Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum
1141 Pawnee Bill RoadPawnee, OK 74058
918-762-2513
pawneebill@okhistory.org
Director: Ron Brown
Historical Interpreter:
Anna Davis
Maintenance Supervisor: Kevin Webb
Hours November–March
10 am to 5 pm
Sunday 1 to 4 pm
Hours April–October
Tuesday–Saturday
10 am to 5 pm
Sunday–Monday 1 to 4 pm
| Admission fees will be suspended while the mansion undergoes foundation work. |
Use of drones over Oklahoma Historical Society property is not permitted without written approval of the facility director.
Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum
Mansion to Close for Stabilization Work
Beginning August 13, 2018, the Pawnee Bill mansion will close to the public as work to stabilize the foundation begins. Plans to work on the mansion’s foundation were underway when a 5.8 magnitude earthquake caused further damage on September 3, 2016. Staff will pack items in the mansion to protect them while the foundation work is completed. The big barn, blacksmith shop, museum, and picnic pavilion will also undergo repairs. We hope to reopen the mansion in April of 2019.
“We ask for the public’s patience as we work,” said Director Ronny Brown. “Admission fees for the historic site will be suspended while the mansion is closed. We do hope visitors will consider a donation to help with the operations and many projects at the site. There is still much to see and do at the Pawnee Bill Ranch, and we hope to continue to see many visitors.”
About the Pawnee Bill Ranch
The Pawnee Bill Ranch was once the showplace of the world-renowned Wild West Show entertainer Gordon W. “Pawnee Bill” Lillie. Visitors can tour Pawnee Bill and his wife May’s fourteen-room mansion, fully furnished with their original belongings. Their dream home, completed in 1910, is filled with Lillie family memorabilia, photographs, original artwork, and more. The ranch property also houses a museum with exhibits related to Pawnee Bill, Wild West Shows, and the Pawnee tribe. The 500-acre grounds include the original ranch blacksmith shop, a 1903 log cabin, a large barn built in 1926, and an Indian Flower Shrine—all available to the public.
A herd of bison, longhorn, and several draft horses call the Pawnee Bill Ranch home and can often be found grazing in the drive-through exhibit pasture. The ranch is also a day-use facility and several outdoor amenities can be reserved for private functions. The ranch has covered picnic shelters, tipi-covered picnic tables, fishing ponds, a playground, and a meeting room. The Big Barn, shelter, meeting rooms, porches, and lawns can be rented for weddings, reunions, meetings, and more. The Pawnee Bill Ranch also proudly recreates Pawnee Bill’s Original Wild West Show in June every year.
Visit The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture to find out more about Pawnee Bill.
Research Requests
If you would like to submit a research request, please complete the request form. Fees to cover the cost of copies and postage may apply. Please return the completed form by email to adavis@okhistory.org. Requests may also be directed to:
c/o Anna Davis, Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum
PO Box 493
Pawnee, OK 74058
Research form (PDF) | Research form (MS Word)
Friends of the Pawnee Bill Ranch Association
The Friends of the Pawnee Bill Ranch Association (PRBA) is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to supporting the Pawnee Bill Ranch. The Ranch Association helps support the Wild West Show, ranch maintenance, collections acquisition and care, and much more.
We are in search of new members! If you are interested in the ranch or the Old West, print and complete the forms below and send it to us along with the membership fee. Thank you for your support and help! With your membership, you will receive a copy of the PBRA newsletter plus a 15 percent discount in the museum store.
Membership form (PDF) | Membership form (MS Word)
Locate Us
The Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum is on Blue Hawk Peak, land which Pawnee Bill purchased from his Pawnee friend Blue Hawk. Blue Hawk Peak is located one-half mile west of Pawnee on US 64.
Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum Featured in Crossroads
Issue three of Crossroads takes us to Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum to talk about their bison herd and the role of bison in Oklahoma history.
Find out more.