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Skelly Lodge History
Skelly Lodge, first known as the Verdigris Club, is Oklahoma’s most beautiful registered National Historic Site. Its history goes back to the time of gushers and grandeur in Oklahoma. A small group of the most powerful oil and businessmen in Tulsa, including well-known figures such as William G. Skelly (Skelly Petroleum), Waite Phillips (Phillips Petroleum), and Walter Helmerich (Helmerich & Payne, Inc.) incorporated the Verdigris Club in 1930 and built the ranch as a private hunting preserve and retreat. Shrouded in mystery and secluded from the hustle and bustle of the city life, the Lodge undoubtedly witnessed some of the larger business deals in the boom years of Tulsa’s fabled Oil Capitol history.
Many famous guests, including Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill as well as many other famous influential people have rested, relaxed, and conducted business at the Lodge.
As the oil boom declined in the 1950’s, William G. Skelly purchased the property from the Verdigris Club. After Skelly’s death, the Lodge became a working ranch for many years. In the early 1990’s, it became the well-known Diamond Bar D Ranch bed & breakfast and hunting retreat called "Woods and Water".
Skelly Lodge sold to its current owner in 2000 and is now open to the public as a peaceful and scenic destination for group functions, events and bed & breakfast accommodations.
Only minutes east of the downtown Tulsa metro area and the Tulsa International Airport, the Lodge is a wonderful place for quiet getaways and those seeking a break from the fast pace of the city. Secluded, with a spectacular view of the Verdigris River Valley and the wooded hills of northeastern Oklahoma, one would never guess the Lodge’s proximity to a major city.
The Lodge features a fully functional kitchen, spacious living areas, large dining room, and eight elegant bedrooms for overnight guests in its 8,000 square feet of living space. Outside, guests can enjoy a beautiful covered veranda, a large covered front porch, and a balcony with an incredible view overlooking the scenic Verdigris River Valley.
Skelly Lodge is the perfect location for weddings, receptions, parties, company meetings, retreats, family reunions and bed & breakfast accommodations. The most popular package Skelly Lodge offers is a 24 hour rental for events, which includes the entire lodge. Guests can enjoy relaxing overnight accommodations in the peaceful setting of the lodge after an on site wedding or family reunion. The Lodge cheerfully offers catering, wedding cakes, and other services as requested by our guests.
According to Ruth McMillin, Facilities Director, "We are very excited to have the Skelly Lodge available to the public. The Lodge is a beautiful, comfortable location for special events and we want our guests to have an experience they will always remember."
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