A gem on the plains of southwestern Oklahoma, Altus is rich in historical lore, brimming with recreational opportunities in picturesque natural settings and a haven for fine art as well as crafts and antique collectors.
Wild Game
|
Some of America’s finest hunting grounds are within easy reach of Altus. Known for some of the best quail hunting in the U.S., Altus offers upland game hunting for squirrel, rabbit and raccoon as well as two open seasons for outstanding turkey stalking. For duck and goose hunters, migratory fowl flyways hold the promise of bounty. Dove hunters won’t want to miss the two-month season in the fall. Anglers and their families will find the best year ’round fishing for bass, crappie and catfish on nearby lakes. Paul Hollister’s recent catch of a 23 pound 4 ounce hybrid striped bass on Lake Altus / Quartz Mountain Nature Park set a world record. |
|
Family Pleasures Throughout the Year!
For entertainment in town, visitors can choose from car shows, arts and crafts shows, antique shows and other events throughout the year at the indoor-outdoor community center. From July through September, there’s a farmers’ market with special festivals and civic functions. Christmas in the Park rounds out the calendar as visitors from all over Oklahoma and Texas make their way into Altus for the festive event.
Theaters, roller skating rinks, bowling alleys, miniature golf courses and bicycling and walking lanes around Altus City Reservoir add to the recreational opportunities for visitors. The Elks Golf and Country Club offers a character-building golf course. A municipal swimming pool complex, lighted tennis courts and playground facilities are available to families at Altus’ numerous parks.
Sightseers will be impressed by Altus’ second public sculpture. “The Vision Seeker” in East City Park is a life-size bronze statue of a warrior chief looking into the sunrise or sunset. The city’s first public artwork “Crossing the Red” depicts a cattle drive along the Western Trail at Doan’s Crossing south of Altus on the Red River.
Quartz Mountain Resort Arts and Conference Center
Now Open! The beautiful new Quartz Mountain Resort Arts and
Conference Center. Nestled in the heart of the Wichita Mountains
amongst rugged, granite boulders overlooking the pristine waters of Lake
Altus-Lugert is Oklahoma's newest meeting and retreat treasure.
Quartz Mountain State Park is just 17 miles north of Altus on SH-44A. |
|
 |
The beautiful natural environment of Quartz Mountain Arts and Conference Center provides an inspiring setting for the programs of the Oklahoma Arts Institute. Intensive hands-on classes in theatre, dance, choral and orchestral music, visual arts, photography and writing are offered for talented students, adult artists and educators.
The Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute for teens ages 14 to 18 takes place every June and is a two-week residential arts program. The Oklahoma Fall Arts Institutes are a series of intense four-day weekend workshops in the arts for adult artists and educators. Faculty for both programs are professional artists of national reputation. At the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute, hundreds of Oklahoma youth audition and 250 are selected to attend. The daily instruction is intense and challenging. The personal and artistic growth of the students is remarkable. The Oklahoma Fall Arts Institutes provide an opportunity for adult artists and teachers to renew their creative energies.
The Oklahoma Arts Institute was created in 1976 as a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to providing educational programs of excellence for the state of Oklahoma. In 1991, the Institute was designated by the Legislature as “Oklahoma’s Official School of the Arts,” and has been hailed as a national model. The Quartz Mountain Arts and Conference Center, slated to open in the fall of 1999, includes a 750-seat performance hall modeled after Walk Festival Hall of the Grand Teton Music Festival in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The conference center’s architectural design echoes the great lodges of the West. This exciting facility will be coupled with an art collection by the famous faculty of the Oklahoma Arts Institute.
Museum of the Western
Prairie
P.O. Box 574, Altus, OK 73522
Telephone: (580) 482-1044
Fax: (580) 482-0128
bmcclenny@ok-history.mus.ok.us
|
|
Location: From US 62 (Broadway in Altus),
turn north on Hightower St and continue ten blocks to museum. From US 283
(Main St in Altus), turn east on D St and continue four blocks to museum.
From Falcon Rd, turn at Memorial Dr. Hours and admission: Closed Monday, state holidays; Tuesday-Friday, 9:00-5:00; Saturday/Sunday, 2:00-5:00. No entry after 4:30. Suggested donation: children, .50; adults, 1.00. Children under 12 must be accompanied by a responsible adult. History: Organized in October 1966, the Western Trail Historical Society opened the Museum of the Western Prairie in 1970. Although the museum is now a part of the Oklahoma Historical Society, the Western Trail Historical Society remains active in its operation. |
Displays: Designed in the form of a pioneer half dugout, the Museum of the Western Prairie houses two main galleries. Displays range from volcanic uplifts and ancient inland seas through modern agri-business and industry. Highlights include Native Americans, frontier soldiers, cowboys and pioneers; the quest for land and water, farm mechanization, the Depression and the Dust Bowl. On the museum grounds, a carriage barn features additional displays including a blacksmith shop. Various agricultural implements are displayed on the lawn. Also, an authentic half dugout and operating windmill are located on the museum grounds.
© 2007, Altus Chamber of Commerce
