historic home tours oklahoma

History at home: Eight historic houses help tell the history of Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City is a younger city than most, but at 131 years old it has plenty of historic homes, some that are open to public tours.

Here are some homes worth a look:

Overholser Mansion, 405 NW 15

Henry Overholser was a founding father of Oklahoma City who had his hand in various business ventures, capital improvements and the State Fair of Oklahoma. Constructed in 1902 by Overholser and his wife, Anna, the Overholser Mansion is considered the first mansion built in Oklahoma City.

At the time, Overholser owned some of the city's premier theaters and wanted his home to be a place to entertain the city's power brokers. The mansion and all of its belongings were sold to the Oklahoma Historical Society in April 1972, and the mansion has undergone extensive preservation efforts since to ensure it is as welcoming today as it was for visitors in 1902.

More: Historic Goodholm Mansion, moved twice to avoid destruction, reduced to rubble by owners

Tours are given at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. Reservations are required. On Saturdays visitors can drop in without reservations from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tours last between 45 minutes and an hour. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and military, $5 for students and children, and free for children under six.

Haunted House, 7101 Miramar

Off in the woods, accessed by a dirt road, stands a 4,890-square-foot home built in 1930 that was best known as the Haunted House restaurant until it closed in 2015.

The restaurant's name is inspired by the 1963 murder of Martin Carriker, a car dealer who lived in the house with his wife, Clara, and step-daughter, Margaret Pearson. 

Prosecutors charged Pearson with the murder after concluding she had two handymen kill Carriker. She was found not guilty and returned to the home, only be found dead inside as it was being foreclosed.

Arthur and Marian Thibault bought the home in 1964 and operated it as the Haunted House restaurant for a half century. After a brief attempt to reopen it as a restaurant, the home was purchased to expand services by the Speck Home for Boys. The house is not open to the public.

More: Former Haunted House restaurant now a home for boys

Governor's Mansion, 820 NW 23

The Oklahoma Legislature chose a spot along NE 23, just east of where the Capitol was to be built, for what would become the Governor’s Mansion. 

The Capitol was completed in 1919, but the mansion wasn’t funded by lawmakers until 1927 when, in the midst of an oil boom, $100,000 was allocated for construction and furnishings. Lawmakers provided another $39,000 for landscaping and additional outdoor buildings. 

Designed by Layton, Hicks and Forsyth, one of the state’s pioneering architecture firms, the mansion was built in Dutch-Colonial style with limestone used on the exterior to complement the appearance of the Capitol. 

The mansion is undergoing renovations, and tours are expected to resume once work is completed.

Harn Homestead, 1721 N Lincoln Blvd.

The Harn Homestead, nestled between the state Capitol and downtown, takes visitors back to the earliest days of Oklahoma City when it was still a plains town aspiring to become the state's capital.

Harn and his wife, Alice, moved from Mansfield, Ohio to Oklahoma City where he was tasked with sorting through property ownership claims following the run of 1889. His federal appointment ended in 1893. Harn wanted to stay in Oklahoma City while his wife wanted to return to Ohio.

In 1897, Harn purchased a 160-acre plot to create a permanent home for his family. To appease his wife, Harn offered her a selection of any home in the National Home Builders catalog. She chose a Queen Anne style home with a small offset front porch and a half-octagon shaped parlor and upstairs bedroom.

The 10 acres that remained of the original homestead were donated to the city to be turned into a museum. In addition to the Harn home, the homestead is home to six other buildings, including a barn, a one-room schoolhouse and the first two-story home built in Oklahoma City.

Tours are available by appointment only 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Urschel Mansion, 327 NW 18

Oklahoma City businessman Charles Urschel was playing cards with friends inside his Heritage Hills mansion on July 22, 1933, when the game was interrupted by notorious gangster Machine Gun Kelly.

Kelly kidnapped Urschel at gunpoint and drove him to a hideout in Texas. Urschel was freed when the family paid up the gangster's demand for more than $200,000. Kelly was captured two months later and spent the rest of his life in prison. The mansion remains a private home.

More: Machine Gun Kelly meets his match after kidnapping in Heritage Hills

Lyons/Luster Mansion, 300 NE 3

The Lyons Mansion, 300 NE 3, also known as the Luster Mansion, is a two-story home built by S.D. Lyons with the small fortune he made from his Sun-Ray Toilet Preparation Co. Behind the home, there still stands a matching brick structure that housed Lyons' cosmetics firm, which marketed such products as Sun-Ray Face Bleach, "pressing oil" for hair, face powder and perfumes.

The property is a significant representation of the thriving Deep Deuce, the commercial and cultural core of the city's Black community, that disappeared when the area was carved up to make way for construction of Interstate 235. The property was acquired by the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority, which is awaiting a study on how best to preserve the landmark.

More: Deep Deuce home tells story of early day Black entrepreneur

Goodholm Mansion, Choctaw

When it was first built in 1901, the three-story Goodholm Mansion was one of the finest homes in the city, showcased by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber as an example of greatness ahead for the future state capital.

More than a century later, perhaps no home has taken so many travels in the state, leaving it resting in a field surrounded by mobile homes in far eastern Oklahoma County where it still sits today. The home was purchased by a house mover from the State Fair Board and relocated to a field in Choctaw where it remains unoccupied .

Hefner Mansion, 201 NW 14

Robert A. Hefner was an attorney, mayor and Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice whose family moved into a Greek Revival mansion in Heritage Hills in 1927. The home was originally built in 1917 and remained the Hefner home until 1970 when he donated it to become home to the Oklahoma Heritage Association. The home was sold in 2007 to neighboring St. Luke’s Methodist Church, which now uses it for meeting space and offices. 

Staff writer Steve Lackmeyer is a 31-year reporter, columnist and author who covers downtown Oklahoma City, related urban development and economics for The Oklahoman. Contact him at [email protected]. Please support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

We’re a thriving historic community in the heart of Oklahoma City. Our neighborhood was founded in 1902 and presents many examples of classic architecture from the early 20th century.

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Preserving Our History.

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Heritage Hills is an historic neighborhood located in downtown Oklahoma City. It acquired that name when three of the city’s first residential areas were joined to create the first Historic Preservation District in the State of Oklahoma.

Located between NW 13th Street and NW 23rd Street, the story of Heritage Hills is one of community, rescue, and perseverance. What began as the most desirable place to live in the state eventually became a target for demolition by commercial developers and apathetic neglect by government policy. But the residents who remained, many still the original homeowners, fought to preserve this exceptional neighborhood with pioneer spirit.

Today, Oklahoma City’s downtown renaissance is the model of urban revitalization for the country. Waves of new housing, restaurants, shops and businesses are being built only minutes from Heritage Hills to capitalize on the attractions of urban life. And over 100 years later, Heritage Hills continues proudly as a small bedroom community only blocks from the cultural and economic center of the state.

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Ogle Victorian Architecture Decked To The Nines On This Holiday Home Tour In Oklahoma

Ashley has lived in Oklahoma for 30 years and is the Oklahoma staff writer for onlyinyourstate.com. When she isn't writing about Oklahoma, she enjoys visiting the beach and exploring new areas.

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If you have ever visited the charming town of Guthrie then you have most likely noticed all the beautiful architecture around town. In fact, Guthrie is known for its gorgeous Victorian homes and one of the best times of the year to view them is during the Distinctive Homes Tour on December 3, 2022.  During the tour, you’ll step back in time and get an exclusive look inside homes and historic buildings…but the best part is they are decorated for the holidays and look like something out of an old Victorian movie.

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To reserve your tickets for the Distinctive Home Tour, visit Guthrie’s Territorial Christmas website .

If you’re looking for a great spot to get a bite to eat while in Guthrie, Stable’s Cafe serves fabulous bbq and the portion sizes are huge.

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Gatewood Historic District

Where your neighbors are your friends, 2022 gatewood home tour.

See the hidden gems of our community

For more than 20 years, the Gatewood Historic District Home Tour has been opening the doors to some of the neighborhood’s most remarkable private residences. This year we are honored to include the 116-year-old Meerschaert House, located on the grounds of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church.

Proceeds from the home tour allow the historic district to plan neighborhood events, as well as complete special beautification projects. Please purchase your tickets or make donations below. 

Details and Tickets

Sunday, November 6, 2022

Tickets for the self-guided tour are $10 per person (kids under 10 are free) and include five stops.  Guests can purchase online or by cash at any of the five locations. For online purchases, simply show your confirmation at any location and receive a wrist band for access to the properties.

Tour Map and Information

2001 NW 21 St.

2103 Carey Place

1901 NW 18th St.

Meerschaert House at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church

1318 NW 20th St.

1401 NW 16th St.

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Newsletter signup, visitor guide, history and haunts returns to overholser mansion in october.

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion will host its annual History and Haunts tours in October. The tours at the historic home will take place on Saturday, October 7, 14, 27, 28 and 29, from 6-8 p.m. each night.

Visitors will see the home in its nighttime splendor, learn the history of the house and its former occupants, and discover why some say they are still roaming the halls!

Tickets for Preservation Oklahoma, Inc. members will be available starting Monday, August 28. Tickets for the general public go on sale Monday, September 4. Tickets are $25 per person, with no refunds or exchanges allowed.

The Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion is located at 405 NW 15th St. in the historic Heritage Hills neighborhood of Oklahoma City.

The event is presented by Preservation Oklahoma, Inc. It is the state’s only private, nonprofit membership organization that is dedicated to promoting, supporting and coordinating historic preservation activities throughout the state. To learn more about Preservation Oklahoma, please visit www.preservationok.org .

The Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion is an affiliate of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org .

Historic home tours show off architecture, history of Tulsa

by Mark Bradshaw, KTUL Staff

TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — There’s a lot of history in Tulsa that most of us don’t know about. That includes the homes that shaped the early days of our city.

Recently, NewsChannel 8 went along on a tour in one of Tulsa’s oldest neighborhoods.

With its narrow tree-lined streets and rolling hills, the Owen Park Neighborhood lies just northwest of downtown. Established in 1910, the homes here are some of the oldest in Tulsa.

Much like the rest of downtown, Owen Park is going through an exciting revitalization.

"We chose Owen Park because it is often called one of Tulsa’s best-kept secrets," says Amber Litwack, executive director of the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture. "It’s amazing how many people don’t know this neighborhood exists."

On a recent rainy Sunday afternoon, Litwack organized a self-guided walking tour of six of Owen Park’s historic homes.

The tour showcased the architectural diversity and unique character of Owen Park, which has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1999

One of the historic homes on the tour used to be a school. The former classrooms and offices of the old Pershing School built in 1918 have been renovated into apartments.

"We had no idea that the school down there had been turned into studio apartments, and so that was a complete surprise," says Jane Mason, who's on the historic home tour with her husband. "And it was, I’m an educator, so I think that’s fascinating that people live in a school. They’re adorable. The little apartments are really adorable."

The historic homes aren’t always decorated in the styles that match the period.

"We think looking at houses is super entertaining and we’re always looking at things to maybe improve on our own home and get ideas and love to see especially the older architecture in the Tulsa area," says Kenny Mason.

Owen Park homeowners, like Kelly Blessing, love showing off the history of their beautiful homes to others. Her home was built in 1919.

"There are a lot things here that are original to the property and we wanted to try and keep the original, a lot of the original pieces of this home, the windows, all the doors upstairs, the doors down here, we’ve tried to stay to the original 1919 features in the house," said Blessing.

Owen Park is just one of our city’s historic neighborhoods. To keep in the know for the next tour, check the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture website .

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DOWNTOWN HOME TOUR

DOWNTOWN HOME TOUR SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 12PM-4PM Free to attend

Get a glimpse of what it’s like to live downtown! On Sunday, March 19 from 12-4pm, Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership invites you to join its 2023 home tour, showcasing new, popular, and historic properties available to rent or buy in the downtown area.

The Downtown Home Tour is free and open to everyone, and can begin and end at any of the participating locations. It features an “open house” format and attendants will be available at each property to provide more information. Whether in the market or just curious, all are welcome to learn more about downtown living.

Tickets are not required to attend, but we encourage you to register in advance to help us estimate the number of attendees. PLUS, your free Eventbrite ticket will grant you complimentary rides on the OKC Streetcar as you travel from one location to the next. Simply show your digital or printed ticket to the attendant inside the streetcar to redeem.

Whether in the market or just curious, all are welcome join the tour and learn more about downtown living!

 More Home Tour Details:

• Riding the OKC Streetcar? Get realtime information on where the OKC Streetcar is at realtime.okcstreetcar.com . Show your Eventbrite ticket (printed or digital) to a fare inspector if asked.
• Looking for parking? On-street parking is available throughout downtown. Meters do not need to paid on the weekend. Visit ParkingOKC.com for a list of public parking garages.
• Help us keep the dirt outside. Some locations may ask you to remove your shoes or wear shoe covers.

2023 Downtown Home Tour Properties: 

The Edge at Midtown – 1325 N Walker Ave., Suite 130 The Edge at Midtown features one-bed-room, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units ranging from 692 SF to 1,321 SF. Amenities include an elegantly appointed clubhouse, virtual fitness center, private parking garage, and a resort-style swimming pool and hot tub. The rooftop tanning pool, sundeck, lounge, and kitchen offer sweeping views of the downtown Oklahoma City skyline.

The Nine on Eight – 817 – 833 NW 8th St. Situated in a premier SoSA location, The Nine on Eighth offers 9 townhomes just steps from the city’s trendiest shops, restaurants, and entertainment. These brand new homes range from 2,016 to 2,264 SF and are priced from $705,000-$790,000. With some units currently available for move in and others under construction, this is the perfect opportunity to view these homes before they are sold.

The First Residences – 140 Park Ave. Located within the beautifully restored First National Center, the First Residences includes 32 stories of luxury studios, one- and two-bedrooms, and townhome and penthouse floorplans, ranging between 568 to 3,448 SF. Amenity spaces include a roof-top pet park, skyline pool deck, pet wash facility, game room, business center, lounge space, cycle bar and state-of-the art fitness center. Experience top of the line downtown living at The First Residences.

West Village Apartments – 835 W Sheridan Ave. Built in 2018, the West Village Apartments are the anchor of a 334-unit mixed use urban development with residential, retail, dining, and office space in the emerging West Village district. With luxury amenities including a rooftop pool and close proximity to some of the best downtown entertainment area, explore and discover why West Village Apartments is the central location for experiencing the downtown lifestyle.

Aviare Arts District  – 301 N Walker Ave. Choose from several one- or two-bedroom designer apartment at Aviare Arts District. Units include spacious kitchens with energy-efficient appliances, tall ceilings, private patios, and full-size washers and driers. Its convenient downtown location is close to work, school, stores, restaurants, and entertainment. Situated less than two miles from both I-40 and I-235, Aviare makes commuting to the greater Oklahoma City area a breeze.

Muse Apartments  – 700 NW 4th St. The brand new MUSE apartment complex was completed in 2023 and offers a mixture of comfort, style, and convenience with studio, one-, and two-bedroom units. Located in downtown’s City Center, residents of MUSE are just a few steps away from premiere arts destinations such as the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and Civic Center Music Hall as well as exciting new developments. Attractive amenities and an exceptional standard of living awaits.

Metropolitan Apartments – 800 N Oklahoma Ave.  Located in Automobile Alley and within walking and biking distance of Bricktown, Deep Deuce, and Midtown, the Metropolitan is nestled in one of the most vibrant areas in Oklahoma City. The fusion of modern design, location and technology, all with an urban twist, make the Metropolitan the ideal destination to call home. The Metropolitan offers its residents a convenient and upscale urban living experience.