A one-room schoolhouse, a museum at the original site of Charles Machine Works, and lakes with a range of activities: Noble County brings local history together with cultural events and waterfront recreation. Perry is a particularly good place to explore subjects ranging from pioneer life to the development of machinery. Outdoors, options range from fishing and water sports to camping.
Museums and Buildings Tell Different Stories
The Cherokee Strip Museum in Perry preserves and interprets the region’s heritage. The five-acre museum complex includes a blacksmith shop, a large implement building, and an 1895 one-room schoolhouse. Interactive exhibits about pioneer family life feature, among other things, a general store, a kitchen, a dress shop, and doctors’ offices. Rose Hill School also hosts living history programs for schoolchildren.
In downtown Perry, the Heritage Center and Ditch Witch Museum traces the history of Ditch Witch equipment from its invention to the present day. It is located at the original site of Charles Machine Works, Inc., in a building constructed shortly after the 1893 Land Run. The Dr. Renfrow-Miller Museum in Billings is housed in a former home and office of pioneer physician Thomas F. Renfrow, built in 1901. The building features Richardsonian Romanesque architecture and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Perry’s public buildings also offer a glimpse into different eras. The Carnegie Library was built in 1909 with funds from a $10,000 grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation. The three-story Noble County Courthouse, built of stone and brick, features simplified Second Renaissance Revival details.
For a walk through downtown, try the historic Time-Frame walking tour by Main Street of Perry: it covers approximately one mile and includes 16 stops. Also downtown, at 613 Delaware, is Perry Wrestling Monument Park. It was completed and dedicated as a memorial to a high school wrestling program.
Festivals with Different Themes
The event calendar combines September traditions with a summer gathering. The Noble County Fall Free Fair takes place in September at the Noble County Fairgrounds in Perry and includes a Farmhand Olympics, whose format may vary from year to year. If you’re traveling specifically for the fair, check the dates for that year’s event. The Perry Cherokee Strip Celebration also takes place in September and has been held every year since 1893. Live entertainment, food, and vendors are part of the program.
The Otoe-Missouria Tribe’s annual encampment in Red Rock is a distinct cultural event, held on the third weekend of July. The tribe celebrates its traditions with feasts and dances. The two September events and the encampment offer different seasonal reasons to discover Noble County.
Lakes, Fishing, and Outdoor Activities
Perry Lake offers boating, water skiing, swimming, and fishing. Camping is also available, along with RV sites with full hookups for electricity, water, and sewer. CCC Lake & Park in Perry offers a different setting: it was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. Today, its facilities include a boat dock, picnic areas, and a playground; boating and fishing are also available.
Sooner Lake in Red Rock offers 42 miles of shoreline and excellent largemouth bass fishing. Fishing with rod and reel, bowfishing, and noodling are allowed there, subject to local restrictions. Check current regulations before fishing.
Nearby, Lake McMurtry adds to the area’s recreational options. It has fishing piers and a boat ramp, as well as paddleboard and kayak rentals. Campgrounds include 24 RV sites, 22 tent sites, and seven enclosed sites. The described waterfront activities vary by lake: Perry Lake offers swimming and water skiing, among other activities, while Lake McMurtry also offers rentals and a variety of campsites.
Getting Around the County
U.S. Highways 64 and 412 cross Noble County from east to west; Highway 412 is also known as the Cimarron Turnpike. The main north-south routes are U.S. Highway 177 and U.S. 77/State Highway 86. The Cherokee Strip Museum and Rose Hill School are about a quarter mile east of I-35, heading toward Perry from Exit 186. These directions help you locate the county’s different sites and points of interest as you plan your trip.
Explore more destinations: Perry, Morrison, Mayes County, Oklahoma, Latimer County, Choctaw, Jackson, Love.
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