Anadarko Basin Historical Museum

204 N Main St., Elk City, OK
Phone: (580) 243-0437 NRHP

East < GO > West

The former Casa Grande Hotel was built in 1928 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. It was the site of a 1931 national Route 66 conference. The original cross gabled tiled roof has been replaced with a flat roof.

Today it houses the Anadarko Basin Historical Museum which displays rocks, minerals, fossils, and oil and gas historical artifacts as well as a variety of First Nation paintings. There is also a gift shop. The museum is open by appointment only and is closed on holidays. Call for information.

The one story section on the north side of the building originally held a couple of store fronts and behind them was a banquet hall for the hotel.

At 181 feet the Parker Drilling Rig number 114 located next to the museum is the tallest non-working oil drilling rig on dry land in the USA. It was originally built in the mid 1960s for use by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commision to drill holes for underground atomic tests. After its government service it was refiited for conventional use in the oil and gas fields. The 17 story rig was brought out of storage in Oklahoma City and reassemble in Elk City as a tourist attraction in 1961.

Photo(s): 2015