Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Slovenia mushroom foraging
Slovenia • 6 days, 5 nights
Forest to Table in Alpine Slovenia
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
You don’t need to go to Turkey to see hundreds of hot air balloons rising.
Dear Atlas: Where Can I Find the Most Unusual Festivals in the U.S.?
about 18 hours ago
Located in Indianola, Mississippi, Club Ebony hosted performances by blues legends like B.B. King.
How Club Ebony Helped Keep the Blues Alive in the Jim Crow South
about 18 hours ago
Spot Gentoos and other species of penguins waddling, swimming, and diving from icebergs.
Adventure at Sea: An Explorer’s Guide to Antarctica
1 day ago
Our journey begins in Texas—more specifically in Big Bend National Park.
The Atlas Obscura (Audio) Guide to the National Parks
1 day ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Oklahoma Oklahoma City American Banjo Museum

American Banjo Museum

Very likely the only museum in the world that celebrates the glory of the humble banjo.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Added By
madfishthepirate
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The American Banjo Museum   katsrcool on Flickr
The American Banjo Museum   katsrcool on Flickr
  Allison / Atlas Obscura User
  Allison / Atlas Obscura User
  Allison / Atlas Obscura User
  SemiruralYeti / Atlas Obscura User
Banjo Resurgence Board  
Exhibit on the Banjo’s Origins  
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
Banjos on display at the American Banjo Museum in the Bricktown district of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (United States).   Michael Barera / Atlas Obscura User
American Banjo Museum 🪕   Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
The American Banjo Museum in the Bricktown district of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (United States).   Michael Barera / Atlas Obscura User
  SemiruralYeti / Atlas Obscura User
  SemiruralYeti / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Containing more instruments on public display than any other collection in the world, the American Banjo Museum is a thoroughly modern facility devoted to a historically analog instrument.

Appropriated as one of America's native instruments from African slave culture in the mid-1600s when the instrument was invented using gourds and animal skins, the banjo has been considered an integral part of American music for hundreds of years. This rich history is on display at the museum which features over 300 banjos ranging from handmade folk instruments, to tightly calibrated concert banjos.

In addition to the wall-to-wall banjo collection the museum is interspersed with historic sheet music, related ephemera, and out-of-print records from forgotten banjo greats. The museum prides itself on its collection of ornate Jazz-era banjos, but its true pride should come from devoting its existence to a musical tradition that might otherwise have been forgotten. In the small café at the front, you can even try out some banjo playing yourself.

Related Tags

Music Museums And Collections Museums

Community Contributors

Added By

madfishthepirate

Edited By

Rachel, Molly McBride Jacobson, Allison, EricGrundhauser...

  • Rachel
  • Molly McBride Jacobson
  • Allison
  • EricGrundhauser
  • Collector of Experiences
  • Michael Barera
  • SemiruralYeti
  • Jason Michael Walker
  • saenglish

Published

January 14, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.visitokc.com/listings/American-Banjo-Museum/792/6/
American Banjo Museum
9 East Sheridan Avenue
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73104
United States
35.466806, -97.511498
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Flaming Lips Alley

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

miles away

Jim Thorpe Museum

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

miles away

Oklahoma City Underground

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City

Oklahoma

Places 19
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Flaming Lips Alley

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

miles away

Jim Thorpe Museum

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

miles away

Oklahoma City Underground

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City

Oklahoma

Places 19
Stories 1

Related Stories and Lists

The Ultimate List of Wonderfully Specific Museums

List

By Molly McBride Jacobson

Related Places

  • Bentside Spinet

    Manchester, England

    RNCM Collection of Historic Musical Instruments

    Over 300 historical instruments from around the world can be found in the Royal Northern College of Music's basement.

  • Haarlem, Netherlands

    Draaiorgel Museum

    At this barrel organ museum, history and live concert keep Dutch street organ culture alive.

  • Lisbon, Portugal

    Museu do Fado

    An unassuming music museum recounts the rags to riches story of a dramatic Portuguese genre.

  • Musical mechanical marvels abound.

    Ein Hod, Israel

    Nisco Museum

    It took a lifetime to collect these mechanical musical wonders.

  • The corner store museum entrance.

    Atlanta, Georgia

    Trap Music Museum

    A provocative museum dedicated to the genre and the harsh realities that inspired its origins.

  • Moogseum.

    Asheville, North Carolina

    Moogseum

    A museum dedicated to the legacy of Bob Moog and his pioneering synthesizers.

  • Edinburgh, Scotland

    St Cecilia's Hall

    Scotland's oldest purpose-built concert hall houses an incredible collection of ornate, centuries-old keyboards.

  • Chalice/grigson #2

    Saint Petersburg, Russia

    Museum of Sound

    An unusual collection of self-made musical instruments and unique noises.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.