Art classes, a distinctive doll collection, regional history, a local market and a range of leisure options give Ardmore many different sides. To help plan your visit, start with a simple question: would you like your stay to focus mainly on art and culture, local produce, or outdoor and leisure activities? The attractions have different focuses, from project-based classes to exhibitions about south-central Oklahoma’s history.
Art and History on Different Scales
The Goddard Center’s art studios offer hands-on, project-based classes for teens, adults and seniors. There is also a professional performing arts theater and rotating gallery spaces for traveling exhibitions. If you’re interested in visual art, stage performances or trying your hand at creative work, you’ll find several different cultural options here. Classes are expressly offered for three age groups, while the rotating gallery spaces provide a different experience from the studios.
A distinctive collection awaits you at the Ardmore Public Library: the Eliza Cruce Hall Doll Collection includes approximately 300 rare and antique dolls. These include carved French wooden dolls that once belonged to Marie Antoinette. The collection’s specific history differs markedly in focus from the broader regional history at the Greater Southwest Historical Museum.
The museum is housed in the former Ardmore National Guard Armory, built in 1936 by the Works Progress Administration. Its exhibits cover the history of south-central Oklahoma from the mid-19th century to the present. Topics include pioneer life, the development of the oil and gas industries, the railroad and urban life. This lets you explore historical topics from different angles: everyday life and city history sit alongside economic development and transportation.
The historic Hardy Murphy Coliseum is also one of Ardmore’s tourist attractions. It was built in 1937. Together with the former armory, it showcases two distinct historic buildings; the dates given refer to the construction history of each building.
Plan Your Visit: Market, Leisure and Accommodation
The Murray Market offers fresh, locally grown produce, artisan goods and handmade specialties. Visitors can also meet the farmers and producers behind the products on offer. This makes the market a different kind of Ardmore experience from a museum visit: the focus is on the products and the people who offer them. If you’re interested in local products, meeting these producers is another reason to consider including the market in your travel plans.
There are also other leisure options, each offering something different: The Clubhouse has an arcade area and go-kart rides. Ardmore Regional Park has a city lake and a children’s fishing pond. You can choose between games and rides on the one hand, and a park with fishing opportunities on the other. These attractions add another kind of leisure activity to the cultural options, without requiring the same travel plans or focus.
Ardmore is on the Amtrak Heartland Flyer route. If you’re considering traveling by train, check the current schedule before deciding on your connection. When looking for a hotel in Ardmore, you can start by deciding what you want your stay to focus on: art and history, the Murray Market or leisure activities.
For the broader travel overview: Carter County.
