Cherokee National Supreme Court Museum
Cherokee National Supreme Court Museum
4.4
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
Closed
About
This structure was built on the southeastern corner of Tahlequah town square in 1844 by James S. Pierce to house the Cherokee National Supreme Court. Justice John Martin was the first chief justice of the Supreme Court when it was established. The Supreme and District courts both held sessions here for some time. The building also housed the printing press of the Cherokee Advocate, the official publication of Cherokee Nation and the first newspaper in Oklahoma. It is the oldest government building in the state of Oklahoma. The Cherokee National Supreme Court Museum features pieces in three historic areas including the Cherokee National Judicial System, the Cherokee Advocate and Phoenix newspapers and the Cherokee language with a variety of historical items including photos, stories, objects and furniture.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.4
21 reviews
Excellent
12
Very good
6
Average
3
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Jo S
Pacific, MO77 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
This unassuming building tells two stories: one about indigenous justice and the other the history of the Cherokee syllabary and newspapers. It has one of the old syllabary letterpress presses and typecases. I was more impressed with the story of the language and the newspapers, but that is my interest. One doesn't think of how the Civilized Tribes managed their own lawbreakers...is similar, but not exactly like European derived justice. Good time well spent.
Written October 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jehenson81
Washington DC, DC25,931 contributions
Mar 2024 • Friends
This building isn’t very large and has exhibits on both floors of it. We were greeted as we entered and started to wander around from room to room. The first room we entered, to the left of the front door, had a massive printing press in it with a fascinating history (won’t ruin it for you). I also liked the room at the back of the first floor since it talked about how the Cherokee changed their laws to conforming with those of the white man. The whole place was quite informative. And is worth a look if you have the time.
Written March 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tonya V
Pea Ridge, AR815 contributions
Jul 2021 • Friends
Interesting little museum. Takes only a few minutes to see the exhibits. The building itself it neat. Of the 3 main museums, this was probably the least impressive but still worth a stop if you’re going to/from the Prison or History museums.
Written July 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BlueDevilOKC
Oklahoma City, OK819 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
We enjoyed learning about the Cherokee justice system and the switch from blood law to a court system of justice. The stories of conflict over tribal jurisdiction and tribal sovereignty were also interesting.
Written July 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lana P
Saint Louis, MO59 contributions
May 2022 • Family
The Cherokee Supreme Court Museum was interesting, and the staff was very informative and friendly. The museum was free to tour, and the building contained a lot of history.
Written June 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MojoBeau12
San Antonio, TX129 contributions
Jul 2017 • Couples
This museum houses the Cherokee newspaper press. There is a printing press and the type faces for the printing. The upper floor had information on justice and it also had blips from articles that were once in the paper.
Written July 28, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sue H
London, UK51 contributions
May 2016 • Friends
It was an interesting little tour. Very small place, so can be visited within 30-45 minutes. Worth seeing as it is part of the towns heritage.
Written April 23, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeremy W
Tulsa, OK522 contributions
Sep 2016 • Family
In town for the Cherokee National Holiday so we stopped in while walking the square. Very nice! I have a lot of respect for Native American Law and yet romance of it all. A lot of neat history and a very nice layout made it easy to understand!
Written September 3, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Erin M
Fort Worth, TX8 contributions
Mar 2016 • Couples
Tons of history packed into a quaint museum: first printing press west of the Mississippi River, interactive displays, great antiques, tons of Cherokee history--post Trail of Tears. This is a block away from the Cherokee National Prison Museum.
Written March 17, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
professormike2017
38 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
Realized how "law abiding" the Cherokee were -- adopting Federal sentencing, shifting from corporal punishment to "prison" (a different museum) -- I got a much greater respect for how the Cherokee worked to build a judicial system similar to what we know today in the USA
Written May 19, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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