Guthrie is a small city of about 10,000 people in central Oklahoma, roughly 30 miles north of Oklahoma City. It was Oklahoma's first state capital, a status it lost in 1910 when the government was moved to Oklahoma City in a controversial midnight decision. What this loss preserved, however, was the downtown: because Guthrie never had the growth pressure to tear down its Victorian-era buildings, the town center remains remarkably intact. The 1,400-acre historic district is one of the largest contiguous urban areas on the National Register of Historic Places.
Walking the downtown streets feels like stepping into a frontier-era movie set, except everything is real -- ornate brick facades, pressed-tin ceilings, and buildings that date to the 1889 Land Run. The Oklahoma Territorial Museum tells the story of the run and the territory's early years. The Scottish Rite Masonic Temple, an enormous neoclassical structure, is worth a look even from the outside — guided tours reveal a 2,500-seat theatre and extraordinary ornamental craftsmanship inside. The Pollard Theatre is Oklahoma's oldest professional theatre company and stages shows year-round. Guthrie also hosts the annual Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival each October.
The Lazy E Arena, just south of town, is one of the premier indoor rodeo and equestrian venues in the country and hosts major events year-round. Guthrie makes an easy and rewarding day trip from Oklahoma City, or a pleasant stop if you are driving north toward Kansas.