Miami, Oklahoma · On Route 66 since 1929
“In 1929 a mining man built this town a palace. In 1990 the town went and got it back.”
— One hundred years on April 18, 2029 —
Days
Hours
Minutes
Three miracles
The things that came home
Nothing in this building came back by accident. Every one of these was found, argued for, hauled home and put back by people who live here.
The Wurlitzer
Lost fifteen years in a Texas workshop
Built in 1928 and sold off during the theatre’s long decline, the Mighty Wurlitzer sat in pieces in a workshop in Burleson, Texas. It took the Friends a ten-year search to find it, and $68,000 to bring it home in 1995.
The Chandelier
Found buried in hay, its crystal in pieces
Two thousand pounds of chandelier came down in 1964 and was forgotten. It turned up years later during a cleaning of the stables at the Coleman home. It travelled to three states for repair before it was raised again in 2004.
Lady of the Lamp
Found in an attic passage, arms and legs broken
She sat boxed in a closet for want of repair money. In 1994 a Route 66 tourist asked where she was — he had been an usher here in the 1930s — and paid for her restoration himself.
Visiting?
103 N. Main Street, Miami, Oklahoma
Guided tours Tuesday–Saturday, 10am and 2pm.
$5 suggested — free for Friends.
Guided tours Tuesday–Saturday, 10am and 2pm.
$5 suggested — free for Friends.
Route 66 travelers are welcome to walk in during open hours. Somebody will turn the house lights on for you.