Indian City USA facts for kids
The Indian City USA Cultural Center, once known as Indian City USA, was a special outdoor museum located in Anadarko, Oklahoma. It was a place where visitors could learn about the history and daily life of different American Indian tribes.
This unique center showed what homes and ways of life were like for many tribes, especially those from the Southwest and Southern Plains. Experts from the Department of Anthropology at the University of Oklahoma even helped make sure the reconstructed homes were accurate. You could see examples of homes from tribes like the Caddo, Southern Cheyenne, Wichita, Pawnee, Navajo, and Apache.
Contents
What Was Indian City USA?
Indian City USA was like a living history book. It was an outdoor museum, meaning many of its exhibits were outside, showing how people lived in the past.
How It Started
The citizens of Anadarko, Oklahoma, created the museum in 1954. They wanted a place to share the rich history and culture of Native American tribes. The land where the museum was built has a long history, once being part of the reservation lands for the Kiowa, Apache, and Comanche tribes.
What You Could See and Do
Besides the outdoor displays of homes, Indian City USA offered many activities:
- Guided tours that taught visitors about the exhibits.
- Native dancing performances.
- Displays of Native American arts and crafts.
- An indoor museum with more exhibits.
The center was also close to other important places, like the Southern Plains Indian Museum, the American Indian Hall of Fame, and the yearly American Indian Exposition.
Who Owns It Now?
Today, the museum is owned by the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma.
Is It Still Open?
According to a publication called the Leisure and Sports Review (LASR), the museum is currently closed. There isn't a website for the museum that can be found online anymore.
