Almost every child in the U.S. learns to sing “This Land Is Your Land” when in elementary school and Oklahoma’s Woody Guthrie is the artist who wrote those lyrics. This museum reveals the many talents of Guthrie, who was the father of folk singer Arlo Guthrie. Kids may be delighted to see the original hand-written copy of “This Land is Your Land,” but surprised to learn about the controversial lyrics they were never taught at school.
Write songs of your own on two interactive kiosks and listen to as many as 46 on headsets. Make sure your family hears “Riding in My Car,” a song Guthrie wrote for his children. Selections of children’s songs and storybooks illustrated by Guthrie are for sale in the gift shop.
The Woody Guthrie Center is open daily, except Mondays.
Just across the street is a lovely public park called Guthrie Green. Food trucks surround the park on Wednesdays; a farmers market fills the space on Thursdays; and Sundays are just one of many days to showcase local musicians.
