Located in McCurtain County, Wheelock Academy is a testament to the Choctaw Nation's commitment to education. Built in 1832, Wheelock Academy was created as a missionary school. Ten years later, Wheelock Academy was chosen to become the first Choctaw Nation Academy and was converted into an all-girls school. Students there were exposed to both traditional studies of English, history, geography and science, as well as home economics and Bible studies. When the Civil War began in 1861, the academy was closed. A fire destroyed every building on the original campus in 1869, and Wheelock Academy was reconstructed in the 1880s just northeast of its original location. Between 1884 and 1955, Wheelock Academy was a thriving learning environment.
After Wheelock Academy's closure in 1955, the campus underwent several changes. What had grown to 17 buildings dwindled down to just six, including an old seminary, dining hall, barn, chapel, a domestic science building and an arts and crafts building. In 1965 the academy was declared a National Historical Landmark. Since then, Wheelock Academy has become a popular tourist destination. It is located in an area dubbed the "Choctaw/Chickasaw Heritage Corridor," which stretches from Wheelock Academy to the Chickasaw Capitol House in Tishomingo. Guests are invited to take a one hour guided tour of the grounds five days a week. Advance group reservations preferred.