Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
A skeleton on display contemplating its own mortality.
Kid Mai Death Awareness Cafe
This classic London pub has a surprising history behind it.
John Snow
The beef, Guinness, and oyster pie sports a rich, flaky crust.
The Guinea
Welcome to one of the only floating pubs in the world.
Tamesis Dock
This may be the oldest pie in the world.
St Helens 'Oldest Pie' at The Turks Head
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
12 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
15 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
22 days ago
“There may be a collective sense of a dark loneliness,” Dahl says, referring to Norway’s natural landscape.
In Norway, Easter Means Tucking Into Crime Stories
22 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Oklahoma Tahlequah Mister Ed's Grave

Mister Ed's Grave

The granite monument is engraved with the image of the talking horse's head coming through a barn door.

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Added By
TonboMedia
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Mister Ed’s grave marker   TonboMedia / Atlas Obscura User
Mister Ed’s grave marker   TonboMedia / Atlas Obscura User
Bamboo Harvester portraying Mister Ed   Coulter-Strauss Public Relations for D'Arcy Advertising/Public Domain
  SemiruralYeti / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Beneath a grave marker decorated with the logo of the classic television show Mister Ed, in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, a horse who portrayed the title character rests peacefully. But which horse?

Most visitors and locals believe the horse in the grave is Bamboo Harvester, the palomino horse, born in 1949, who played Mister Ed on television between 1961 and 1966, then retired to the Oklahoma farm where the five-foot granite marker now stands. He reportedly became sick in 1968 and was euthanized before being laid to rest near a cherry tree in 1970.

But Alan Young, who played Wilbur Post, the only person to whom Mister Ed would speak on the show, says that Harvester actually died accidentally following a shot of tranquilizer in California and was cremated, his ashes spread around by his trainer, Lester Hilton. Young says the horse buried in Oklahoma was a different palomino horse named Pumpkin, who died in 1979. Pumpkin was used for publicity shots for the show, and took up the mantle of Mister Ed after Harvester died, but never played the role on television. A third story has Harvester dying in California and being buried in Oklahoma.

Fans are devoted to the marker on the farm in Tahlequah regardless of which horse is buried there. The gravestone was marked by a simple wooden cross and a horse shoe until 1990, when a special stone was engraved for Mister Ed, complete with the image of his head sticking out through a barn door. There was a ceremony for its arrival that included a color guard and carrot bouquets.

The marker is engraved cautiously: “According to media reports, Mr. Ed moved to Oklahoma in the late 1960s, after a successful Hollywood career. Mr. Ed continued to entertain and bring joy to many Oklahomans, finally retiring in this very field. May his memory live long.” 

Related Tags

Gravestones Film Locations Television Horses Animals Graves

Know Before You Go

The farm has had a few different owners since Mister Ed’s burial, most of whom have been accepting of the tourist traffic their property receives. Currently, the stone is still standing and is well tended by the owner. Still, this is private property so be sure to get permission from the homeowners before visiting, and be respectful. The property sits right in an awkward curve of Highway 82 just north of Tahlequah, OK. It is easy to miss if you aren't looking for it. Look for the GPS coordinates on the map before setting out and you should have no problems.

Community Contributors

Added By

TonboMedia

Edited By

AaronNetsky, SemiruralYeti

  • AaronNetsky
  • SemiruralYeti

Published

April 19, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.google.com/maps/place/13644+OK-82,+Tahlequah,+OK+74464/@35.9872127,-94.9691594,130a,35y,352.44h,45t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x87c9e4acbf70d1ab:0xc1950671cc443b93!8m2!3d35.9878028!4d-94.969556
  • http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/1828
  • https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1551
  • https://www.travelok.com/listings/view.profile/id.22825
  • http://newsok.com/article/2321151
  • http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/PAGE-ONE-Mr-Ed-Shrine-in-Peril-Toppled-2809262.php
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_Harvester
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_Ed
  • http://www.reddirtreport.com/slice-o-life/horse-corpse-famous-mister-ed-buried-tahlequah
  • http://www.tulsaworld.com/blogs/news/throwbacktulsa/throwback-tulsa-mister-ed-found-greener-pastures-final-resting-place/article_da456005-8fcf-5aff-90bd-508d2f801234.html
Mister Ed's Grave
13634-13644 OK-82
Tahlequah, Oklahoma
United States
35.988841, -94.970284
Get Directions

Nearby Places

J.T. Nickel Family Nature & Wildlife Preserve

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

miles away

Airlight Outdoor Telephone Booth

Prairie Grove, Arkansas

miles away

AR-MO-OK Tri-State Marker

South West City, Missouri

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tahlequah

Tahlequah

Oklahoma

Places 2

Nearby Places

J.T. Nickel Family Nature & Wildlife Preserve

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

miles away

Airlight Outdoor Telephone Booth

Prairie Grove, Arkansas

miles away

AR-MO-OK Tri-State Marker

South West City, Missouri

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tahlequah

Tahlequah

Oklahoma

Places 2

Related Places

  • Albuquerque, New Mexico

    Grave of Walter White

    The fictional star of "Breaking Bad" is memorialized with a real-life gravestone in his hometown.

  • Stockholm, Sweden

    The Grave of Morgan

    A simple stone remembers one of the most menacing horses in the Swedish military.

  • Happy Woodlawn Pet Cemetery.

    Aurora, Ontario

    Happy Woodlawn Pet Cemetery

    Canada's first pet cemetery is now abandoned.

  • Grave of Pat the Horse at Fort Sam Houston.

    San Antonio, Texas

    Grave of Pat the Horse

    Soldiers honored the beloved Pat with a special grave.

  • The tombstone on the wall

    Panaji, India

    Dona Paula's Tombstone

    Legends of adultery, love affairs, and charity swirl around this mysterious 17th-century Portuguese woman.

  • Framingham, Massachusetts

    Graves of John Cloyce & Abraham Rice

    In 1777, two men were killed after being struck by lightning at the same time.

  • Pine Ridge Pet Cemetery

    Dedham, Massachusetts

    Pine Ridge Pet Cemetery

    This memorial garden is the final resting place of many beloved pets including that of a famous explorer.

  • The gravestone.

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    Grave of 'The Great Lafayette'

    A magician and his beloved, pampered canine were buried together, within days of each other, due to a tragic twist of fate.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.