The 20 Must See Places to Visit in Oklahoma Part 2

The second place I would recommend visiting on your journey through Oklahoma would be the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building Memorial. It is located at 620 N. Harvey Avenue in Oklahoma City; the memorial is a humbling experience to say the least. I will never forget my first tour through the memorial. I traveled there today with my mother in law to get pictures for this article. As we approached, I still choked up as I walk past the fence with memorial gifts. The fence was placed as a barrier to keep people safe and to keep debris from falling onto travelers passing by. As the cleanup took place, more and more gifts and flowers were placed. The creators of the memorial decided to keep a 200 foot section of the fence intact, to serve as a reminder that in the midst of turmoil, healing can still take place.

After the fence, you approach the first building structure of the memorial, the first gate with the numbers 9:01, symbolizing the time the first destruction occurred. As you enter through this gate, you encounter ramps that are handicap accessible.

The reflecting pool is I think, one of the most compelling parts of the memorial. It is ¾ of an inch of still water, and it lays where 5^th street use to be. If you look into it, you can see an almost perfect reflection of yourself, and it is a symbol of how you are forever changed by visiting the memorial.

As you walk through the garden, you see 168 chairs to your right. These empty chairs are symbolic of the 168 human lives cut short by violence on that day. They are organized in 9 rows, symbolic of the 9 floors of the Federal building. As I passed by each one of those empty seats outside, I pictured the faces of moms and dads, children, grandparents, sisters, brothers, husbands and wives who had their lives cut short on April 19, 1995.

To your left, you will see a magnificent American elm tree, surrounded by a circular concrete platform. This tree is called the Survivor's Tree, and this tree survived the explosion that took down 45% of the federal building. This tree is to symbolize resilience of the human spirit.

Some additions to this memorial have been made since the initial memorial was created. One of those additions is the Rescuers' Orchard.

These fruit bearing trees are to symbolize the people who rushed in from near and far to lend a helping hand. The Rescuers Orchard is located near the Survivor's Tree.

After the tragedy of the devastation, countless expressions of love was received from children ; Letters, toys, pictures, and much more. Hand painted tiles were also sent to Oklahoma City for the memorial in 1995. All were painted by children far and near. Also, a series of chalkboards creates an oversized display of these works where children can continue to share their feelings. Oklahoma City realizes this is an important component of the healing process.

One part of the memorial that is not advertised is on the wall of the memorial museum. A rescue team expressed their grief and anger that day by spray painting these words:

We Search for the truth we seek justice. The courts require it. The victims cry for it. And GOD demands it!

Although this is more of a place of solace to visit, I still feel it is a must see for everyone passing through Oklahoma.

If you would like to visit the memorial museum and need more information, you can call for hours of operation and fees by calling 405-235-3313 or 888-542-HOPE (4673).