Oklahoma State Capitol Museum grand opening and ribbon cutting

On March 22, 2022, at 10 a.m. the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) will officially open the Oklahoma State Capitol Museum, a state-of-the-art gallery space in the Oklahoma State Capitol. Created as part of the Oklahoma Capitol Restoration Project and located on the ground floor near the new primary public entrance on the south side of the Capitol, the Oklahoma State Capitol Museum contains 4,400 square feet of exhibit space and 13 exhibit cases, featuring more than 125 artifacts relating to the history of the Oklahoma State Capitol and the work of Oklahoma’s state government.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the museum will begin at 10 a.m. on March 22 in the ground floor rotunda of the State Capitol. OHS Executive Director Trait Thompson will welcome guests, followed by remarks by Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell. Thompson served as the project manager for the Oklahoma Capitol Restoration Project prior to becoming executive director of the OHS. Dan Provo, director of the Oklahoma History Center, will give a description of the museum and the exhibits housed within it, and then Lt. Gov. Pinnell will lead the way to the museum for the ribbon cutting. Visitors will have the opportunity to tour the museum while OHS staff are available to answer questions and demonstrate the use of the various hands-on, audiovisual elements.

“The new Oklahoma State Capitol Museum is going to provide a key educational component to our beautiful Capitol for visitors from around the world,” said Thompson. “The Oklahoma Historical Society has worked very hard to install exhibits that showcase the unique story of our Capitol and help people of all ages understand the important work that takes place within its walls. This museum is an integral part in making the Capitol a must-see destination when people come to Oklahoma City.”

Visitors will be greeted by a five-minute custom animation projected in a 270-degree arc showing a brief history of the Oklahoma State Capitol. A series of 20 graphic panels and 8 audiovisual interactives will tell the stories of Oklahoma politics and the State Capitol itself. This rich history will come alive as visitors view important artifacts from Oklahoma’s political past, such as a working draft of the Oklahoma Constitution, the quill pen used by President Theodore Roosevelt to sign the Oklahoma Statehood Proclamation, and a 1970s-era voting machine. As guests walk through the exhibit, they can look back toward the entrance to a large, lenticular image of the Capitol that shows the building’s evolution over time as the image is viewed from different points in the gallery. In anticipation of school or organization field trips to the Capitol, the gallery was designed with open spaces to facilitate student activities. The exhibit was designed by Cameron Eagle of Ink Ranch Inc, with research, writing, and installation by staff from the Oklahoma Historical Society.

Admission to the Oklahoma State Capitol Museum is free to all visitors. The museum will be open from Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.