Lincoln Park Armory - Oklahoma City, OK
Posted by: 
hamquilter
N 35° 30.487 W 097° 28.425
14S E 638411 N 3930464
The Lincoln Park Armory is home to the 45th Infantry Museum, located at 2145 N.E. 36th Street.
Waymark Code: WMYNRG
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 07/04/2018
Views: 5
The history of what is commonly known as the 45th Infantry Museum is interesting. It was constructed in 1937 as the Lincoln Park Armory, standing on property that was part of Lincoln Park. Though called an armory, it never operated as such. This is a two-story native sandstone building which has housed the 45th Infantry Museum since 1976.
The website below quotes newspaper articles from 1936 and 1937 that indicate the building was built by the WPA at a cost of $42,000 (Project #1155). It was an officer's headquarters building, available for Army officers and National Guard officers, and meetings of various veterans groups, and was critically called "the Lincoln Park Clubhouse". The building has a steep gabled roof with two cross gables on the front (north) and one on the West side. The front entrance is a single metal door facing the covered porch on the west cross gable.
The museum housed here is well worth your visit. The 15-acre ground are covered with displays of tanks, artillery, aircraft and various military monuments. Inside is a large collection of military weapons from the Revolutionary War through Vietnam. The 45th Infantry (The Thunderbirds) fought in campaigns in World War II and Korea, and exhibits document their endeavors. Be sure to look into the mirror that belonged to Adolph Hitler, which was brought back by a World War II soldier. It's a weird experience!
