The Active Historian

D.W. Correll Museum: Catoosa, OK

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Hey, friend! Welcome back to another post. Today, I want to show you around the D.W. Correll Museum in Catoosa, Oklahoma. Let’s get started!

D.W. Correll was a beloved Catoosa resident who amassed a large collection of rocks, fossils, crystals, vintage cars, and various other items. His collection is now owned by the City of Catoosa and you can stop by and see everything on exhibition!

Photos Inside the Museum

This painting of D.W. Correll hangs by the door right as you walk in the door.

A portrait of D.W. Correll, featuring bright colors and a cowboy hat, displayed at the entrance of the D.W. Correll Museum.

Correll’s collection consists of a lot of rocks, fossils, crystals, and petrified wood. I wanted to be a paleontologist for the longest time and loved reading books about fossils when I was a kid. So, I loved seeing all of the cool stuff here!

A fossilized skeleton displayed in the D.W. Correll Museum, surrounded by glass display cases filled with rocks and crystals.

I’m pretty sure I saw a rock or crystal in every color you could think of. I was amazed at how vibrant some of the blues, greens, pinks, and purples were.

Interior view of the D.W. Correll Museum showcasing display cases filled with various rocks, fossils, and minerals along a well-lit hallway.
Display case filled with various rocks and minerals at the D.W. Correll Museum.
A display case showcasing various types of rocks and minerals, including vibrant green, blue, and purple specimens at the D.W. Correll Museum.
Two slices of red clay from Black Mesa, Oklahoma, displayed in a glass case with a label.
A cut piece of Lysesite rock from Wyoming displayed in glass case, showcasing its intricate layers and textures.
A piece of Fordite, also known as enamel paint slag from the Ford auto plant, displayed in a museum case.
A stalactite specimen from Nevada displayed in a glass case at the D.W. Correll Museum.
Display of two mineral specimens in a museum: Botryoidal Chalcedony with Apophyllite from Maharashtra, India, on the left, and Aragonite from Mexico on the right.
A close-up view of a weathered animal skull, possibly a bison, displayed in a museum. The skull shows signs of age and damage, with distinctive horns and a cracked surface.

There was even a meteorite collection hanging on one of the back walls!

Display of the Roales Collection featuring various meteorites with labels indicating their origins.
Display case showcasing various meteorites, with labels identifying each type and origin.
Display case containing various types of amber with labels identifying their origins and contents, including insects and other inclusions.

I’m not really sure what these glass figures were, but I took a picture!

Display of various figurines and collectibles, including a mix of people, animals, and themed items in a glass cabinet at the D.W. Correll Museum.

This map shows some of the various rock types in Oklahoma.

Display case featuring various rock specimens and fossils with a map of Oklahoma at the center, located in the D.W. Correll Museum.

This set of newspapers explains the construction of the Port of Catoosa!

A display board with newspaper clippings and photographs about the Port of Catoosa and local history, set up in an exhibition space.

This closet has glowing rocks on the inside. The museum will turn off the lights in the closet and you flip a switch on the inside to turn on the lights. The rocks start glowing from different minerals under the lights. The sequence is 60-90 seconds and the rocks change colors. It was neat!

A collection of glowing rocks displayed under UV light, showcasing vibrant colors in a dark environment.
A vibrant display of glowing rocks under UV light in the D.W. Correll Museum, showcasing various colors and formations.
A display of glowing rocks in various colors, showcasing the vibrant minerals under UV light in a dark environment.

There were several vintage cars in the second building!

A vintage 1957 Chevrolet car displayed inside the D.W. Correll Museum, with framed maritime art in the background.

There was also a working lapidary in the second building. It was cool to see where they can polish rocks and such.

View of a lapidary workstation with polishing equipment and tools in a museum.

Concluding Thoughts

This museum was such a neat little stop in the Oklahoma Route 66 Passport book. I’m so glad they were open when I stopped by and that I got to look around. This collection is interesting and I wish this museum was talked about more!

I hope you’ll stop by if you ever drive Route 66 through Catoosa!

Happy traveling, friend. I’ll talk to ya soon! 🙂

Visit

19934 E Pine Street

Catoosa, OK 74015

Sources

“D.W. Correll Museum” – City of Catoosa Website

“D.W. Correll Museum” – Travel OK

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