J.M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum
4.8(796)google
4.6(10)yelp
History
Overview
The J.M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum is located in Claremore, Oklahoma. The Museum houses over 20,000 firearms and firearm related items. The Davis Museum contains guns from all around the world including Kentucky rifles, a Gatling gun, black-powder guns of all types, cannons, rare Colts, Winchesters, elephant, whaling, and outlaw guns.
Practical Info
Suggested Duration2-4 hours
Best TimeHolding the world's largest private firearms collection with over 50,000 historical weapons exhibits, this indoor venue shines year-round. Visit on Saturday morning at 10:00 AM right at opening for a peaceful setting to leisurely inspect the legendary Wild West outlaw revolvers and medieval broadswords.
Getting ThereCentrally located on historic Route 66 at 333 N Lynn Riggs Blvd in Claremore. Drive northeast from Tulsa via Interstate 44 to Exit 255, merge directly onto US Highway 66 East, and proceed for 2 miles. The grand building features its own colossal complimentary paved surface parking courtyard.
Travel Tips
- Housing over 20,000 firearms, this massive collection requires 2.5 to 3 hours of continuous walking to properly view. Wear comfortable, cushioned walking shoes.
- The museum features historic gallows and vintage execution hardware exhibits. These intense displays can disturb young children; consult directional safety warnings before entering.
- While admission is donation-based, the official parking lot is extremely compact. If full on weekends, route your vehicle to the Claremore Main Street public parking decks.
Reviews
Positive
- The world's largest private collection of vintage firearms and weaponry; tens of thousands of pieces from matchlocks to machine guns live up to the name.
- Beyond firearms, it features rare vintage bayonets, Indian crafts, and musical history, delivering deep educational meaning and diverse interest.
- The galleries are spacious and flat, offering full accessible lanes, fully available restrooms, and trash bins under orderly, clean maintenance daily.
- Best of all, it is completely free to the public (donations welcome) and its large private parking lot is also free, offering incredible value.
Heads up
- Tens of thousands of firearms are densely lined across walls and cases; a lack of interactive digital multimedia causes rapid visual fatigue.
- The vast majority of weapon text plates are small and English-only, completely lacking multilingual translations and causing inconvenience for foreign tourists.
- Located in Claremore town on the outskirts of Tulsa, it is far from city arteries, making transit arrivals highly troublesome for independent travelers.
- The hangar-like layout experiences uneven air conditioning during peak summer months; corner display bays far from vents feel a bit stuffy.