Oklahoma's Underrated Nature Center Is A Castle Inspired By European Architecture For Free Sweeping Views

Crossing the Sooner State, one moment you might be driving through the giant sand dunes of Oklahoma's Little Sahara State Park, and the next you're gazing up at a lakeside stone tower that looks like something from a medieval kingdom. But far from a relic of old Europe, this tower, the Tucker Tower Nature Center, is an underrated part of Oklahoma's own Depression-era history. Looking over Lake Murray, the tower offers some stellar views, and there's plenty to explore inside, too. Half castle and half educational center, at the Tucker Tower Nature Center you can dwell on prehistoric fossils, then climb up the tower stairs to admire the brilliant blue lake.

The Tucker Tower Nature Center sits within Lake Murray State Park in southern Oklahoma, nearly two hours by car from Oklahoma City, the affordable, artsy cowboy culture destination. It was built in the 1930s, supposedly intended to be a governors' retreat, but instead it became a geological museum and nature center, with donation-based admission. Ever since it was erected, the tower, high up on a cliff and visible from all around the state park, has become an Oklahoma treasure and a treat for visitors, with its array of exhibits and access to the outdoors. "It's just an iconic structure for southern Oklahoma. It gives a real sense of place when you are here," described Mark Teders, a park naturalist who's worked at the tower, in The Oklahoman.

The nearly 100-year-old Tucker Tower is 65 feet tall (plus it's elevated another 65 feet by the cliff it's on). It was mostly built by the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal program that created jobs through public projects during the Great Depression. The tower didn't actually open to the public until 1954, and that's where another interesting part of its story comes in. It opened as a geological museum to house the Lake Murray Meteorite, one of the largest meteorites in the world. The space rock was found near Lake Murray in the 1930s, but it wasn't until 1952 that scientists cut it in half to analyze the meteorite's core.

Today, one portion of this split meteorite is still on display at Tucker Tower. You'll also find some other geological displays there, including mastodon bones and an extensive animal skull collection. There are also some displays about the lake itself. The cherry on top, though, is quite literally on top, when you climb up and get panoramic views around the lake and park. "The views are great and be ready to climb!" wrote Google reviewer Kawana Simon.

The Nature Center at Tucker Tower, a little lower on the cliff and connected to the tower by a short path, hones in on Lake Murray and Lake Murray State Park. Much of the displays revolve around water, though there are also exhibits related to Native Americans who've lived on the land and wildlife. The Nature Center has a viewing deck that sits over the water and, below it, there's a dock jutting out to a cove. Meanwhile, all around the tower and center you'll find plenty to do and see within the Lake Murray State Park, including hiking trails, a sandy beach, and picnic areas. If you want to get out onto the lake, you can also rent a paddleboat and even water slides at Lake Murray Water Sports & Mini Golf, about a 10-minute drive from Tucker Tower.

The Tucker Tower Nature Center is open daily during March through October from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and though admission is by donation, there are parking fees for Lake Murray State Park. For those traveling distantly, both the Will Rogers International Airport in Oklahoma City and the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport are about an hour and 45 minutes away by car. If you have the option, you're better off flying into Oklahoma City, though, since the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is ranked one of the worst in the U.S.