Past Activities at the Oklahoma Historical Society
History Center Gift Shop Annual Sale
Don't miss your chance to get great deals on jewelry, apparel, mementos and more! Friday November 7 to Saturday November 8 at the Oklahoma History Center.
Cast Your Vote for the Oklahoma Rock Song
The Official Rock Song Advisory Panel has announced the final ten songs up for the official Oklahoma Rock Song.
Visit www.oklahomarocksong.org to listen to the songs and vote for your favorite! Voting ends November 15, 2008.
Victorian Fashion Show November 15
The Oklahoma History Center is hosting a Victorian Fashion Show on Saturday, November 15 from 1:30pm to 4:30pm.
"The show will feature 1800's costumes for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines and Mardi Gras, and Father Christmas will make a special appearance," said Kelsey Arnold, Coordinator of Special Projects at the Oklahoma History Center.
"We are celebrating 100 years of Women's Fashions from the 1820s to the 1920s with the fashion show," Arnold said. "And we are serving Hors d'oeuvres. All proceeds to benefit the Oklahoma State History Day Program," she added.
The Fashion Show is $20 per person for OHS members and $25 for non-members. Reservations are required and should be made before October 20, 2008. To make your reservation call Kelsey Arnold at (405) 522-0692.
Dutch Oven Cooking at the Oklahoma History Center
On Saturday, October 25, the Oklahoma History Center invites you to participate in a hands-on Dutch oven cooking class. The class is open to adults and children. Learn a variety of recipes as you create a dish and discover how to use a Dutch oven in your backyard. $10 per person, all materials provided. Click to view flyer.
Candlelight Tours at Fort Washita, Saturday November 8
See historic Fort Washita as it was in 1863 in the midst of the Civil War! Tickets are $5 per person, children under 6 are free. To make reservations call 580-924-6502. Click here to see the flyer.
"This is My Family" Student Art Contest
The Oklahoma History Center and OHS Kids! invite Oklahoma students to participate in the "This is My Family" Art Contest.
How does your family fit into the rich canvas of Oklahoma's past? Show us with your art! The contest is open to grades 1st-3rd and 4th-6th. First, second and third place prizes will be awarded in each category. For complete details and entry forms visit the OHS Kids! contest page.
October is Family History Month
This October the Oklahoma History Center is offering special activities perfect for beginning and experienced genealogists in honor of Family History Month.
Lunch & Learn Lectures, Genealogy Workshops, and the all-night Research Lock-In offer fun & informative activities for researchers. Visit the Research Center's upcoming events schedule to find out more!
Septemberfest is September 6th!
Entertainment, demonstrations, hands-on activities, and the galleries offer fun for the whole family at the Oklahoma History Center from 10am-4pm!
Indoor Events
Indoor events include four diverse acts that will perform a forty-five minute set in the Devon Great Hall under the replica of the historic Winnie Mae airplane.
- Chris Capstone’s 19th Century Magic Show
- The Celtic Praise Dance Troupe
- Norahua Mexican Folkloric Dancers
- The Greystone Bluegrass Revival
Other activities throughout the building include:
- 10:00 to 10:30 Cody & Cody will be under the airplane talking about their book Revive the Outdoors. Don’t miss their book signing from 11:00 to 2:00 by the Gift Shop
- Make bookmarks with the OHS Research Division
- See demonstrations by spinners and cloth weavers
- Make your own corn husk doll
- Origami and face painting by the Asian Society
- Visit with Bazark the Robot
- See the Plein Air painters on the third floor bridge demonstrating their painting
- The Hands-on History Cart
- Storyteller and flute player, Louis Johnson, will be in the brush arbor
- Visit the Department of Wildlife’s fishing simulator
- Betsy the Queen of all the cows milking simulator will be available for those who want to try their hand
- All the museum galleries will be open with free admission!
- Cowboys with their horses
- A chuck wagon and cook
- Civil War soldiers and their equipment
- The bullwhip master
- Marble shooting court
- Cooking over an open fire in a Dutch oven
- Presentations on the early years in Indian Territory
- Wildlife programs with Critter Lady and Martin Nature Center
- Pawnee Bill with his horse
- Annie Oakley’s shooting demonstrations
- Silversmithing & blacksmithing
- Performances by flutists
- 19th century photographer
- The Oklahoma Kid trick roper
- See the gun collection
Outdoors
Outdoors on the grounds of the History Center don’t miss your chance to see:
50th Anniversary of the Katz Drug Store Sit-In
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
9:30 – 10:30 am
in the Devon Great Hall
Oklahoma History Center
2401 N. Laird Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK 73015
405-522-0765
Join in a tribute to Clara Luper by the youth that she continues to inspire, and meet the participants of the Katz Sit-In. The Langston University Choral Group, directed by Bonita Franklin, will perform a special arrangement of "We Shall Overcome" and other freedom songs.
On August 19, 1958 Mrs. Clara Luper led 3 dedicated chaperones and 14 courageous members of the NAACP Youth Council from her home to the Katz Drug Store lunch counter in downtown Oklahoma City. They attempted to sit at the lunch counter and order soft drinks. This seemingly simple gesture ignited a non-violent act of civil disobedience that instantly catapulted Mrs. Luper and the youth council into the spotlight of the local and national press and has earned them a place in the annals of U.S. history. Their struggle to integrate the eating establishments in Oklahoma City lasted 5 years and 11 months.
Research Center Book Sale August 7-9
You'll find genealogy books, history books, biographies, fiction, newspapers & census on microfilm, reproductions of historic photos & maps, and much more at the Research Division Book Sale. Rare, hard to find, and out of print items available. Don't miss it! August 7-9, 2008. Thursday & Friday 9am-4:45pm; Saturday 9am-3pm.
Hands on History at the History Center!
Enjoy some Hands on History on July 19, 2008, and spend time with various characters from the past throughout the galleries with hands on activities at each station. Characters include Civil War soldiers, cowboys, pioneers, American Indians, and many others. This day brings to life many of the topics within the museum.
Upcoming Research Workshops & Events
This summer the OHS Research Center is offering free workshops! Learn tips to help with your family history research, find out how and where to look for information, and explore the collections of the Oklahoma Historical Society. Click to learn more.
Land Run Day, Saturday, June 14 at the Oklahoma History Center
On June 14th, experience a pioneer’s life. Stake a claim in the Land Run! Play old-fashioned games, learn pioneer skills and outdoor cooking, and take home your own personalized claim form. Activities will run from 10:00-12:00 and repeat from 1:00-3:00. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and groups of 10 or more, $3 for students, and children under 5 are free. For anyone interested in learning more call Jason Harris at 405-522-0785.
Civil War Saturday, May 24 at the Oklahoma History Center
Join us for “A Call To Arms,” as museum staff and volunteers from across the state will bring to life the Civil War in the Indian Territory with hands-on activities. Learn infantry and artillery drill, find out what soldiers carried, visit the surgeon, play period games, participate in 1860s dance lessons, and much more! The day’s activities will run from 10:00-4:00. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and groups of 10 or more, $3 for students, and children under 5 are free. For more details call Jason Harris at 405/522-0785.
Pawnee Bill Wild West Show Bus Tours
Click to view flyers - Tulsa, June 21 or OKC, June 28
Get onboard the Oklahoma Historical Society Pawnee Bill Wild West Show Bus Tour. See the sights with your very own Wild West Show performer. View original footage of Pawnee Bill's 1907 show, tour Pawnee Bill's home & museum, and take in an afternoon of entertainment with period music, gunfights, and vendors. A set of trading cards, Bar-B-Que dinner, and tickets to the Wild West Show included!
To purchase tickets, order online or call 405/522-0765.
Nominate Your Choice for the Official Oklahoma State Rock Song!
Nominate your favorite song written or performed by an Oklahoman for the official Oklahoma State Rock Song! Submit your nomination online at www.oklahomarocksong.org.
Field, Forest & Stream: The History of Oklahomans and the Outdoors
Opening April 4, 2008, special exhibit from the Oklahoma History Center and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife and Conservation explores the many outdoor activities that our state has to offer. Click here to find out more!
The OHS Annual Meeting - April 16-18
Boundaries, Bridges & Borderlands: The Red River in Oklahoma History
Join us at the Ardmore Convention Center for the OHS Annual Meeting. Events include a reception honoring the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame on Wednesday evening. Thursday’s events include presentations on historic topics, and a luncheon with guest speaker Galen Culver, known for his “Is This a Great State or What!” segment on Oklahoma City’s NewsChannel 4. Then take the bus tour to Fort Washita for a fun evening of food & entertainment. On Friday, explore more of Oklahoma's history, and don’t miss the special Awards Luncheon. Click here to find out more!
Murrell Home Restoration Underway
In November of 2007, the George M. Murrell Home in Park Hill, Oklahoma, started an extensive exterior restoration. The project will replace a deteriorating roof and gutter system, as well as reconstructing a period-correct front porch. Gutters and soffits are being torn off and replaced, followed by re-roofing. The front porch of the home will be demolished and rebuilt with a flat roof, guided by photographs taken between 1889 and 1913.
The Murrell Home, the residence of the niece of Cherokee Chief John Ross, was built in 1845 and is Oklahoma’s only remaining example of an antebellum plantation. Girdner Construction of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, is doing the restoration, with help from the State Historic Preservation Office and OHS. The project is slated to be completed by June 2008. OHS secured the funding for the project with the help of State Senator Jim Wilson and State Representative Mike Brown. The home will remain open during construction, and the public is encouraged to visit and view the progress. The Murrell Home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is a National Historic Landmark, and is a Certified Historic Site on the National Trail of Tears Historic Trail. Click to learn more about the George Murrell Home.
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