The Poncan Theatre - Ponca City, Oklahoma
Built in 1927, this atmospheric theatre was the grandest in town. Live performances and silent features were accompanied by a Wurlitzer organ, two pianos and the Poncan Orchestra. It was really an experience to visit the Poncan Theatre to see such superstars as Ethel Barrymore and Will Rogers. Today, the Poncan has been restored to its original glory and special events are scheduled regularly.

Designed by the Boller Brothers of Kansas City, it was the fifth and grandest theatre in a town of 16,000 people. Several of the Boller Brothers' theatres, including the Poncan are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. When constructed, the Poncan cost $280,000. It is one of the few surviving atmospheric theatres in the country. The Poncan was Spanish Colonial Revival in style and the interior was created to simulate an outdoor Mediterranean courtyard.

Marland Mansion - Ponca City, Oklahoma
The grand Marland Estate Mansion, one of America's castles, is a showplace containing approximately 48,000 square feet spread over four floors -- complete with leather-lined elevator, twelve bathrooms, three kitchens, an elegant ballroom with 24-karat gold leaf-covered ceiling worth over $1.4 million, and seven fireplaces. The workmanship and beauty provide an aura of simplicity in grandeur, impossible to reproduce today. The Mansion is a National Historical Landmark.

Ponca City Art Center - Ponca City, Oklahoma
Anthony Godance Soldani built his dream home at a cost of $92,000. George J. Canon was the architect and the house was built by O.F. Keck. The green glazed roof tile was imported from France. Interior woodwork came from walnut trees on Soldani's Osage County Ranch and was specially milled in Kansas City. Other features include tiled fireplaces from England and imported tile floors in the basement. One charming aspect of the house in the "courting room" tucked under the gracious staircase. In its heyday, the Soldani house was a gathering place for the young people of Ponca City. Anthony Soldani died in 1956 and his wife passed away three years later. In 1966, the Ponca City Art Association purchased the home.

Centennial Plaza - Poncan City, Oklahoma
The Centennial Plaza, with its backdrop of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, was started as a project for the Centennial year of the 1893 run. It contains bricks engraved with the names of pioneers, descendants, organizations, supporters and others who helped make the project a success.

The Downtown Historic District - Pawhuska, Oklahoma
The historic district in Pawhuska is comprised of 98 buildings, 86 of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These two and three-story brick structures, along with a five-story triangle building, provide an impressive tribute to days gone by.

The Immaculate Conception Catholic Church - Pawhuska
This church is known widely as the "Cathedral of the Osage". Special permission from the Vatican had to be granted to depict living tribal members in the glorious stained glass that was crafted in Munich, Germany in 1919. The two largest windows show scenes significant to the Osage. One shows Columbus meeting a party of Indians and the other shows prominent Osage of the era gathered around the black cassocked Rev. Schoenmakers.

Group tours may be arranged through the church.
Contact Father Higgins at (918) 287-1414.

1314 N Lynn
Pawhuska, Oklahoma

WPA Historic Bathhouse - Pawnee, Oklahoma
One can almost hear the summertime laughter echoing through the various levels and verandas of this uniquely designed bathhouse carved from native stone in 1939 by President Franklin Roosevelt's WPA public works program. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

It now serves as part of the Outdoor Classroom of the Environmental Education Center located at Pawnee Lake.

State Highway 18, North of Pawnee
Turn left after crossing the dam

Ralston Opera House - Main Street - Ralston, Oklahoma
Once hosting legendary turn-of-the-century stars, the Ralston Opera House lay in ruin and decay for more than 60 years when a Tulsa-based historical restoration company known as Riverside Parkway began a massive renovation project. Spending more than $400,000, the company refitted and refinished floor boards and "mined" old theater seats from under more than a half-century of pigeon litter. The once ornate advertising curtain was recreated using only an old photograph. Today the curtain hangs above the stage, a marvelous testament to teamwork and historical preservation. Although constructed shortly after the turn of the century, the original builders designed the opera house to be acoustically correct and it remains so today. If someone is available in the store below, the Opera House will be unlocked for viewing by those interested.

First National Bank of Ralston - Main Street - Ralston
The bank building was built in 1902 and housed the bank on the ground floor and the telephone office on the second floor. The building set empty for many years until the First State Bank of Fairfax restored the building and the ground floor is now the Ralston Branch of the First State Bank. The bank today has been restored to what it once was and has many historical items of interest.

Open during regular banking hours, Mon-Fri, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.