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June 2022
Summer Solstice Walks
Start your summer with a trip to Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center for a special guided tour on the summer solstice, Tuesday, June 21. There will be three walks led by archaeologist Dennis Peterson starting at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Each walk will include one mile of easy walking and last about two hours.
Peterson will talk about the history of the mound site and the American Indians who built it more than 1,000 years ago. He also will talk about the reasons for the mounds and the alignment of some of the mounds to track the movement of the sun throughout the year. Peterson will tell the history of the excavations of the site by both archaeologists and looters. The 7 p.m. walk will allow the observation of twilight wildlife and a view of the sunset, which is the most important part of the event.
There is a small fee for this series of tours of $5 for adults and $3 for children in addition to the regular daily admission fee. Oklahoma Historical Society and Spiro Mounds Development Association members do not pay the daily admission fee. No reservations are required, except for large groups. Payment can be made by cash or check, but credit cards are not accepted.
Find out more »“Functional Fiber Arts” living history program
On Friday, June 24, and Saturday, June 25, Fort Gibson Historic Site will be holding a living history program to demonstrate the many uses of functional fiber arts. Visitors will be treated to examples of crafts such as twined bags and finger woven belts, along with a discussion of the wide variety of uses for these beautiful pieces of functional art. Fiber arts provided many functions beyond personal and artistic expression. Upon arrival to the Americas, colonists encountered many different…
Find out more »“Functional Fiber Arts” living history program
On Friday, June 24, and Saturday, June 25, Fort Gibson Historic Site will be holding a living history program to demonstrate the many uses of functional fiber arts. Visitors will be treated to examples of crafts such as twined bags and finger woven belts, along with a discussion of the wide variety of uses for these beautiful pieces of functional art. Fiber arts provided many functions beyond personal and artistic expression. Upon arrival to the Americas, colonists encountered many different…
Find out more »July 2022
Pawnee Bill Cannon Dedication Ceremony
On Saturday, July 2, at 10 a.m., the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum will hold a special dedication ceremony on the front lawn of the site to return one of the cannons used in the original Pawnee Bill Wild West Shows to the home of the former Wild West Show entertainer. After more than 70 years in Oklahoma City, the cannon will be unveiled on the front lawn at the historic site in Pawnee. Opening remarks will be delivered by…
Find out more »Battle of Honey Springs Memorial Service
Honey Springs Battlefield will hold its annual memorial service honoring the 159th anniversary of the Battle of Honey Springs near Checotah on Saturday, July 16, at 10:30 a.m. The memorial service will be held outside on the lawn of the visitor center. Adam Lynn, site manager for Honey Springs Battlefield, will give a welcome and opening remarks, followed by the presentation of colors by the color guard, an invocation by Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Mr.…
Find out more »Heritage Plants Lecture
On Saturday, July 16, from 1 to 3 p.m., the Oklahoma History Center will have a presentation about Oklahoma's native and heritage plants for guests aged 12 and up. After learning about Oklahoma’s native and heritage plants, participants will enjoy a tour of the beautiful flora of the OHC’s Red River Journey. This program is free with paid admission to the OHC. It will take place in the Musser Learning Lab, located on the first floor inside the Research Center,…
Find out more »Thursday Night Lecture Series featuring Pawnee Bill Ranch’s Anna Davis
On Thursday, July 21, 2022, Anna Davis, the historical interpreter at Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum will be our guest to make a presentation about Gordon William Lillie and May Manning Lillie, the founders of the Pawnee Bill Ranch. Anna Davis has been the historical interpreter at the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum for 16 years. She holds a bachelor's degree in history from Oklahoma State University and a master's degree from the University of Oklahoma. She specializes in genealogy…
Find out more »Museum After Dark: Home on the Range, an evening with artist Dallas Mayer
On Saturday, July 23, from 6 to 8 p.m., exhibiting artist Dallas Mayer will have a painting demonstration in the museum as a part of her Home on the Range: Dallas Mayer Art Show on exhibit this summer at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center (CSRHC).
Mayer will introduce her work that is exhibited at the CSRHC and provide insights into her process as an artist. She will also be holding a live painting demonstration showcasing her approach and style. In this special evening program, Mayer will lead a discussion on the subject matter of western landscapes that most inspires her work. The artist's pastel, watercolor, and oil works will be available to purchase.
Find out more »“Frontier Service in the 19th Century” living history program
On Saturday, July 30, at 10 a.m., and again at 1 p.m., the Fort Gibson Historic Site will host a living history program titled “Frontier Service in the 19th Century. Learn more about the service of soldiers on the remote frontier of the Indian Territory in the days before the Civil War. Larry Toll will present a program at 10 a.m., and at 1 p.m. about the men who served in the Army at Fort Gibson in the period of…
Find out more »August 2022
“The Shoe Strides Forward: How Raising Hemlines Created the Shoes We Love Today” presentation by Heather Franks
On Thursday, August 18, the Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion will host a special program called “The Shoe Strides Forward: How Raising Hemlines Created the Shoes We Love Today” presented by Heather Franks. She is the organizer and curator of the current fashion exhibit at the Overholser Mansion, Early Influencers: How Anna Overholser & Henry Ione Overholser Perry Set the Style for Oklahoma City Women, 1903–1929. Guests will learn all about the history of shoes from the 1920s to the…
Find out more »Thursday Night Lecture Series featuring the Oklahoma Capitol Restoration Project presentation by Trait Thompson
On Thursday, August 18, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Director Trait Thompson will give a presentation about the Oklahoma Capitol Restoration Project. Before becoming executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society, Thompson was the project manager of the Oklahoma Capitol Restoration Project. He will discuss the history of the Oklahoma State Capitol and how this monumental restoration project was achieved. A question and answer session will take place after the lecture. For more information, please call…
Find out more »“History and Hops: Mid-Century Modern Architecture” presentation by Lynda Ozan
On Friday, August 26, from 6 to 8 p.m., Preservation Oklahoma will continue its History and Hops series with a presentation on Mid-Century Modern architecture with Lynda Ozan. This event will take place in the Carriage House of the Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion, located at 405 NW 15th Street in Oklahoma City. Lynda Ozan is the deputy State Historic Preservation officer. She will present Oklahoma's rich and dynamic collection of Mid-Century Modern architecture and why it is so prevalent…
Find out more »“Hardtack and Hard Times: Civil War Food” living history program
On Saturday, August 27, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Honey Springs Battlefield will host “Hardtack and Hard Times,” a come-and-go presentation about Civil War food. Historian Dave Fowler and the Honey Springs Battlefield staff will tell guests about what foods were commonly available in the Civil War era, and allow visitors to experience some of these provisions. Soldiers and settlers had to gather, hunt, grow, and prepare food to sustain their lives in the Civil War era. Learn about…
Find out more »September 2022
“Musket Demo Day” living history program
On Friday, September 9, and Saturday, September 10, Fort Gibson Historic Site will host a living history program based on the history of musket firearms and musket demonstrations. This program will run from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 1 to 3 p.m. Muskets were an important tool for soldiers and civilians in the region. The staff at Fort Gibson will detail the variety and use of muskets during the period during which Fort Gibson was active. The program…
Find out more »Museum After Dark: Working America exhibit opening
On Friday, September 9, from 6 to 8 p.m., the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center (CSRHC) will kick off the opening of Sam Comen's Working America exhibit with a tour and lecture. From 6 to 7 p.m., Dr. Neal Matherne, CSRHC's education director will lead visitors on a tour of the exhibit, sharing regional and local stories from the museum's oral history collection. The tour will be followed by a lecture from 7 to 8 p.m., exploring the themes of labor and…
Find out more »“Musket Demo Day” living history program
On Friday, September 9, and Saturday, September 10, Fort Gibson Historic Site will host a living history program based on the history of musket firearms and musket demonstrations. This program will run from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 1 to 3 p.m. Muskets were an important tool for soldiers and civilians in the region. The staff at Fort Gibson will detail the variety and use of muskets during the period during which Fort Gibson was active. The program…
Find out more »Thursday Night Lecture Series featuring Ted Reeds
Will Rogers Memorial Museum will have a Thursday Night Lecture Series in the museum theater on Thursday, September 15. The program will begin at 7 p.m. Architect Ted Reeds will give a presentation on the development and design of Art Deco architecture in the city of Tulsa and John Duncan Forsyth (1887–1963) who was the architect of the Will Rogers Memorial Museum. Forsyth was a Scottish-American architect who came to prominence working in the Tulsa area. For more information, please…
Find out more »“Traveling by Keelboat” living history program
On Friday, September 16, and Saturday, September 17, join the staff and volunteers at Fort Gibson Historic Site as they demonstrate the operations of a keelboat during a special riverside living history program. The tours to the riverside will run at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. on both days. These riverside demonstrations will show visitors the skills needed to operate a keelboat, which was the way goods and supplies were originally delivered to Fort Gibson. Guests are encouraged…
Find out more »“Traveling by Keelboat” living history program
On Friday, September 16, and Saturday, September 17, join the staff and volunteers at Fort Gibson Historic Site as they demonstrate the operations of a keelboat during a special riverside living history program. The tours to the riverside will run at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. on both days. These riverside demonstrations will show visitors the skills needed to operate a keelboat, which was the way goods and supplies were originally delivered to Fort Gibson. Guests are encouraged…
Find out more »“Traveling by Keelboat” living history program
On Friday, September 16, and Saturday, September 17, join the staff and volunteers at Fort Gibson Historic Site as they demonstrate the operations of a keelboat during a special riverside living history program. The tours to the riverside will run at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. on both days. These riverside demonstrations will show visitors the skills needed to operate a keelboat, which was the way goods and supplies were originally delivered to Fort Gibson. Guests are encouraged…
Find out more »“Traveling by Keelboat” living history program
On Friday, September 16, and Saturday, September 17, join the staff and volunteers at Fort Gibson Historic Site as they demonstrate the operations of a keelboat during a special riverside living history program. The tours to the riverside will run at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. on both days. These riverside demonstrations will show visitors the skills needed to operate a keelboat, which was the way goods and supplies were originally delivered to Fort Gibson. Guests are encouraged…
Find out more »“Traveling by Keelboat” living history program
On Friday, September 16, and Saturday, September 17, join the staff and volunteers at Fort Gibson Historic Site as they demonstrate the operations of a keelboat during a special riverside living history program. The tours to the riverside will run at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. on both days. These riverside demonstrations will show visitors the skills needed to operate a keelboat, which was the way goods and supplies were originally delivered to Fort Gibson. Guests are encouraged…
Find out more »“History of Masonic Temples in Oklahoma” presentation by T. S. Akers
On Saturday, September 17, at 1 p.m., Honey Springs Battlefield will host the “History of Masonic Temples in Oklahoma,” a presentation by T. S. Akers. Akers, a historian of Freemasonry in Oklahoma, will discuss the establishment and architecture of Masonic Temples in Oklahoma. T. S. Akers is a resident of Oklahoma City who graduated from Eufaula High School in 2003. He is also a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and curator of collections for the McAlester Valley of the…
Find out more »“Traveling by Keelboat” living history program
On Friday, September 16, and Saturday, September 17, join the staff and volunteers at Fort Gibson Historic Site as they demonstrate the operations of a keelboat during a special riverside living history program. The tours to the riverside will run at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. on both days. These riverside demonstrations will show visitors the skills needed to operate a keelboat, which was the way goods and supplies were originally delivered to Fort Gibson. Guests are encouraged…
Find out more »Autumnal Equinox Walks
Come to Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center on Thursday, September 22, 2022, for the Autumnal Equinox Walks. As the end of summer nears and crops are ready for harvest, the time of the year arrives for the most important of ceremonies for many Indigenous peoples, the Busk or Green Corn Ceremony. The Green Corn Ceremony was a harvest and renewal ceremony that took place around the autumnal equinox in the Spiro area. On September 22 there will be three walks beginning…
Find out more »“Candles on Post” living history program
On Friday, September 23, and Saturday, September 24, from 10 a.m. to noon, and again from 1-3 p.m., the Fort Gibson Historic Site will be having a living history program entitled Candles on Post. Various practices of using and making candles, essential to fort life will begin with a candle-making demonstration in the palisade kitchens while learning about the differences between candles made of beeswax and those made of tallow. Learn the importance of wick length for longer-burning candles. The…
Find out more »“Candles on Post” living history program
On Friday, September 23, and Saturday, September 24, from 10 a.m. to noon, and again from 1-3 p.m., the Fort Gibson Historic Site will be having a living history program entitled Candles on Post. Various practices of using and making candles, essential to fort life will begin with a candle-making demonstration in the palisade kitchens while learning about the differences between candles made of beeswax and those made of tallow. Learn the importance of wick length for longer-burning candles. The…
Find out more »Presente in Oklahoma!
September 15 to October 15 is Hispanic American Heritage Month. To celebrate the significant contributions of Latinos in the state of Oklahoma, the OHS Multicultural Office is planning “Presente in Oklahoma!,” a panel discussion focusing on Hispanic history to be held at the Oklahoma History Center on Tuesday, September 27, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The panel will consist of historians, scholars, and representatives from Hispanic families with deep roots in Oklahoma. During this event, speakers will share the…
Find out more »October 2022
“Coffee Time” living history program
On Friday, October 7, and Saturday, October 8, from 10 a.m. to noon, and again from 1 to 3 p.m. join Fort Gibson Historic Site staff as they present a program all about coffee which will follow the process of bringing the coffee beans from the tree to the mug. Learn what coffee varietals were available in the 19th century and see the equipment used to process and brew coffee. In the history of this nation, there has been one…
Find out more »“Coffee Time” living history program
On Friday, October 7, and Saturday, October 8, from 10 a.m. to noon, and again from 1 to 3 p.m. join Fort Gibson Historic Site staff as they present a program all about coffee which will follow the process of bringing the coffee beans from the tree to the mug. Learn what coffee varietals were available in the 19th century and see the equipment used to process and brew coffee. In the history of this nation, there has been one…
Find out more »International Archaeology Day Celebration
October is Archaeology Month in Oklahoma and internationally, and Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center will celebrate International Archaeology Day on Saturday, October 15, 2022, with a lecture, a guided walk, and many other activities. Oklahoma Archaeology Month is sponsored and promoted by the Oklahoma Anthropological Society and the Oklahoma Public Archaeology Network, and includes many more events (some virtual) throughout Oklahoma during the month of October. Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center is the only pre-European contact Native American archaeological site in Oklahoma…
Find out more »Thursday Night Lecture Series featuring Michael Williams
On Thursday, October 20 at 7 p.m., The Will Rogers Museum will host its Thursday Night Lecture Series featuring a presentation by Michael Williams. He will tell the bizarre story of Elmer McCurdy—the Oklahoma Outlaw turned sideshow mummy. While filming an episode of the hit television show, The Six Million Dollar Man, entitled “The Carnival of Spies,” at the Nu-Pike amusement park in Long Beach, California, a member of the crew, knocked the arm of a mannequin at the Laff-In-The-Dark…
Find out more »“What a Mess” living history program
On Friday, October 28, and Saturday, October 29, 2022, from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 1 to 3 p.m., this late October living history program will be focused on the mess hall of Fort Gibson. Learn the types of foods available at the post during the 19th century. Kitchen staff will be stoking the kitchen fires and cooking delicious recipes from pork, potatoes, dried fruits and vegetables, and making coffee. Living historians will be demonstrating the skills of…
Find out more »“What a Mess” living history program
On Friday, October 28, and Saturday, October 29, 2022, from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 1 to 3 p.m., this late October living history program will be focused on the mess hall of Fort Gibson. Learn the types of foods available at the post during the 19th century. Kitchen staff will be stoking the kitchen fires and cooking delicious recipes from pork, potatoes, dried fruits and vegetables, and making coffee. Living historians will be demonstrating the skills of…
Find out more »November 2022
Honey Springs Visitor Center Grand Opening
Honey Springs Battlefield is excited to celebrate the grand opening of all permanent exhibits inside the visitor center near Checotah on Saturday, November 5, beginning at 11 a.m. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience an immersive, 3-D theatrical video performance bringing to life the Battle of Honey Springs. Additionally, guests can explore the new east gallery exhibit hall featuring 14 audio players with recordings from first-hand, written accounts of soldiers who fought at the Battle of Honey Springs, as…
Find out more »“Hunter Trapper” living history program
On Friday, November 18, and Saturday, November 19, 2022, from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 1 to 3 p.m., the Fort Gibson Historic Site will hold a living history program about the practices of hunters and trappers of the area. Visitors will learn about the trade through a hands-on examination of the different animal furs and by seeing the different equipment, tools, and paraphernalia involved in making a successful hunting season. The month of November in Indian Territory…
Find out more »“Hunter Trapper” living history program
On Friday, November 18, and Saturday, November 19, 2022, from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 1 to 3 p.m., the Fort Gibson Historic Site will hold a living history program about the practices of hunters and trappers of the area. Visitors will learn about the trade through a hands-on examination of the different animal furs and by seeing the different equipment, tools, and paraphernalia involved in making a successful hunting season. The month of November in Indian Territory…
Find out more »“Historic Native American Regalia in Today’s Society” History OffCenter presentation by Jake Tiger
On Wednesday, November 30, at 6 p.m., the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) will present another free event in its History OffCenter series. Jake Tiger (Seminole), historical preservation officer for the Seminole Nation, will lead the discussion about “Historic Native American Regalia in Today’s Society” at OK Cider Co., located at 705 W. Sheridan Ave. in Oklahoma City. Tiger (pictured above) is an expert on Seminole textiles and traditional garments. History OffCenter is a series from the OHS focused on immersive, engaging experiences.…
Find out more »December 2022
“History of Masonic Temples in Oklahoma” presentation by T. S. Akers
On Thursday, December 1, at 7 p.m. Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library will host “History of Masonic Temples in Oklahoma,” a presentation by T. S. Akers. Akers, a historian of Freemasonry in Oklahoma, will discuss the establishment and architecture of Masonic Temples in Oklahoma. T. S. Akers is a resident of Oklahoma City who graduated from Eufaula High School in 2003. He is also a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and curator of collections for the McAlester Valley of…
Find out more »January 2023
“Architecture of the Capitol” presentation by Trait Thompson *canceled*
Due to unforseen circumstances, the "Architecture of the Capitol" presentation has been canceled. Call 405-522-0765 for more information.
Find out more »