Dewey, Oklahoma: Tom Mix Museum: Suitcase of Death

On display, the luggage that killed the king of the silent film cowboys. Museum is reportedly haunted by the ghost of Tom Mix's horse.

The Tom Mix Museum is alive and doing well! There are two managers that are very knowledgeable about Tom and are more than willing to give you a guided tour after you watch a short film giving an overview of Tom and all of his endeavors. The bulk of the collection are the actual items that Tom owned and used, which includes hats, clothing, saddles, bridles, spurs, trophies, and guns (Some of the guns were stolen from the museum, but there's still a display case full of them). There are numerous movie stills and other items. Come for a visit, sit in the theater, and watch Tom Mix movies!

The Tom Mix museum is so seldom visited that the volunteer looking after the museum was startled when I came in. The building is small but holds a fair collection of Tom Mix's costumes and assorted belongings -- almost everything you could hope for except his guns. The entire gun collection had been stolen about two weeks before I came in Dec 2002, so instead they had pictures of Tom Mix's guns on the wall.

The suitcases of death, both of which were metal, were there in a glass case looking appropriately menacing. If you or your parents or grandparents are Tom Mix fans, it's worth a stop.