Shawnee has a rich history! Four Native American Tribes. Cattle drives. Oklahoma Baptist University. The railroad. Astronauts. And Round House Overalls. The many volunteers with the Pottawatomie County Historical Society have worked to preserve Shawnee's history, and you can see it on display at the Pottawatomie County Museum.
The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Learn more about the Pottawatomie County Museum here.
Here are the top 10 things to see when you visit the Pottawatomie County Museum in historic downtown Shawnee!
1. The World's Largest Pair of Overalls!
Guinness Book of World Records verified! 17-foot tall; nearly 15-foot waist; and buttons that are 8 inches in diameter. The overalls celebrate the rich history of Round House Jeans in Shawnee.
2. A model of Downtown Shawnee.
The buildings and streets are to scale and meticulously detailed. You feel like you're flying over Downtown Shawnee as you walk around and see the model!
3. The Gordon Cooper, Astronaut display
Shawnee's own United States Air Force pilot and astronaut piloted the longest and last Mercury spaceflight, Mercury-Atlas 9. During that 34-hour mission he became the first American to spend an entire day in space, the first to sleep in space, and the last American launched on an entirely solo orbital mission. Learn more about "Gordo" - Shawnee's son - at the Museum. (Learn more about other famous people from Shawnee here.)
4. A one room schoolhouse
Walk in the room. Sit at the desk. And imagine school on the plains. Be sure to ring the bell!
5. A replica 1930's bank
There's no teller to take your deposit (although the museum staff would welcome the donation,) but walk in a replica bank long before direct deposit and ATMs.
6. Buddy the Bear
Buddy is the large stuffed bear on display and the most fun of Buddy is what color he is the day you visit. He's been white to represent polar bears. The day we visited he was as black as a black bear can get.
7. A Model T car.
A 1917 model. Looks as new as the day it was driven off the lot! (Were they called 'car lots' in 1917?)
8. The model trains.
There are three model trains. Watch as they travel through town, through the countryside, then back to town. Is anything more relaxing than model trains?
9. The tractor models.
Shawnee has a rich agriculture history. That history and the fun side of tractors is on display with an impressive collection of John Deere tractor models and toys.
10. The slideshow of historic pictures.
In the Museum's theater is a continuous running slideshow of historic pictures. A heads up - it's a long slideshow and you probably won't sit through all of it, but it is a great place to grab a seat and rest between exhibits.
Bonus tip: the bricks you drive on when you arrive to the Museum are the original brick pavers of the 1905 Main Street!
Get a preview of the Museum and our must-sees by watching this:
More fun videos on our YouTube channel.