Where can you find a Wild West show, a cattle drive and wagon train, a rodeo, and a championship barbecue cook-off, all staged among native stone buildings and winding streets? Pawnee, Oklahoma. Founded in 1874 in Indian Territory, the City of Pawnee prides itself on remaining part of the Wild West and home to the Pawnee Nation.

Pawnee Bill Ranch Site and Museum
Major Gordon W. Lillie, better known as Pawnee Bill, staged Wild West Shows from 1888-1913. In 1910, he built and furnished an arts and crafts style mansion on Blue Hawk Peak (known as “The Hill near Pawnee. The mansion, part of the Pawnee Bill Ranch Site, remains just as Bill left it and gives visitors a view of his flamboyant Western style. Bill and his wife May traveled around the world, and the home showcases the art they collected. Herds of buffalo and longhorn cattle wander the grounds that provide plenty of places for a picnic. The log cabin where Bill and May lived until the mansion was built holds native artifacts, and the three-story Big Barn houses antique farm equipment. The Trading Post specializes in western-themed toys, books, and memorabilia. The Ranch is open Tueday-Saturday 10am-5pm and Sunday and Monday 1-4pm. Admission is free.

Wild West Show
Plan to visit the ranch June 10, 17, or 24 to see the Wild West Show, now revamped for Oklahoma's upcoming Centennial Celebration. It's an adaptation of the 1906 and 1907 Pawnee Bill show, but it is only a part of the entertainment offered all day long. After the ranch opens at 10am, food and souvenir vendors set up on the hill. A parade through downtown Pawnee starts at 2pm and ends at the ranch. Entertainment at the ranch starts about 2:30, and there is a new show every half hour. At 5:30, the midway opens and guests may enjoy a complete BBQ dinner ($8 for adults; $4 for children under 6). At 7:30 the fun moves to the ranch arena, and the Grand Entry begins at 7:45. Tickets for the show are $12 for adults; $6 for children 10 and under. For more information about the ranch or to buy tickets, call 918-762-2513 or see PawneeBillsWildWestShow.com.

Pawnee Lake and Bathhouse
Located just one mile north of town on highway 18, Pawnee Lake is a small, undiscovered treasure. This lake has everything a family needs for a full day of water fun—a boat ramp, picnic areas, restrooms, and an old fashioned bathhouse. Nestled in the side of a gently sloping hill, this 1939 WPA (Works Progress Administration) native stone structure contains several large changing rooms and winding rock stairs and walls that lead to the swimming area. The bathhouse welcomes visitors Monday-Sunday 1-6pm. Admission is $2.

Downtown Pawnee
If you're passing through Pawnee, take a few minutes to stop at the Pawnee County Historical Society Museum and the Dick Tracy Headquarters. The historical museum houses artifacts from the Pawnee Tribe, the local community, and ghost towns from the surrounding areas. However, a highlight of the area is the Dick Tracy cartoon, billed as the largest in the world.

Pawhuska
One hour northeast of Pawnee, Pawhuska offers its own brand of the Wild West. Home of the Osage tribe and the first American Boy Scout Troop, Pawhuska has over 86 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. One of the most unusual is the Triangle Building, a five-story, three-sided structure in the middle of downtown. Recently restored, it has become the focus of a downtown renaissance.

Naturally Wild
The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve just north of Pawhuska is 39,000 acres of scenic drive. The drive takes about two hours and is approximately 50 miles long. It showcases the eco-diversity of the grassland region which is home to over 300 species of birds, white-tailed deer, bobcats, armadillos, and bison. Visitors can stop in any of the four scenic turnouts to picnic. The preserve is open dawn to dusk.

Osage County Historical Society Museum
This museum, housed in a restored Santa Fe depot, has something for everyone: pioneer life, oil industry history, Native American exhibits, and Boy Scout artifacts. A favorite exhibit is the one-room schoolhouse where kids can see how early Oklahoma children were educated. Kids love cowboys and will enjoy the chuck wagon and saddle displays. Admission is free and the museum is open Monday-Saturday, 9am-5pm. Learn more at OsageCoHistoricalMuseum.com.

Wild about Fishing
You would have a hard time finding a small lake more perfect for fishing than Lake Pawhuska. Trout season runs November-March, but the bass fishing is great year round. The boat ramp, fishing dock, and restrooms are all handicap accessible, but the best feature of this lake is the fishing trail around the shoreline which offers fisherman great access to good fishing sites.

Pam Washington is the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Central Oklahoma. She and her husband Mike have been married for six years and have traveled Oklahoma with their blended family of five children.