possible activity involving mobsters, shady business, etc). A long time ago there were tunnels (that are long gone, as they had collapsed, according to our tour guide and owner of the home) that served as an entrance and exit point. The Fire Department actually came to check and see around the home and had found some of those collapsed tunnels and that it would lead to the back of the home and over the hill. Since then, this home was owned by a few other owners and then was left abandoned for many years until Linda Collier purchased this home in 1997 and eventually repaired and restored the home. She opened this home to the public in 2007 for tours (only $10 per person). According to Linda, the home was in such a disrepair that the realtor she was with refused to enter. But as soon as Linda stepped in, she knew she just had to purchase it. She was going to move in but said that a ghost/ apparition convinced her not to move in. So she used it as a place for her woodwork and a place to write (she still does not live in the home). During that time, locals would ring the doorbell and ask if they could take a peek inside, as they had always known about the cave house but had always wondered what laid inside. Eventually Linda decided to provide tours for locals and tourists. My husband and I came for a visit on a Thursday afternoon (we had contacted Linda earlier that day and said she would be able to give a tour at 2 pm. She was so sweet to let us come in earlier, as we had arrived a bit earlier). We sat in the living room and heard a few stories of the home and looked at the old photos that she had to share of previous owners of the home and of what this home looked like before. She also told us that her home was featured on HGTV's "Home Strange Home" show and also is in the book "Weird Oklahoma." Then she showed us around her home and explained what she had done to the walls or what she had added, etc. Upstairs, there is a fun slide that my husband went down twice (lol, he's such a kid at heart). Linda had said that she added that slide for her daughter (such a cool mom she is. I wish I had a slide in my bedroom when I was kid). It was very interesting to learn about the history that Tulsa had. Also earlier in the week, some locals at a dog event we had gone to with our little girl dog, had told us about the Tulsa Cave House (although I already had this place bookmarked before visiting Oklahoma) and that they had gone on a tour and that it was worth a visit. Our tour was about 50 minutes and thought it was at a good pace and a fun activity to do. If you are looking for something out of box and happen to be visiting Tulsa, you should consider checking out the Tulsa Cave House. It is recommended to make an appointment beforehand. Although you may get lucky to do a walk in, if Linda is home.

The Blue Whale of Catoosa has been on my Route 66 bucket list for quite a while, and I'm glad we…read morefinally made the stop. At first glance, you might wonder why people travel miles to see a giant blue whale. Then you get there, walk through it, read the story behind it, and it all starts to make sense. What began as a whimsical anniversary gift from Hugh Davis to his wife Zelta has become one of the most recognizable landmarks on the Mother Road. The recent restoration is impressive. The visitor center does an excellent job sharing the history, the grounds are clean and well maintained, and the whale looks fantastic. Walking through the whale's mouth and out the tail brought out the kid in me, while the historical displays gave me a new appreciation for the people who created it. This isn't a place where you'll spend half a day--20 to 30 minutes is about right--but it's absolutely worth the stop. It's fun, nostalgic, family-friendly, and one of those Route 66 attractions you'll be talking about long after you leave. One piece of advice for fellow Oklahoma Route 66 Passport travelers: don't get so caught up exploring that you forget to get your passport stamped...like I did! ‍ No worries--the Blue Whale gave me the perfect excuse to plan another trip down Route 66.

The Blue Whale is a historic landmark along Route 66 in Catoosa, OK. It was a stop we wanted to…read moremake rain or shine during our Route 66 Centennial Celebration road trip in the Midwest. My eldest daughter and I did just that. Yes, it was raining cats and dogs. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to walk outside to be closer to the Blue Whale. We did our best to capture some photos from a far of its 20 feel tall and 80 feet long frame. There is a visitor center that holds the history of its loving story. We didn't get to walk inside the center either. It was slightly disappointing to come from a far and we didn't get to experience it the way we would have liked. Yes, we could have gotten out of the car and walked on over to the whale and center. However, we didn't bring an umbrella or any covering to keep us dry from the pouring rain. Lesson learned... bring an umbrella rain or shine! LOL No regrets... just fond memories of our wonderful experiences as it is meant to be. We just weren't meant to see the Blue Whale up close and personal. All good! I didn't know until after our trip that the Blue Whale of Catoosa was built in 1972 by zoologist Hugh Davis as an anniversary gift for his wife Zelta. It evolved from a private family swimming hole into a beloved free public attraction. If you ever get a chance to visit here, please give the Blue Whale a hug for me. Thank you!

i had a beautiful experience at the centennial plaza. i'd saw the statues from across the pavement,…read moreso to speak, and thought, huh, giving "british are coming." thus, in anticipation of the upcoming 2026 fifa world cup, i searched for when the english national team is scheduled to come to the event, which north america, the united states of included, is hosting, and found, gratefully, that the english team will play in the group stage in the dfw area, and that one pub local to dallas, called the londoner, is excited for the city to host the event, also, more objectively speaking, the commemorative plaza features a placard in the center among a series of five that biographizes the life of the namesake person, who was key to the establishment of ok statehood, and who from the brief reading i've done on him, leans more toward the side of public service than colonialism, certainly as far as ok whites go.

Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza is important location when you enter into Tulsa metropolitan from the…read moresouth. This plaza located at the Arkansas River with major connections to the historic memorial bridge, river walk bridge, and statue of car and wagon. Very easy to spot. You can park your car at the right of pedestrian bridge and cross sit to the plaza. This plaza is part of famous history Route 66. You can enjoy the old railroad station, bridge walk to other side of bank to visit the historical sign. This plaza definitely is photo hot spot. Many place can get this photo including the gateway of Tulsa.