Claremore offers many historical and cultural attractions for residents and visitors. The ClaremoreUSA.com team has highlighted just a few of those attractions that we enjoy the most.

Will Rogers Memorial Museum

The Will Roger’s Memorial Museum is located near Rogers State University on twenty acres originally purchased in 1911 by Will Rogers for use as a future retirement home. The museum was built using limestone from a nearby quarry and opened in 1938. The sunken garden and beautiful hilltop provide a magnificent view of Claremore and the Tiawah Valley.

Inside the interactive 16,652-square-foot museum, you can learn about Will Rogers’ life, wisdom and humor.  From the 71 motion pictures to listening to live radio replays, there is plenty for the entire family to enjoy. The museum features 8 galleries and contains art, memorabilia, and artifacts and is home to the world’s largest Will Roger’s document collection.  You will learn about Rogers’s life as a trick roper, movie star, radio commentator, columnist, author and philosopher.  The Will Roger’s Memorial Museum is a great part of the culture of Claremore, USA. Learn more at www.willrogers.com

J.M. Davis Historical and Arms Museum

In 1916, JM Davis traded 2,000 acres of Arkansas land in exchange for the Mason Hotel in Claremore, Oklahoma. Davis used the hotel to house a gun collection that he had started as a seven year old boy. Davis continued building his collection and by 1929 it had grown to 99 guns. He displayed the guns on the hotel lobby walls along with swords, steins, saddles, music boxes, musical instruments, political buttons, posters, and Native American artifacts.

As the lobby walls got crowded, Davis extended the collection to hotel hallways and private rooms. With a consistent flow of visitors, Davis became recognized as a gun expert and was featured in many publications. To manage the fast growth, in 1965, Davis shifted ownership of the collection to the J.M. Davis Foundation Inc. The Foundation leased the collection to the State of Oklahoma with the condition that the state build and maintain a museum to house the memorabilia. On June 27, 1969, the JM Davis Gun Museum opened on Mr. Davis’ 82nd birthday. The 40,000 square foot museum is free of charge to the public with gun displays totaling over one mile in length. Learn more at www.thegunmuseum.com

Belvidere Mansion

Built in 1907, the Belvidere is a three story Victorian mansion located two blocks east of downtown. In 1901, John M. Bayless along his wife, Mary, and six children moved to Indian Territory from Cassville, Missouri. By 1902, Bayless began construction of his castle-like Claremore mansion. Sadly, Mr. Bayless died before the Belvidere was complete in 1907.
A written description doesn’t do justice to the Belvidere Mansion. The house is brick with a tile roof and four towers. The third story ballroom contains around 3,000 square feet of absolute elegance. Blue sky and clouds highlight a vaulted ceiling with an old-fashioned sky-light. Large windows are adorned in lace and offer great views of Claremore. The front entrance is covered by a large porch with a balcony directly above. Most of the mansion’s trim and woodwork were brought from the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. The floor features tile laid by an Italian craftsman. Many of the rooms are accented by pocket doors and fireplaces. Just as unique as the Belvidere are the stories behind the mansion and the man who built it. Learn more at http://rogerscountyhistory.org/
Learn more about Claremore at www.claremoreusa.com