A One-Day Guthrie Itinerary for History and Downtown Stops

Use the museum’s opening days to set the pace: it is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library is at 406 East Oklahoma Avenue, Guthrie, OK 73044. Check the museum’s official site before you go for current hours and admission details.

The city’s Visitor Information Center is inside the Guthrie Chamber of Commerce at 118 N Broad. For help planning your route, you can call (405) 282-2812. Visitor information is also listed at 308 S Division, Guthrie, OK 73044, with weekday hours of 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; confirm the address before making a stop.

For a wider view of the historic district’s sights, use this guide to what to see on foot in Guthrie’s historic downtown.

Begin with the historic downtown streets and brick sidewalks, then take time for the shops, galleries and restaurants that make up the district. Guthrie’s historic setting also reflects its role as Oklahoma’s first capital, giving the morning a clear theme before you head to the museum.

Keep the first part of the day flexible: browse downtown, then make the museum your main scheduled stop. If you want to plan the walking portion in more detail, this account of how to get around Guthrie focuses on local movement.

Set aside the middle of the day for the Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library. Its exhibits use artifacts, photographs and paintings to tell the story of the people who laid the foundations of Oklahoma.

The Carnegie Library was built in 1902 with a grant from the Carnegie Foundation. Statehood ceremonies took place on its steps on November 16, 1907.

After city leaders announced plans to demolish the library in 1972, Fred Pfeiffer sought to preserve it by adding a museum. The museum opened on November 16, 1973, on the adjacent lot, and the buildings were later joined.

Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors age 62 and older, and $5 for students ages 6–18; children age 5 and under enter free. A family admission covering up to six people is $30. Groups of 10 or more pay $7 per person.

Oklahoma Historical Society members and NARM members receive free admission. Free admission is also offered for up to six people with an EBT card, Oklahoma Tribal EBT card, WIC card, Oklahoma Fosters ID, or Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma ID. Veterans and active military receive free admission with ID.

For the museum’s background and practical details in one place, read this visitor guide to the Oklahoma Territorial Museum in Guthrie.

Make the Pollard Theatre your afternoon downtown stop. It is at 120 West Harrison Avenue, Guthrie, OK 73044. The box office is open Tuesday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., and Saturday, 1–5 p.m.; the lobby opens one hour before showtime.

Those box-office hours do not establish a performance schedule, so check the theatre’s official information if you want to attend a show. If you are staying at Interstate Motel, Guthrie city centre is about a 4-minute drive from the motel.

If your visit falls outside the museum’s Tuesday-to-Saturday schedule, keep the day focused on downtown’s historic streets, shops and galleries, then check which restaurants or cultural venues are operating. The Pollard Theatre’s box office hours are separate from its performance times, so confirm show details before planning the afternoon around a production.

The two visitor-information addresses are 118 N Broad and 308 S Division, Guthrie, OK 73044. The location at 308 S Division has weekday hours of 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Confirm the address before setting out for either visitor-information stop.

After the downtown stops, return to the motel by car or on foot. The motel’s room options offer a place to stay while exploring Guthrie’s downtown. For your day’s sequence, keep the museum’s opening window as the anchor and fit downtown browsing and the theatre around it.

What is the best museum stop in Guthrie for Oklahoma history?

The Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library presents the story of the people who laid the foundations of Oklahoma through artifacts, photographs and paintings.

When is the Oklahoma Territorial Museum open?

It is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Confirm current details with the museum before your visit.

Where is the Pollard Theatre?

The Pollard Theatre is at 120 West Harrison Avenue in Guthrie.

What can you do in Guthrie’s historic downtown?

The downtown has historic brick sidewalks, shops, museums, galleries, live music and restaurants.