Red Oak II
Open air museum · Madison ·

Red Oak II

Open air museum · Madison ·

Recreated town with vintage buildings & artist's sculptures

route 66 attraction
walk the grounds
outdoors
lowell davis artwork
quirky things
movie set
unique things to see
vintage town museum
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by Moe Cheezmo (Atlas Obscura User)
Red Oak II by Moe Cheezmo (Atlas Obscura User)
Red Oak II by Moe Cheezmo (Atlas Obscura User)
Red Oak II by Moe Cheezmo (Atlas Obscura User)
Red Oak II by Moe Cheezmo (Atlas Obscura User)
Red Oak II by Moe Cheezmo (Atlas Obscura User)
Red Oak II by Moe Cheezmo (Atlas Obscura User)
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null
Red Oak II by null

Information

10917 County Loop 122, Carthage, MO 64836 Get directions

Restroom
Wheelchair accessible entrance
Wheelchair accessible parking lot
Wheelchair accessible restroom

Information

Static Map

10917 County Loop 122, Carthage, MO 64836 Get directions

+1 417 793 1655
redoakiimissouri.com

Features

•Restroom
•Wheelchair accessible entrance
•Wheelchair accessible parking lot
•Wheelchair accessible restroom

Last updated

Feb 1, 2026

Powered By

You might also like

Terms of Use • Privacy Policy • Cookie Policy
 © 2026 Postcard Technologies, Inc.
@atlasobscura
4,908 Postcards · 2,018 Cities

22 of America's Best Preserved Ghost Towns

"Located not far from Route 66, travelers are in for a treat when they come across this very real, fake ghost town.  Lowell Davis grew up in the original Red Oak, Missouri, a town that faded into obscurity. Following World War II, many rural communities ceased to exist amid increased urbanization and more people relocating to cities. After a few years away from his childhood town, Davis returned in the 1980s to find it was nothing more than a mere memory. Davis eventually settled about 20 miles from the site of his original hometown and in 1987, decided to rebuild the community on his farm. The town would be known as Red Oak II.  Davis bought buildings from other rural ghost towns and hauled them to his farm to begin restoring the structures and creating a quaint faux village. Davis lives in Red Oak II in the restored home of the infamous outlaw Belle Starr. The site is also home to several of Davis’s original sculptures and other works of art. Davis is now commonly referred to as the, “Norman Rockwell of Rural Art.”  Red Oak II is complete with a diner,  jail, smithy, general store, a Phillips 66 station, a schoolhouse, a town hall, and several homes. The blacksmith shop is where Davis’s great grandfather honed his skills and the general store, once owned by Davis’s father, is where he discovered his love of art.   Update: Lowell Davis died in late 2020." - ATLAS_OBSCURA

https://www.atlasobscura.com/lists/americas-best-preserved-ghost-towns
Moe Cheezmo (Atlas Obscura User)
Red Oak II

Brandon M.

Google
This turned out to be a pretty great "2 for 1" road trip stop for me: 1) I really enjoyed walking the entire "town" and checking out all of the old-school buildings and other quirky things on display. To me it almost felt like being on the set of a movie or something! And with plenty of unique things to see, spread out over a fairly large area, it made for a really nice change of pace from traditional hiking: a still great, but markedly different, way to enjoy a couple of lovely hours outdoors! 2) I also really enjoyed checking out the cool collection of Lowell Davis's signature-style artwork that they had on sight, and ended up wrapping up my time at Red Oak with a few surprise (because I had no idea there was also artwork) bonus souvenirs to add to my road trip collection! I'd probably still give the place top marks even it it were only one or the other (vintage town museum or collection of impressive art for sale), but for both together, it's a no brainer for me: 5 stars!

Nancy N.

Google
Probably would have been better in the summer and in the sun but nothing was really open and it was a collection of private residences. A few of the art pieces were interesting and picture worthy but not really if this is a detour for you OR if your a big RV. No room to turn around or for more than one RV to park and the lane has low limbs and tight fits. I think their Sat night music might be fun though.

Pat “PsychoGarage” D.

Google
Great place to visit, we are glad we stopped by. Managed to walk into a church service and they were so welcoming and had a great chat with the congregation. Would have loved to have spent more time.

Rick W.

Google
Visited on 6.11.2025. This is a unique, strange, weird, and nostalgic Route 66 attraction. It is definitely worth the time the walk grounds and enjoy the sights.

Tracy A.

Google
An amazing Lil gem nestled right off Route 66...free and open to the public. It's a must after you travel the 38 miles down 96 Highway(route 66 byway) and see all the sights down through there.

Becky Evans S.

Google
We walked all around this quaint " town" it was very fun. I was bummed the church wasn't open. Most of the places were locked up unfortunately..

Jesse N

Google
This was a very well maintained place with a very neat history And a unique idea. This is the only type of place that I think can take you to the 1930s outside of a book or a movie.

Karen W.

Google
Gary from Gay Purita recommended we make a stop here. Did not disappoint. Wonderful recreation of childhood memories.

SaraMercedes L.

Yelp
We didn't know about this place until talking to some locals. We went on a whim not knowing what to expect and it was magical, even in the rain. Best kept secret attraction of Route 66. If you're in the area, go!!! You'll also find the artist's works throughout Carthage. Great place to stretch your legs and go back in time!