the old round barn

the old round barn印象

• 

  Lucrown

  Very easy to find...right on the road! We arrived after the museum was closed but definitely on our list for a return visit. Looks like much to see and do there.

• 

  JoanW230

  Located right on Route 66 in Arcadia, OK (and just a short distance east of POPS) is this historic old barn built in 1898 and restored in 1992. Inside is a museum and gift shop (second floor has banquet facility available to rent for special occasions) and outside are indoor restrooms and a variety of old farm implements along with some picnic tables. The barn is open to visitors 10 AM-5 PM daily and is free but donations are appreciated.There is parking across from the barn in a parking lot (no parking allowed on Route 66) and then a stairway leads to the barn which sits on a hill or you can drive around to the back side of the barn where there is handicapped parking and another free parking lot that has no steps.Two things were of special interest to me. First, the gentleman who owns the house next to the museum was running the museum and had a wealth of info. I really enjoyed talking with him. He said round barns can be traced back to Europe when farmers felt spirits and ghosts could hang out in corners.Second, I appreciated the effort someone had taken gathering photos and info on other round barns not just in the US but also in other countries. It was amazing how many round barns there still are in existence. There was a sign showing that in 2013, the barn had nearly 30,000 guests from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 76 foreign countries. In 2012, there were almost 35,000 guests from all 50 states and DC plus 87 foreign countries.Depending on your interest you could see everything in a half hour, but talking with the volunteer was worth the extra time to me.

• 

  KylaM690

  What a gem! Really, the barn itself was spectacular, but even more so was Mr. Sam, an 87 yo spritely gentleman that is walking history himself. Our girls, ages 19, 16, and 10 could not get enough of him and his stories! He told the history of the barn and the dancing, then asked my 16 yo …." Young lady, may I have this dance?" :) He two stepped with her around the barn - we were the only ones there and it was just magical! She loved every minute of it and he just MAKES this barn come alive! At the end of our free tour, he asked if he could be in a picture with us. He also kept saying "If you have time for just one more story….", and also talked so sweetly of his wife, "my sweet little wife"….we just loved him and this barn. This will forever be etched in our memories of our road trip. Do not miss the opportunity to meet this man and this barn his volunteers to show others. Also - he owns the old filling station you will pass by on the way up (neat historical brick shell for pics) and a ranch. Very clean restrooms and a vast gift shop.

• 

  indieb

  An interesting piece of history right on Route 66. Free to the public. Very cool drawings, sketching, renderings and musings from a former neighbor and supporter. Perusing his commentaries on living by the barn over time was in itself a great example of history alive. Definitely unique.

• 

  BrittanyBuchanan

  I grew up in the area around Arcadia, but I never got to visit the Old Round Barn until I was out on my own. It holds a fascination for many people because, let's face it, how many round barns are there? The Old Round Barn is unique and quirky and worth a visit.

• 

  ARSteph

  I found this attraction listed on Trip Advisor and decided to check it out. I'm so glad that I did. Beautiful barn... It was great to see the structure and tour the ground floor showing all about the history of the barn and it's restoration. If you're in the area, be sure to check out this Route 66 gem.

• 

  OkieOnTheGo

  In the bride's own words we had a "ridiculously beautiful" wedding at the Round Barn on 12/13/14. I'm not going to lie. It was not my first choice, but it was the bride's... so Momma had to make it happen. Disadvantages: 1 - Upstairs is not handicapped accessible; 2 - Restrooms are downstairs in a separate building; 3 - No running water upstairs; 4 - A wedding in winter with stairs outside means hoping for good weather... which we did have. Advantages: 1 - You won't find a less expensive venue AND it comes with tables and chairs PLUS a gentleman who sweeps up afterwards; 2 - The acoustics are fabulous; 3 - The ladies room is large enough for wedding party prep, includes hooks for hangers, a bench, and large mirrors, and is very clean. It is an alcohol-free facility which I will list as neither an advantage or disadvantage. Personally, we did not want to be responsible for people drinking and driving so we purposefully chose such a venue. We also excluded any children. Not that the Round Barn is not a great place to take kids. Just not during a wedding with lots of busy people and a little one might slip away unnoticed and have an accident on the stairs.It did take work, lots of hard work, from 11 AM to 4:30 PM. I was terrified that in the end it would just look like a bunch of cheap crap thrown into a barn, but the final effect was the rustically elegant winter wonderland with a literary undercurrent my daughter had desired. You must have vision... and lots of good family and friends who are willing to help.I recommend renting pipe & drape to hide table & chair racks and all the boxes for transporting sundry items. I believe the capacity is 150 people. We had about 50 so there was plenty of room for buffet tables, guest seating, and dancing. The guests sat at tables during the ceremony instead of using the benches to create an aisle like a more traditional wedding setting. If you want something less conventional and are willing to put in the effort, you won't find a more affordable or unique venue. And thank you, Friends of the Round Barn, who keep it going through donations and volunteers. I'll also try to connect with the Round Barn FB page where I might provide some photos which better demonstrate how we set it up.

• 

  bestwishes59

  It is a quirky little stop and totally worth it as the other reviews say. I just wanted to add that the public restroom is the cleanest public restroom I have ever been in. It was spotless! There is no admission fee so what have you got to lose!!! Make a donation or buy a postcard, etc if you can so the round barn can stay open for many more years. It really is a treasure!

• 

  keitht620

  It was interesting to learn about the history and the "why" of the round barn. You could spend 15-20 minutes in the shop downstairs reading about it and checking out the old timey stuff in there. The barn was a barn so only so much to see but if you want to check out what Route 66 used to be all about, take 20 minutes to stop

• 

  mrjahoney

  Simply put, it was unique! It was a fun little stop along Old Highway 66 that was a nice chance to stretch the legs and see a site!