The Active Historian

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How to Find Historic Markers in Your State

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Hey, Friend! Welcome back to another post. I’ve had a few people ask how I compile my list of historic markers for traveling so I figured I would make a blog post with my favorite resources. Let’s get started!

Where to Find State Historical Society Markers

Many state historical societies have historic markers programs that are maintained through the state. Some states have websites with lists of historic markers by county or topic while others have created maps with exact locations. If you’re looking for a particular state, I would recommend searching “state name” historic markers.

Examples:

Oklahoma Historical Society

Texas Historical Commission

A woman stands next to a historical marker for Washington Irving's Camp in Oklahoma, describing Irving's 1832 adventures in hunting wild horses.
A smiling woman in a blazer stands in front of a granite monument that reads 'Oklahoma's Oil Pioneers,' with oil drilling equipment visible in the background under a clear blue sky.
A woman in a blue shirt and black skirt stands next to a historical marker for the Kunc Homestead in Oklahoma, pointing at the sign.

Where to Find City or County Historical Society Markers

Some larger cities have historical societies which have historical markers around town. You can look for these smaller organizations on their websites or sometimes they have Facebook pages.

Example:

Oklahoma City/County Historical Society

Edmond Historical Society

Historic blue sign detailing the history of the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, highlighting its significance as a Black community established in 1906, its economic achievements, and notable figures associated with it.
A bronze plaque commemorating Classen's Grove in Edmond, Oklahoma, detailing its history as a social gathering place and the contributions of Anton H. Classen to the community.
Bronze plaque for the Oklahoma City Historical Preservation Commission, mounted on a wall, detailing the historical significance of the Oklahoma Publishing Company building, established in 1909.

Historical Marker Database

I check the Historical Marker Database website (www.hmdb.org) whenever I visit a new town, county, or state. This website has state historic markers, local historic markers, buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, and more.

The cool thing about HMDB is the map with the markers platted. Each entry also has coordinates you can plug into Google Maps or Apple Maps.

HMDB has most of the historic markers transcribed which can be very helpful when doing research because the key words will be highlighted in your search.

A woman wearing an orange hat and black knee-high boots sits casually on a stone structure with a plaque, set against a blue sky with clouds.
A woman in a denim dress and a wide-brimmed orange hat is smiling and posing next to a historical sign for the OU Health Sciences Center. The background features green trees and a clear sky.
A woman in a white blouse, black skirt, and red hat stands next to a historical marker titled "Run of '89 East Boundary" which commemorates the opening of Oklahoma in 1889.

National Register of Historic Places

I recently found an interactive map that has all of the National Register of Historic Places sites platted. This map will let you see the entire United States and zoom all the way down to a specific street corner in a specific town. I have really enjoyed using this map to explore more of Oklahoma City and the historic buildings.

Here is a link to the National Register of Historic Places Map.

A person wearing a fringe denim jacket and a bright orange hat walks toward a historic stone building with large windows and an arched entrance under a cloudy sky.
A historic stone building with a small set of stairs and a ramp leading to the front entrance. An American flag is visible on the left, and a historical marker stands in front of the building.
A woman stands on the street in front of a historic building, wearing a fringed denim jacket, a black dress, and cowboy boots, with a wide-brimmed red hat, against a clear blue sky.

State Travel & City Websites

I also like to consult state travel websites because they have broken down travel into regions. There is usually a tab with historical and cultural attractions.

Some of the larger cities may have their own travel websites as well which is helpful.

Examples:

Travel Oklahoma

Visit OKC

Visit Fort Worth

A woman with long hair, wearing a white sleeveless top and an orange hat, stands in front of a colorful 'Visit Luther, Oklahoma' sign featuring a directional arrow and the text 'The Orchard on 66', with trees and a blue sky in the background.
A woman in a red hat walks in front of a large building wall advertising 'Yukon's Best Flour' with the text 'No finer or more modern mills in America' in Yukon, Oklahoma.
A woman stands at the entrance of a whimsical welcome gate featuring two painted blue whales, smiling and waving. Signs indicate park rules and references Route 66.

Concluding Thoughts

I love looking for historic markers when I am traveling and hope this list of places I consult will help you on your next trip! If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a message.

Happy Traveling! I’ll talk to ya soon 🙂

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