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Special Attractions |
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Alabaster Caverns |
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 Located just six
miles south of Freedom is "Nature’s Underground Wonderland". Alabaster
Caverns is the nation's largest publicly held gypsum cave which is open
to visitors. It is 3/4 of a mile long and descends several hundred feet
below the earth's surface. Nature began creating Alabaster Caverns some
200 million years ago when the area was covered by an inland sea. The
history of the Old West is alive in the Freedom area, and the caves
served as hide-outs for outlaws prior to settlement. Today, guided
tours are conducted daily and thousands of visitors can view massive
boulders of alabaster and selenite as they wind their way through the
cave. The average temperature in the caverns is fifty degrees
year-round.
The park also boasts R.V. and primitive camping facilities, hiking,
wild-life viewing and other outdoor recreational activities. Special
events are scheduled through-out the year, and visitors should call the
park office for up-coming activities. The web-site also offers current
information about the park. For more information call: 580-621-3381 or
www.oklahomaparks.com or
www.shopoklahoma.com/alabaste.htm |
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Selman Living
Laboratory |
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 The Selman Living Laboratory is a field station
administered by the Department of Biology at the University of Central
Oklahoma. The Selman Living Laboratory promotes research and education
in the biology of western ecosystems, cave biology, astronomy, and
archaeology through hands-on experience. For more information and to
learn about "Bat Watch Tours" and "Star-Gazing on the Prairie" go to
www.wildlifedepartment.com/selman.htm |
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Freedom Depot and
Community Arboretum |
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 The Freedom Depot is home to the Freedom Chamber of
Commerce and is an original Santa Fe Railroad Depot. Visitors to the
area can learn about area attractions and enjoy a short walk around the
arboretum located at the Depot site. Great photography opportunities
can be found at the Depot, which is located on highway 50 at the south
edge of town. The Cimarron River and red bluffs provide a fantastic
backdrop for all kinds of scenic photos. Take a few moments while
visiting Freedom to stop in at the Depot to learn more about this tiny
town and the great wildlife viewing opportunities which abound here.
Contact the Freedom Chamber of Commerce at 580-621-3583 for more
information. |
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Freedom Jail |
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 The Jail-House is located at the east end of Main
Street. It is housed in the community's original well-house. Visitors
can stage great "Old-West" photos on the porch and the adjoining
"outlaw" cemetery. |
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Freedom Museum |
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 The Freedom Museum,
located on Main Street, is a stopping point for thousands of visitors
from around the country. The museum houses one of the most extensive
collections of late 1800s and early 1900s house-wares and memorabilia.
Antique farm machinery and a large barbed wire display are also on
display. Artifacts from the Burnham Dig, an archaeological site located
northwest of Freedom, can also be seen. The museum is open every day
except Monday
from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. during the summer months and other times by
appointment.
Contact 580-621-3583 for more information. |
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Cimarron Cowboys
Monument |
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 Located in the downtown park, this fifteen foot long red
granite monument was erected by the people of Freedom to commemorate the
old cowhands who helped to settle the Cherokee Strip. It is inscribed
with the names of persons who made their contribution before, as well as
after this rugged grazing country was opened to homesteaders. Maps and
drawings of the region are chiseled in the stone which portray the early
day cowboy and the environment in which he worked and loved so well. |
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Veterans’ Memorial |
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 Located at the corner of Main Street and Eagle Pass, the
Veterans Memorial lists the hundreds of names of area veterans from the
Freedom area who have served in the United States' military since World
War I. Freedom residents erected the monument as part of the
community's downtown beautification program |
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Freedom Open Rodeo and Old Cowhand Reunion |
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 Freedom's pride and joy is its annual rodeo held the
third week-end of August each year. Billed as "The Biggest Open Rodeo
in the West", it has been drawing fans and contestants from all across
the nation for over sixty years. It is a volunteer effort on behalf of
the Freedom Chamber of Commerce and the entire community. The people of
Freedom make every effort to extend a friendly and neighborly welcome to
all who attend this three day gala celebration. It includes every major
event in the sport of rodeo ranging from Girl's Barrel Racing to the
Wild Bull Riding and combines professional action with hometown color
and style. Dances are held each night following the rodeo, and feature
some of the best country musicians around to insure a foot stompin' good
time. Saturday of rodeo week-end features a free chuck wagon style
dinner at noon, a fine western art and country crafts show as well as
the "Great Freedom Bank-Robbery and Shoot-Out". The Old West setting of
Freedom's Main Street provides the perfect backdrop to all of the rodeo
activities. For more information, contact the Freedom Chamber of
Commerce at 580-621-3583.
click here for more information about Freedom Rodeo
and Old Cowhand Reunion |
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Salt Haulers Grave |
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 On
September 12, 1878, the bodies of Reuben Bristow and Fred Clark were
found near here. It was believed that they had been killed by Northern
Cheyenne Indians led by Chief Dull Knife. Bristow and Clark were cowboys
hauling salt for The Comanche Pool Cattle Company when Dull Knife fled harsh
conditions on the reservation near Fort Reno. The Salt Haulers were
probably killed for their mule team and firearms. The two cowboys
apparently crossed the path of
the Cheyenne during their desperate flight home to the Northern Plains. |
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The Battle of Turkey Springs and Red
Hills |
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 The last armed conflict between the
U.S. Cavalry and American Indians, in Indian Territory, present day
Oklahoma, occurred on September 13 and 14, 1878. A band of Northern
Cheyenne left the Cheyenne and Arapaho Agency near Fort Reno without
permission and fled north and westward toward their former homelands on
the Northern Plains. This exodus has known popularity as the Cheyenne
Outbreak or Dull Knife's Raid. However, the Northern Cheyenne people
were merely attempting to return to their home in Montana and Wyoming.
click here for more information about
The Battle of Turkey Springs and Red Hills |
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