J. M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum

What is J. M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum?

Guns are the main event. The collection runs to more than 20,000 pieces, covering Kentucky rifles, black-powder guns of many kinds, cannons, rare Colts and Winchesters. Some pieces tell stories by their purpose: guns made for hunting elephants, guns used in whaling and guns tied to outlaws. A Gatling gun rounds out the heavy end of the displays.

The museum is far more than an arsenal, though. Other rooms hold 1,200 beer steins from Germany, statues by the sculptor John Rogers, music boxes from the late 1800s, swords and knives, Native American artifacts and everyday household antiques. There is a big collection of boot jacks, the brands of local cattle ranches, hundreds of animal horns and mounted trophy heads, and posters from World War I.

Visiting J. M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum: tips

The museum lies less than a mile off the old road. With this much on display, allow at least an hour and a half; collectors can easily spend longer. It is listed as wheelchair accessible.

The Will Rogers Memorial Museum is about 1 mile away, so the two Claremore museums pair naturally in one afternoon. Claremore Mound, a hill with a long Osage and Cherokee story, is about 5.4 miles off. A restaurant is a few blocks away, and a motel sits just under a mile from the museum.

Good to know

Displays like these reward slow looking. Rather than trying to read every case, pick a few themes, such as frontier rifles, the steins or the wartime posters, and follow them through the building. Families should know the focus is firearms, though the music boxes, horns and cattle brands give younger visitors plenty else to look at.