The Gene Autry Oklahoma Museum is a historical museum situated 12 miles northeast of Ardmore, Oklahoma, with a beautiful view of the Arbuckle Mountains. It is housed in a former school building of the Depression era, which was built in 1937. The museum is dedicated to the singing cowboys and is a treasure house of numerous old cowboy songs, movies, and the history of those artists. It was named after Gene Autry, who was known as “America's Favorite Cowboy.” The museum holds an outstanding collection of souvenirs of many western musical movie artists of 1930s and 1940s. Some of the memorabilia are of Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Rex Allen, Tex Ritter, Jimmy Wakely, and Eddie Dean. The museum holds a good collection of CDs, painted ponies, and other great western items. Its other collections include old recorded albums, rows of comic books, dime novels, toys, and walls covered with old movie posters and fan paintings. Gene Autry Oklahoma Museum also is the home of the highly acclaimed Gene Autry Oklahoma Film and Music Festival, held annually.