As a general rule we add two hours to our driving time. We stop to eat, see places, walk the dog, and other things. Today the GPS informed us that the drive would take 5:19 to reach Van Buren AR. It would be a long drive.

Then we discovered the Greater Southwest Historical Museum in Admore OK and decided to take a good long look at it no matter how long the drive would become. More often than not we find museums that are true jewels. This is one of them.

Clean, well marked, large, informative, free and they let us take all the photos we wanted. Now that’s what we call a real winner!

The facility includes four large rooms and a cabin outside. One of the rooms is technically a separate museum, the Military Memorial Museum. It focuses on all eras: the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, the Indian Wars, World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, Vietnam, the Gulf War, and Iraqi Freedom War.

The displays include artifacts, documents, photographs, uniforms, weapons, knives, models, medals and a great deal of personal memorabilia from veterans all over the United States. The museum’s mission is to preserve and display military history and to honor those persons of all service branches who have served this country in war and peace.

But wait! There’s so much more. Besides a historical room for the town of Admore OK, there is a genealogy room. There are a couple cabins indoors (as well as one outside) fully stocked with items of their era. Indians, cowboys, lawyers, dentists, doctors, farmers, oil men, children, computer geeks…there is lots for all to enjoy.

It is one of the best museums we’ve been to. We highly recommend it.