16 Ghost Towns In Oklahoma [MAP]
Last Updated on August 26, 2022 by Urbex Underground
If you’re searching for ghost towns in Oklahoma, we’ve got you covered! Below are 16 different ghost towns you can explore across the great state of Oklahoma along with their status and exact GPS coordinates.
We rate ghost towns in Oklahoma based on their status. Here’s how our system works:
- Abandoned: Is abandoned with ruins and structures in a decayed state. Great for urban explorers.
- Historic: Preservation efforts have been made and sometimes plaques installed. Great for everyone.
- Barren: Almost nothing remains of the town. Ideal for metal detectorists.
- Commercial: Is commercially owned with amenities, restaurants, and stores. Great for families.
- Semi-Abandoned: Abandoned areas with a small population in the area.
- Privately Owned: Tours might be available but not open to the general public.
History:
In Picher, there are few signs of life left. Since a devastating tornado wiped out the town in 2008, the town has become a ghost town. Before the tornado residents fled the area due to the massive toxic chad piles that plagued the landscape.
The town is home to the largest chat pile in the country, which dwarfs everything else for miles. A massive amount of zinc, lead, and copper was mined in the town, and the raw materials were used to make stronger metal alloys. In addition to being used in bullets, the zinc found in Picher galvanized the construction of American suburbs.
Despite the fact that many of the buildings were still in decent condition, no one lives in them. The town’s post office and municipality have closed. Federal officials have given the surviving residents government checks to move elsewhere. They say the area is too toxic to live in.
What’s Left?
Today, there is only one surviving building, the town hall. The building is now a museum, a memorial to the ’50s and ’60s. The ruins of buildings in Picher are a reminder of a once-thriving town. Picher is easily one of the most popular ghost towns in Oklahoma and I highly suggest your visit it at least once.
2. Skedee
36.3795, -96.70503
Status: Abandoned
History:
Skedee is an old town in Pawnee County in northern Oklahoma. The population was 51 at the 2010 census, a dramatic decline from the town’s peak of more than 2,000. Skedee’s name was originally Lemert, after a local family that owned land there.
The town was established in 1902, but problems were soon to arise. In 1957, flooding destroyed an important rail line through Skedee. As a result, the town’s population fell rapidly and was abandoned in 1963.
What’s Left?
Fortunately, several structures are still standing and statues are still in place, which tells us that the town was once quite alive.
3. Boggy Depot
34.32212, -96.31363
Status: Abandoned
History:
Boggy Depot, Oklahoma was once a major town in Indian Territory, and is now a State Park. Originally a trading post, Boggy Depot was the home of the Choctaw Principal Chief Allen Wright, who coined the state’s name. During the Civil War, the town served as a Confederate headquarters, and its cemetery is the resting place of many Confederate casualties from the Battle of Middle Boggy. The town’s post office was cut by the state in 1865, but the site is now maintained by the Chickasaw Nation.
What’s Left?
Several historical burial grounds have been discovered. The ghost town is still home to a few descendants of early settlers. If you’re interested in exploring the history of the area, take a trip to Boggy Depot and discover the relics of days gone by.
4. Ingersoll
36.79749, -98.3901
Status: Abandoned
History:
Once a thriving rail town with a population of over 1,500 people, Ingersoll has fallen on hard times and is a ghost town of sorts. In its heyday, Ingersoll was infamous for its saloons and saloonettes, and today, you can visit the area and see what’s left of this town.
What’s Left?
Ingersoll isn’t one of the most thrill ghosting towns in Oklahoma but is still worth seeing when passing down Route 64. The only real interesting thing left if the grain elevator located right on the roadside.
5. Fallis
35.74839, -97.12058
Status: Abandoned
History:
The town was a railroad town in the mid 1800s. The Fort Smith and Western Railroad crossed the Katy line in Fallis in 1903, connecting it to Fort Smith and Guthrie, making it a trans-shipment center. As steam engines were replaced, commerce and people relied less on the rail line, eventually killing off the small town.
What’s Left?
You can access Fallis by dirt road and visit the old school, the old hotel, the old indian cemetary, and the church. There is a wrecked school bus that lies just south of the town, a vacant community center, and a few abandoned houses. One house had electrical wiring, but no indoor plumbing, just outhouses. Another house had TVs from the 1970s.
6. Cardin
36.97555, -94.85166
Status: Abandoned
History:
A century ago, Cardin, Oklahoma, was a thriving mining town. Today, the town is mostly abandoned. Unregulated mining has destroyed 90% of the town. It’s red from acid runoff from abandoned mines, and huge piles of lead-contaminated chat blanket the landscape. EPA officials are trying to sell the mine waste for roadbed ingredients, but the town’s residents have been forced out by the government.
What’s Left?
Today, empty overgrown streets weave between the massive piles of chat. There are few buildings left standing, however, if you’re close stop by and see Picher and see what you can uncover.
7. Clebit
34.39037, -95.02023
Status: Abandoned
History:
The town once had a population of 150, but dropped to three by the 2010 census. The town is within the Tar Creek Superfund site, and the vast majority of the residents accepted government buyout offers. In November 2010, the town’s population fell to zero.
What’s Left?
Today, this area is used only for agriculture. It was a mining town in the early 1900s, but it’s mostly a ghost town with a few relics.
8. Doaksville
34.03484, -95.27389
Status: Historic
History:
Doaksville, Oklahoma is a former settlement in Choctaw County, Oklahoma. Founded by Choctaw Indians in 1826, the town flourished in the nineteenth century. It was named for Joseph Doak, co-owner of a trading post. Doaksville prospered until the U.S. Army abandoned nearby Fort Towson in 1854. The city became the Choctaw capital until 1859, and it eventually declined after the railroad bypassed the area.
What’s Left?
Today, Doaksville has been left standing as an archaeological preservation site. However, some remnants of Doaksville can still be seen near Red Road cemetery, where building foundations remain.
9. Foss
35.45732, -99.1688
Status: Semi-Abandoned
History:
Foss, is a small town built in the early 1900s. By 1905 the town reached a population of about 1000 people and featured a power plant, two hotels, and many businesses. During the Great Depression, many people moved away to seek work elsewhere.
By the start of World War II the town only had 300 residents, many of whom made a living off the travelers along Route 66. When Route 66 was bypassed by 40, almost all traffic was cut off from the town
What’s Left?
Aside from being abandoned, you can still visit Kobel’s Gas Station. The town sits right off of Route 40, making it one of the most accessible ghost towns along Route 66.
10. Kento
36.90283, -102.96337
Status: Semi-Abandoned
History:
Kenton is a sleepy little town founded 1893. During its peak, Kenton had multiple car dealerships, a motel, a bank, and two general stores.
What’s Left?
Today, less than 20 people live in Kenton. Many buildings are abandoned and the ones still standing are in rough shape. While Kenton isn’t the most exciting ghost town in Oklahoma, it’s worth checking out if you’re in the area.
11. May
36.61697, -99.74734
Status: Semi-Abandoned
History:
May if one of the few ghost towns in Oklahoma that doesn’t have much history recorded online. What we do know is that the current population hovers around 40, and the town suffered a major population dip when the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad was abandoned in 1973.
What’s Left?
May has numerous abandoned buildings that weave between the few residents that still live there. While it isn’t worth diving across the state to see May, it’s worth seeing if you’re in the area.
12. Texola
35.21921, -99.99121
Status: Semi-Abandoned
History:
Texola is a former farming community that has now become a ghost town. While it was still home to a number of businesses and residents in the early 1900s, the town’s population dwindled dramatically after the Great Depression hit the nation. In the 1990 census, Texola had a population of only 45 people. That number rose to 47 in 2000, but by the 2010 census, the population had fallen to just 36 people.
What’s Left?
You can spend an afternoon wandering the ghost town’s main streets and see the ruins of many buildings. While you’re there, look out for the famous Magnolia gas station, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built decades ago, this small gas station echoes the days of simpler times before the Great Plains Dust Bowl.
13. Warwick
35.68589, -97.00419
Status: Semi-Abandoned
History:
Warwick was once a bustling town, complete with grocery stores, hotels, a newspaper, schools, and a saloon. But the city eventually fell on hard times and was abandoned. In the 1940s, the original railway broke up and was bought by Burlington Northern. Today, visitors can find abandoned buildings lining the streets of this sleepy town.
What’s Left?
Today, you can hike along the abandoned mine route and learn more about its spooky history. Some of the buildings remain active, including a cannery and old pastures.
14. Ingalls
36.10249, -96.88173
Status: Semi-Abandoned
History:
The town of Ingalls was settled in 1889 and had plenty of room for growth. The town was settled and had a chance to thrive, but like many other small towns in Oklahoma, it lost people when the railroads died off. In 1881, two outlaws, the Doolin-Dalton Gang, escaped the town, and were later captured or killed. A replica of their saloon has been created to show visitors what the city looked like in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
What’s Left?
Although it’s not a full-blown ghost town, it is a great place to spend a day. If you’re traveling on a Saturday, Ingalls would make a good pit stop. Ingalls is a bit off the map and one of my favorite ghost towns in Oklahoma.
15. Wirt
34.23092, -97.53169
Status: Abandoned
History:
The town of Wirt is located in Carter County, Oklahoma, about three miles from Healdton. The town was originally called Ragtown and was named for oilman Wirt Franklin.
Its post office opened on December 12, 1914. Besides the post office, Wirt had a movie theater, two churches, a school, a bank, and a drug store. It was also home to a large community of people. However, several fires over the years and waning opportunities forced residents to move elsewhere.
What’s Left?
Wirt is largely abandoned with several active homes scattered throughout the woodlands. Explorers can find abandoned homes and old wooden ruins along W Texas St.
16. Shamrock
35.91006, -96.5839
Status: Semi-Abandoned
History:
Shamrock is a small unincorporated community located in Creek County, Oklahoma, on Oklahoma State Highway 16. It lies south of Drumright and west of Bristow.
The Shamrock Post Office opened in 1910, named for the town’s first postmaster’s hometown in southern Illinois. In 1913, the population of the town was 35.
There were two general stores and a restaurant, but the town didn’t become a boomtown until oil arrived. By that time, the town was a tent town, which grew in popularity. The reason for the growth of the town was that the nearby Avery bank closed down, leaving the area without a banking system.
What’s Left?
As of the 2010 census, the population of Shamrock was 101, a drop of 19.2 percent from the 2000 census. Today there are plenty of vacant businesses along the main street and plenty of abandoned homes to find by zig zagging the side streets.
Go out and explore!
That concludes our list of ghost towns in Oklahoma, but that doesn’t mean that’s all there is to find. Take the back roads, follow train tracks, and find some places for yourself. There are plenty of places I kept off this list so get out there and explore.
If you’re having trouble finding ghost towns be sure to check out our Ultimate Guide to Finding Abandoned Places, or explore other ghost towns across the country.