Cherokee Nation opens $21.2 million wellness center in Stilwell
Staff Reports | Giduwa Cherokee News
Aug. 4, 2025
The Cherokee Nation on Monday opened the Mary L. (Holland) Carson Wellness Center, a 49,000-square-foot facility at 471776 Highway 51 that serves as the tribe’s first public wellness center in Stilwell.
The $21.2 million center includes a fitness center, indoor running track, full basketball court, batting cages and a café. Outdoor amenities include walking trails, a covered fitness area and a field for the traditional Cherokee game of marbles.
The facility is named for Mary L. (Holland) Carson, an original Cherokee Nation enrollee. It was built on land donated by the Carson Family Foundation.
Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., Deputy Chief Bryan Warner and other tribal leaders attended the opening ceremony.
Funding came through the Public Health and Wellness Fund Act of 2021, amended in 2023, and tribal insurance revenue. Cherokee Nation citizens may use the center at no cost. Public memberships are available for a fee.
The Cherokee Nation is also developing a 75,000-square-foot wellness center in Tahlequah scheduled to open in 2026, with additional facilities planned for Salina and existing centers operating in Marble City and Kenwood.