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All the United States Oklahoma Guthrie Oklahoma Territorial Museum & The Carnegie Library

Oklahoma Territorial Museum & The Carnegie Library

Home to the story of the outlaw turned funhouse mummy, Elmer McCurdy.

Guthrie, Oklahoma

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The Carnegie Library portion of the museum   WinkyWalrus/Wikimedia
The gravesite of Elmer McCurdy   Allison Meier/Atlas Obscura
Outlaws, Lawmen and a Mummy   Oklahoma Territorial Museum
McCurdy in his coffin   ShinePhantom/Wikimedia
McCurdy in life, when he was much less interesting   ShinePhantom/Wikimedia
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The original Carnegie Library which is attached the Museum internally   shatomica / Atlas Obscura User
Inside the old Carnegie Library   shatomica / Atlas Obscura User
Statue outside the Museum representing the marriage of the Indian and Oklahoma Territories   shatomica / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Guthrie, Oklahoma is home to more than its fair share of Americana, and the Oklahoma Territorial Museum & The Carnegie Library has a rich bounty of it in lively exhibits that feature everything from land grabs to corsets. But there is one item that is worth a visit all on its own–the gun that killed Elmer McCurdy.

If you've already perused our Guide to Modern Mummies or enjoyed the 31 Days of Halloween in Review from 2013, you already know all about poor old Elmer, but if this is your first introduction, here's the fast and dirty details. 

Elmer McCurdy was a degenerate of the Wild West, a train robber that was shot dead by the sheriff after a train robbery that took place on the Kansas-Oklahoma border. When no one came to claim his embalmed corpse, the ever-so-professional coroner decided to prop the body up in the corner of his office so that anyone with a morbid curiosity could have a little look-see. Before long, a couple of "distant relatives" (cough, cough, carnies) claimed McCurdy's remains and did who knows what with him. He wasn't rediscovered until 1977, when the TV series "The Six Million Dollar Man" was shooting at a Long Beach fun house, and a horrified crew member picked up the mummy "prop" and poor Elmer's arm snapped off to reveal human bones within.

McCurdy's history was unraveled, his remains identified, and he was finally put to rest at the Summit View Cemetery, where his gravestone can be located on Boot Hill. The Oklahoma Territorial Museum, while not exactly dedicated to McCurdy, probably wouldn't argue with the assertion that he's sort of their mascot. The two-story building housing the collection is attached to the old Carnegie Library building, which is also a part of the museum and available for exploring. The museum lays claim to the gun that actually killed Elmer McCurdy, as well as formerly unseen information regarding his grisly history.

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Mummies Museums Museums And Collections Wild West

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October 30, 2015

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Oklahoma Territorial Museum & The Carnegie Library
406 East Oklahoma Avenue
Guthrie, Oklahoma, 73044
United States
35.87832, -97.420969
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Nearby Places

Scottish Rite Temple

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Grave of Elmer McCurdy

Guthrie, Oklahoma

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Guthrie

Guthrie

Oklahoma

Places 4

Nearby Places

Scottish Rite Temple

Guthrie, Oklahoma

miles away

Oklahoma Frontier Drugstore Museum

Guthrie, Oklahoma

miles away

Grave of Elmer McCurdy

Guthrie, Oklahoma

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Guthrie

Guthrie

Oklahoma

Places 4

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