Oklahoma City
OKC Bombing Memorial & the National Cowboy Museum
Day 3 — clear and warm in Oklahoma City. The OKC Marathon was in progress, commemorating the 1995 bombing.
Day 3 was a day in Oklahoma City — and it was a day of reflection.
The Oklahoma City Marathon was in progress — a race that commemorates the April 19, 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, which killed 168 people and injured nearly 700 others. The bombing was the deadliest domestic terrorist attack in US history until September 11, 2001.
Ray visited the Oklahoma City National Memorial — the outdoor memorial on the site of the former Federal Building. The 168 empty chairs, one for each victim, are arranged in nine rows representing the nine floors of the building. The Survivor Tree, an American elm that survived the blast, stands at the edge of the memorial.
A moment of silence in front of the memorial. The wall and fence were covered with flowers, flags, and messages — as they have been since the day of the bombing.
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum was the afternoon stop — and Ray called it worth the visit. Magnificent Indian and cowboy artifacts, paintings, sculptures, saddles, and more.
Photos from the Day
The Day's Route
Oklahoma City National Memorial
The Oklahoma City National Memorial on the site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, destroyed in the April 19, 1995 bombing. The 168 empty chairs represent each victim. The Survivor Tree — an American elm that survived the blast — stands at the edge of the memorial.
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum — one of the finest museums of Western American art and history in the country. Magnificent collections of Native American artifacts, cowboy gear, Western paintings, and sculptures.