The exhibit Collect. Preserve. Share. 20 Years at the Oklahoma History Center closes on Saturday, August 15.

Opened in November 2025 to mark the History Center’s 20th anniversary, the exhibit traces how the building’s 2005 opening changed the Oklahoma Historical Society’s ability to collect, preserve, and share the state’s history. On display are artifacts from Civil Rights leader Clara Luper and former Governor Dewey Bartlett alongside family heirlooms, including a wedding gown handmade by a bride’s grandmother during World War II, and collections from Oklahoma businesses such as Sonic and Kerr-McGee, all reflecting the range of stories the History Center’s opening helped bring into public view.

Since opening in November 2005, the Oklahoma History Center has welcomed more than 3 million visitors to its 215,000-square-foot facility and has added more than 25,000 artifacts and 39 million archival items to its collections. It is the only facility in the world affiliated with both the Smithsonian Institution and the National Archives and accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.