In 1952, Route 66 was renamed The Will Rogers Highway. But who the heck is Will Rogers, and how did he get such a historic road named in his honor? If you’re too young to know who Will Rogers is and/or you don’t have an interest in old Hollywood, his name might be unfamiliar. He was to me, to be honest. But a visit to the Will Rogers Memorial Museum & Birthplace Ranch in Oklahoma changed all of that. If you go, I can almost guarantee that you will leave with a new appreciation for Rogers and how much he accomplished in his short 55 years. I know I did.

To be honest, until I wrote my book On Location: A Film and TV Lover’s Travel Guide, I wasn’t too familiar with Rogers either. I knew of his films, thanks to my stepfather, but not much else. And thanks to my visit, I learned that Will Rogers was an actor, vaudevillian, writer, social commentator, radio personality, world traveler, mock presidential candidate and advocate for the aviation industry.

At one point in this talented man’s life, he was the #1 radio personality, #1 at the movie box office, the nation’s #1 most sought-after public speaker, and the #1 most-read newspaper columnist.

If you want to see how many things were named after him, because I don’t have that kind of space here, just go to his Wikipedia page or, as I said, visit the Museum. There are schools, an airport, parks, and memorials, just to name a few.

The Museum is a highlight of my book On Location: A Film and TV Lover’s Travel Guide (that’s me holding my book outside of the museum). I had a chance to visit as a guest while on my cross-country trip to see WrestleMania 39.

The first incredible thing to see is the view. Once you park, head over to the statue of Will and his horse, which is also near his burial plot, and enjoy the view of Claremore, Oklahoma (more after the photos).

Once you enter the museum, you will see multiple paintings of Will, done by the incredibly talented artist Charles Banks Wilson. These beautiful paintings (posted above) are flawless and took my breath away. I spent a lot of time here, just taking them in. You will then see all of the different saddles that Rogers used and the history and artistry behind each one. (More after the photos below.)

In another room, you can enjoy all of the old Will Rogers movie posters. The older I get, the more I appreciate these treasures. The art and the lettering and pictures just take you back to another era — fantastic! The museum also includes an area where you can see clips of Rogers’ Vaudeville days and a theater playing his movies.

Will Rogers died in a plane crash at 55 years old. You do not have to know Rogers or his story to be moved by the room with all of the artifacts from his plane crash. This included his typewriter, which kind of got to me (below).

I had an opportunity to talk to the staff, who told me that they are working toward a huge expansion of the Museum over the next couple of years. I’ll be sure to post more when I get more info.

I highly recommend stopping here. Will Rogers contributed so much to our history and no matter what age you are or what age your children are, go see it. It’s done really well, and you’ll learn so much. I had a conversation with someone recently about how much the younger generation doesn’t know about old Hollywood and this is a great opportunity to teach them. Heck, I’m the older generation and learned so much.

If You Go

After visiting the museum, be sure to check out the Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch, which is free in Ooglah, Oklahoma. The museum is a very affordable $7 admission for adults, $5 for seniors, and $5 military with it. Children 6-17 are $3, and under three are free. The museum is open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM (March 1 – November 10). Check out the website for other schedules.

Make sure you check out the gift shop too. Great selection of items.

And if you’re a movie junkie, mark your calendars for the Will Rogers Motion Picture Festival in Claremore, Oklahoma- November 1-4, 2023