This post is about our visit to the Drummond family lodge where The Pioneer Woman shows are filmed. If you’d like to read about our tour of the Pioneer Woman Boarding House, click HERE.
The Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond and her husband, Ladd, have been opening up the lodge on their Oklahoma ranch to visitors. We were surprised that we were visiting The Mercantile in Pawhuska on a day the lodge happened to be open. And we were even more surprised with some of the things we found when we got there.
#1 – Free admission
With the popularity of everything Pioneer Woman, the Drummonds could charge an arm and a leg for people to tour their lodge. But they don’t. In fact, so far they haven’t been charging anything. That’s right, they are allowing visitors to The Pioneer Woman Mercantile the opportunity to visit their family’s lodge at no cost. All you have to do is stop by the Mercantile on select days and pick up a sheet of paper with the directions and you’re good to go.
The kitchen at the lodge is just like it looks on the show, complete with the watercolor paintings of the Drummond kids and colorful mixers.
You just show your sheet of paper to the nice folks at the front door and walk on in. Once inside, you’re allowed to roam through the kitchen where Ree’s popular Food Network show is filmed, stopping at the stove for an obligitory photo with a wooden spoon or a colorful pot.
It was so much fun to see this amazing kitchen in person.
#2 – You don’t need a GPS to find the ranch
One of things we loved most about our visit to the Drummond lodge were the directions to get there. There’s no physical address to key into your car’s GPS. No, Ree and Ladd found an even better (not to mention more entertaining) way to lead visitors to their lodge.
The Pioneer Woman’s lodge is their lovely guest house that also serves as the set for her show.
They wrote out detailed instructions on how to get to the lodge from the edge of Pawhuska starting with “the former ALCO store on the right is a good marker.” They also mention in the details “that bathrooms are available at the lodge if you need them (we have indoor plumbing! HaHa!).”
One of the guest bathrooms in the lodge.
We found the directions easy to follow despite their warning that, “one road sign was knocked over by a cow not long ago, so we’re not sure the sign will be there.” It wasn’t. We appreciated their advice to go slowly on the winding hills and look for markers such as curves in the road and cattle guards. We found the lodge with no trouble at all and at the family’s request, kept the exact directions to ourselves.
PIN FOR LATER
Seven things that surprised us about The Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond’s ranch and lodge in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.
#3 – The pantry includes generic spices, Ramen noodles, and canned frosting
On our self-guided tour, we had a chance to peek into the pantry full of all kinds of foods and beautiful cookware.
Ree has a bunch of dishes and cookware on hand at the lodge.
Colorful pots and pans are stacked high on the shelves in the pantry of the lodge. There are also plenty of mason jars for iced tea.
Plates and serving dishes fill the shelves in the pantry of the lodge.
My eyes were immediately drawn to all of the colorful serving dishes and pots and pans, but I also noticed something so surprising. Generic labeled spices (and some other ingredients) just like we use.
See? She does use store label spices!
We also spotted Ramen noodles and canned frosting! Ree Drummond has cookbooks full of delectable recipes she prepares for her family. Pork carnitas, shrimp stir-fry, and the best tomato soup ever. Her seemingly endless list of dinner ideas has amazed me for years and I guess I just imagined her family always having a home-cooked meal at the ready. Turns out, they may resort to Ramen every once in awhile just like us. And, they may even use canned frosting.
The shelves at the pantry are filled with the same items that everyone else has, including an opened box of something.
I was thrilled to see these items in the Drummond pantry and came to the realization that I’m not the only one who doesn’t have something like a perfect pot roast on the table every night. Here’s a video tour of the pantry in its entirety.
#4 -You get to see Ree’s dressing room
We’ve been on a lot of “back-stage” and “behind-the-scenes” tours in all our travels, but I must say, this is the one that was the most real.
In the room with her makeup, Ree had two or three blouses she’d worn for shows hanging up. This one was used for the “Crazy Sweet Treats” episode.
On our self-guided tour of the ranch, we were not only invited, but encouraged, to step into all of the rooms at the lodge and check out where guests stay, including the suite Ree uses as a dressing room for her Food Network show. It was fun to see the rack of her signature tunics, complete with pictures from the shows in which they were worn. The coats she is seen pulling on to deliver a meal to the guys on the ranch were hanging in the closet, and there was even an extra pair of cowboy boots under the dressing table.
Ree uses one of the suites at the lodge as a dressing room to prep for her show.
Her Fit Bit, turquoise bracelet, and her Urban Decay makeup were all left on the dressing table showing us how down-to-earth she really is.
#5 – The lodge was lived in
One of things I loved most about the lodge was that it was lived in.
The family’s boots adorn the mantle of the lodge.
One of the bedrooms at the lodge that the family uses to host guests.
It wasn’t a huge show house with high-end decor and pristine floors. Don’t get me wrong, it was absolutely gorgeous. But the beds were made, not made up with dozens of perfectly placed linens and European shams. In addition, minor scuffs on the walls served as evidence that children had really played there and we loved that they stuffed things in the closets when people were coming to visit just like we do back home.
The top shelves in the bedroom closets at the lodge are used as a place to stash things while folks visit–proving the Drummonds ARE real people.
#6 – They let you play kitchen
Not only was the dream kitchen at the lodge not off limits, they actually invited visitors to be in it! That’s right. There were pots and pans on the stove and mixing bowls and spatulas to play with. And never in my life could I have imagined watching grown women (and a few men) stand in line to stir imaginary cake batter in a kitchen that wasn’t theirs. It was so much fun!
Just like on the show!
Meghan stands at the stove at the Pioneer Woman’s lodge.
I volunteered more than once to take people’s pictures in the kitchen and encouraged them to ham it up (which they all secretly wanted to do). Steve, Meghan, and I posed for our pics as well, and it is so much fun to remember ourselves in the kitchen when we watch The Pioneer Woman on TV now.
I loved taking people’s pictures in Ree’s kitchen.
# 7 – The view is even better than on TV
Sometimes things look so much better on television than in real life. Not the ranch. The view from the deck at the lodge was even better than it appears on TV. The rolling green pastures on this Oklahoma ranch were just breathtaking and we took the time to enjoy the view and take it all in.
The view from the lodge across the ranch is absolutely incredible.
We can’t thank the Drummonds enough for opening their lodge to visitors like us and sharing so much of their lives with complete strangers. Not every best-selling author and TV celebrity would do that. But then again, Ree Drummond is not your every day celebrity. She really is a wife, mom, food writer, and photographer. And she really does welcome real people to her frontier.
Are you planning a visit to Pawhuska? Check out this list of 70+ things to do after you’ve eaten at the Mercantile. Then, check out the section of our website dedicated to Pawhuska. From reasons husbands should take their wives to the Merc to suggestions on places to stay, you’ll find our site to be chock full of great information on the hometown of The Pioneer Woman.
As always, thanks for sharing (and pinning)!
I am curious , on tv I see her using her glass spice containers. I don’t see anything labeled on the glass containers. Any ideas if they was labeled or how she knows what is what lol
No idea. But she has done a lot of cooking and can likely spot a spice a mile away.
Thank you for all the great information!
Our pleasure. Let us know if you have any questions.
We have a trip to the area in October. Do you know if they will have open tours Oct-10-12.
We don’t know what dates will be open. Our best advice is to check the Pioneer Woman Mercantile’s website. Keep checking back as they do add dates as time goes on and the family knows its schedule. Check here: https://www.themercantile.com/pages/lodge-tours
We went to the mercantile and got a dessert and coffee upstairs, then went to the lodge. We just happened to be at the right place at the right time for lodge tours. I enjoyed the self tours and taking your time. Wish some of the family had been around, but didn’t get to see anyone. Maybe some other time. Had a great time anyway
Glad you enjoyed your time in Pawhuska! You’ll just have to come back again. 🙂
We really liked it. I want to go again. Hope we can go to Hominy, OK too. Thanks Ladd and Ree.
Can you tell me what the distance is between the Lodge and their house?
Thanks
We do not know. It is a huge ranch and while the lodge is open to visitors, their private home is not.
How long is the drive from the Lodge to the Mercantile? Thanks!
About 15-20 minutes, depending if others on the road are used to driving on gravel. 🙂
Visiting the Mercantile and touring the Lodge was a fantastic experience. Everyone should visit both if you have the opportunity. There’s a little driving involved but the experience was worth every minute.
We visited two weeks ago loved it. We stayed at The Frontier Hotel. Loved it.
We could lay in bed and see the Merc. ❤️
So glad you enjoyed your time in a Pawhuska! We hope you’ll come back again.
Do you know where she gets all those beautiful tops she wears on the show?
I’m sorry, we don’t. However, we have seen some like them at local clothing boutiques in and around Pawhuska. I especially like many of the tops at Salt Creek just across the street from The Mercantile.
How far of a drive is the lodge from the Mercantile? Thinking of taking my family there in October and trying to plan out the trip a little.
It took us about 20 minutes. You should know that you also drive on gravel to get there. Definitely a great experience that you should try to fit into your trip. Let us know if you have any other questions.
We just got home today. Ree was out of town, but we did have a great time. Met her friend, Barbara, after our paths crossed a few times at neighboring town flee markets. We must have stood and talked in one of the rows of shopping for 45 minutes. What a great lady! Hope to see her again and maybe meet Ree sometime.
So glad you had such a good time in Pawhuska. We just love it here.
Are cameras allowed will be going this monday Thanks
Yes, to our knowledge, cameras are allowed. In fact, folks stand in line to take their picture in Ree’s kitchen.
We’re glad to hear you’re coming to Pawhuska! When you come, please be sure to plan plenty of time for your visit, multiple days if possible. A few hints:
1. Go to the Merc for breakfast first thing in the morning, or else go for dinner after 5:00 p.m. Otherwise, you’ll spend a part of your day standing in line, and there is too much to do here to do that! Note: the lunch and dinner menu are the same, so it’s the same food at noon or 6:00 p.m.
2. Be sure to walk up and down Main St., Kihekah Ave. and the other streets in the downtown area. There are many wonderful stores full of unique items and super-friendly people just waiting to meet you and welcome you to the Osage.
3. Be sure to read our post of things to do in Pawhuska after you’ve eaten at the Merc. It can be found at http://www.postcardjar.com/pawhuska
4. Don’t forget that P-Town Pizza (Ree’s wood-fired pizza restaurant) is across Kihekah Ave.
5. Have a wonderful visit! Maybe we’ll see you around!
We just got home from our visit, love being at the lodge, couldn’t get in at the bed and breakfast tho, stood in line 2hours to get in to eat, happened to get a picture of Bryce at the the Merc, we had a great time
Glad to hear you enjoyed your time in Pawhuska.
Ann and Steve,
How long was the wait to get tickets to the lodge? My mom and Inwamt to go in September but are changing travel dates to try and get a tour.
Thank you!
Amy
There is actually no wait at all to get a ticket to the lodge. You just go to the gift wrap counter inside the Merc and ask for a sheet with directions to the lodge. The directions sheet is your ticket to the lodge and the self-guided tour is complimentary. We might suggest you have breakfast at The Mercantile then head out to the lodge and experience all that Pawhuska has to offer (and there’s lots). Then, have a late lunch or early dinner at The Merc when it is less crowded. We hope you enjoy your time in Pawhuska. Please let us know if you have any other questions.
Going to the Lodge was my favorite thing I did all summer!! It was so much fun to see everything in the lodge. The only thing that you couldn’t see was her fridge- It had a note on it- Do not open and look inside! I even got to pet her dogs! I loved it!!
Are there motels nearby for us out of towners?
Yes. There are several B&Bs in Pawhuska and regular chain hotels in nearby Bartlesville. We had a great stay at the Hampton Inn there.
I would love to go there someday; I really enjoy the show. I can’t imagine how beautiful the night sky must be in that area. My bucket list also includes seeing the beautiful sky with no light to block the stars. You are blessed to live in such a beautiful area.
My sister and I had the most fabulous visit to the ranch! It was so much fun to stand in the same place in the kitchen that we’ve seen Ree stand on her shows!! Thanks, Ree and family for the FREE tour!
I have enjoyed your posts on the Pioneer Woman and Mercantile. You shared such detailed info about your adventure. I live about 70 miles from there so have been several times. We also got to visit the lodge in January when they were doing a trial run. It is a fun outing and I encourage others to visit the area if they can in the near future. Ponca City and Bartlesville are very close and both offer some other wonderful places to visit.
Margaret
Thanks for your sweet comments, Margaret. We have had so much positive feedback from our posts and so many suggestions of other things to do in the area. I’m sure we’ll be back in Osage County sometime soon. Thanks again for following along. We’re glad you’re here.
What a fun experience! Especially fun to see the insider pictures!
We are glad you enjoyed the post, Gretchen!
Is there anyway to find out what days visits are or is just pure luck?
We are not sure if there is an advanced schedule or not, but will do our best to try to find out for you. My guess is a lot depends on the family’s schedule, TV filming, and weather. We’ve seen mentions of days the lodge is open on The Pioneer Woman Mercantile Facebook page, so you might check there. We’ll let you know if we find out more information.
They post them on the website.
We’re taking a bus load there in a couple of weeks. I’m praying/dreaming/begging that they have the lodge open that day. If not, thanks for the real tour!
We’re so excited for you and your group! Even if the lodge is not open, you’ll have a great time, I promise.
Very interesting…we visited the Merc in April but don’t think at the time they had tours for the lodge. Would love to go back and do that but until then…thanks for the info and pics!
Our pleasure! Thanks for visiting Postcard Jar. I hope you’ll keep following along.
Wow !!! Thank you for sharing this. Awesome!!!
The access they allow is amazing!
What a fun experience.
It really is a wonderful experience. They are just open, sharing people.
What’s the distance between the Lodge and the house they live in?
The Lodge is a guest house and serves as the set for The Pioneer Woman TV show. Their house is their private family home.