ARCADIA – No matter what week your school district observes spring break or Easter break, the Arcadia Round Barn will be open for business with enrichment activities for students and their parents.

Prize bags are filled and waiting to reward young people who test their skills during the scavenger hunt. The search for 10 items to be found in and near the Round Barn was created about a year ago by volunteer Colleen Walker and has been wildly popular with the kids and the older folks who bring them to the historic Route 66 attraction.

“The scavenger hunt is a fun way to learn about Oklahoma pioneer history,” Walker said.

As with all activities at the Round Barn, the scavenger hunt is free but a suggested donation of $2 per person will be accepted for the maintenance of the structure, which was built in 1898. Parents are invited to accompany their children on the scavenger hunts, and all young people will receive a prize bag for their efforts.

Children who do not want to participate in the scavenger hunt can ask for a coloring page of the barn to take home. They can also explore the vintage exhibits outside and around the inside perimeter of the downstairs museum, marvel at the architecture in the loft, hone their photography and video skills and browse the brochures rack for information that will be helpful as they check out other historical and recreational sites in Arcadia and across Oklahoma. Guided tours are available upon request.

A climate-controlled restroom building is on site at the Round Barn, and picnic tables are available for families who bring their own food or purchase lunches from one of several restaurants and convenience stores in Arcadia. Cold bottled water is sold in the museum gift shop.

People who visit the barn during weekends in March, and any other month, can catch a concert by the Round Barn Ramblers from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays. The monthly Round Barn Rendezvous jam session is set for noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 12, and a concert by Edgar Cruz and Antsy McClain will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 19.

The Round Barn is open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located six miles east of Interstate 35 on historical Route 66. For more information, go to the Arcadia Round Barn website or Facebook page.

Photo caption:
Layla Oliver, 7, and her brother Maurick Oliver, 8, of Norman, played the scavenger hunt during a Feb. 25 visit to the Arcadia Round Barn. Their parents are Tim and Sarah Oliver. (Photo by Kimberly Burk, Round Barn publicist)