There are many reasons people come to Bethany –
Some come for college at Southern Nazarene University or Southwestern Christian University.
Some come as patients, families, or physicians at the acclaimed Bethany Children’s Health Center.
Some come by air via Wiley Post Airport, one of the largest and most active general aviation airports in Oklahoma.
Others come in classic cars or on motorcycles, enjoying the authentic Americana of Historic Route 66.
Many come to paddle, exploring the natural beauty of the Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge by kayak or canoe.
No matter what brings you to Bethany, the people you meet will touch your heart.
That’s why we welcome so many back, home to Bethany.
U.S. Highway 66 — popularly known as Route 66 or the Mother Road — holds a special place in American consciousness and evokes images of simpler times, mom and pop businesses, and the icons of a mobile nation on the road. Discover this shared heritage through the historic places that recall those images and experiences that are reminders of our past and evidence of the influence of the automobile.
“Bethany Children’s Health Center is an innovative leader in the field of pediatric rehabilitation and 24-hour complex care. The private, non-profit hospital, which is accredited by Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC), offers inpatient and outpatient services for children and is the only inpatient pediatric rehabilitation facility in Oklahoma. The hospital is also accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). Our multidisciplinary team works with patients and their families to maximize every child’s potential, and ensure the family has the training and resources needed for a smooth transition from hospital to home.”
“Founded in 1899, Southern Nazarene University is a private, Christian, liberal arts university-a service of the Church of the Nazarene. Located on a 44-acre campus just west of Oklahoma City, SNU grew out of several small colleges committed to training people for service to God and to one another. More than 32,000 alumni work and serve throughout the United States and the world.”
SCU was established in 1946 by the International Pentecostal Holiness Church as Southwestern Bible College. The name of the institution was changed to Southwestern Christian University in 2001 and continues to foster a spiritually vibrant, academically rigorous, and mission-fervent community of visionaries seeking to make a difference in this world.
The Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge is a nature and wildlife preserve on the west side of OKC that surrounds a section of the North Canadian River. The main put-in and take-out for kayaks is located on 39th and Lake Overholser Drive at the Route 66 bridge parking area in Bethany, OK. Once you paddle back into the refuge, the city slips away and you are treated to tons of migratory birds, good fishing, ancient trees, and even a few sandy beaches.
Lake Overholser is a popular fishing area for local residents. A covered fishing pier is on the southwest side of the lake. Species of fish include: white bass, bream, bluegill, striped bass, flathead catfish, crappie, carp, catfish and largemouth bass.
Boating is allowed on the lake, but swimming is prohibited.
Dr Brent Hisey, the museum board chairman, believes that airplanes were designed and built for flying, not to be sitting stationary in a standard “museum”. You can see these planes in the museum, when they are not flying to do demonstrations. In the front of the hangar are displays of military uniforms, equipment, aircraft models, and other things of interest to flyers. Current airplanes in the collection: “Miss Ammerica” – P51D racer; “Super Rabbit” – B-25J bomber; Russian L39 Albatross trainer; North American T-28C Trojan. A P51C is being built.