The Creek Council House Museum occupies the 1878 sandstone building that served as the capitol of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation for the three decades before Oklahoma statehood. It is a small, well-organised museum that takes you through the tribe's removal from Alabama and Georgia on the Trail of Tears, the establishment of a sovereign nation in Indian Territory, the writing of a constitution, and the dissolution of that government when statehood was forced on the Five Tribes in 1907.
The exhibits include original furniture from the Council and Senate chambers, photographs of tribal officials, beaded textiles, and ledger drawings. The museum is small enough to cover thoroughly in 90 minutes and large enough to deserve them. It is the obvious place to start any visit to Okmulgee and the best single explanation of how this small Oklahoma town is also a national capital.