Editing Lawton, Oklahoma (section)

==Arts and culture==
===Events and festivals===
In May, Lawton Arts for All, Inc hosts the Arts for All Festival. The festival includes several judged art competitions, as well as live entertainment. The festival is typically held at Shepler Park.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lawtonafa.org/Festival.htm |publisher=Arts for All Lawton |title=AFA Festival |access-date=2010-05-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100317150347/http://www.lawtonafa.org/Festival.htm |archive-date=2010-03-17 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> In late September, The International Festival is held in the city. Founded in 1979, the event showcases the many different cultures, arts, and music of the community.<ref>Kutchta (2001) p.&nbsp;98</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cityof.lawton.ok.us/lahc/IF.htm |publisher=City of Lawton Oklahoma |title=International Festival |access-date=2010-04-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100130031155/http://www.cityof.lawton.ok.us/LAHC/IF.htm |archive-date=2010-01-30 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Museums===
Lawton has three public museums. The [[Museum of the Great Plains (Oklahoma)|Museum of the Great Plains]] is dedicated to natural history and early settlement of the Great Plains, particularly by European Americans.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.museumgreatplains.org/museumofthegreat.html |publisher=Museum of the Great Plains |title=Museum of the Great Plains Educators |access-date=2011-04-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206013912/http://museumgreatplains.org/museumofthegreat.html |archive-date=2010-12-06 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> Outdoor exhibits include a replica of the Red River Trading Post, the original Blue Beaver schoolhouse, and Elgin Train Depot with a Frisco locomotive.<ref name="gp museum">{{cite web |url=http://www.museumgreatplains.org/museumofthegreal.html |publisher=Museum of the Great Plains |title=Museum of the Great Plains Outdoor Exhibits |access-date=2010-04-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101009132013/https://museumgreatplains.org/museumofthegreal.html |archive-date=2010-10-09 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
[[File:Lawton Comanche Museum 3-2025 Wikipedia.jpg|thumb|Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center in Lawton, 3-2025]]
The Fort Sill Museum, located on the military base of the same name, includes the old Fort Sill corral and several period buildings, including the old post guardhouse, chapel, and barracks. It also features several artillery pieces.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sill-www.army.mil/Museum/history.htm |publisher=Fort Sill Historical Landmark Museum |title=Museum History |access-date=2010-11-11 |df=dmy-all |archive-date=April 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420061311/https://sill-www.army.mil/Museum/history.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The old fort is designated as a [[National Historic Landmark]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=462&ResourceType=District |publisher=National Park Service |series=National Historic Landmarks Program |title=Fort Sill |access-date=2010-06-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091214091728/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=462&ResourceType=District |archive-date=2009-12-14 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center, operated by the [[Comanche| Comanche Nation Tribe]], focuses on exhibits and art relating to the Comanche culture. The museum also hosts traveling American Indian exhibitions from the [[Smithsonian Institution]], [[Michigan State University Museum]], and [[Field Museum of Natural History|Chicago's Field Museum.]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comanchemuseum.com/about-the-museum.aspx |publisher=Comanche Nation Museum |title=About the Museum |access-date=2011-04-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110414084801/http://comanchemuseum.com/about-the-museum.aspx |archive-date=2011-04-14 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

===Historic structures===
{{main|National Register of Historic Places listings in Comanche County, Oklahoma}}
The [[National Register of Historic Places]] lists places in Lawton, including the [[Mattie Beal House]], the [[Carnegie Library]], the [[First Christian Church (Lawton, Oklahoma)|First Christian Church]], the [[First Presbyterian Church of Lawton]], the [[Mahoney-Clark House]], and the [[Methodist Episcopal Church, South (Lawton, Oklahoma)|Methodist Episcopal Church, South]].  Old Fort Sill has been designated as a [[National Historic Landmark]], the highest classification.