Events for May 1, 2021 - June 24, 2021
Events List Navigation
May 2021
Hunter’s Home Reopening for Tours
The staff at Hunter’s Home are excited to announce the reopening of the mansion for guided tours. Beginning on May 1, 2021, they will offer tours Tuesday through Saturday at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Even more exciting, for the first time in decades, the barriers have been removed and staff will be leading tours into the home’s rooms along designated paths. Hunter’s Home staff are committed to safety procedures and greatly appreciate our visitors and…
Find out more »Milliner (hat-making) class
Learn the history of Edwardian milliners and create your own hat in the Oklahoma History Center’s Milliner class on Saturday, May 1, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. This class is recommended for ages twelve and up. Space is limited! Registration is $50 for OHS members and $70 for nonmembers; all supplies are included. Registration opens on March 18 and closes on April 23.
Find out more »Natural Dye workshop
Honey Springs Battlefield will host a workshop teaching the basics of dyeing cloth with indigo on Saturday, May 1, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Kathy Dickson, director of Museums and Historic Sites for the Oklahoma Historical Society, will lead the workshop, teaching the process of dyeing cloth with indigo and discussing other natural dyes. This hands-on workshop will teach the basics of indigo dyeing, so participants are encouraged to dress for the mess! Each group will receive a skein…
Find out more »Birthday Bash
Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center will celebrate the 43rd anniversary of the opening of Spiro Mounds on Saturday, May 8, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with its annual Birthday Bash. The site will celebrate its 43rd year of increasing awareness of Oklahoma archaeology with birthday cake and free admission all day, although donations will be gratefully accepted. There also will be a history of the Spiro Mounds site at 2 p.m. presented by site manager and archaeologist Dennis Peterson. Regular…
Find out more »Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act workshop (virtual)
Join us May 11–14, 2021, as the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), Oklahoma Archeological Survey, and Oklahoma Department of Transportation share information for submitting a successful Section 106 project for review. May’s workshops are two-hour sessions Tuesday–Friday from 10 a.m. to noon. The entire workshop series will be online, and the live sessions will have ample opportunity for questions and discussion. On Tuesday, May 11, will be a workshop about Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. SHPO staff…
Find out more »Oklahoma Archeological Survey and Section 106 workshop (virtual)
Join us May 11–14, 2021, as the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), Oklahoma Archeological Survey (OAS), and Oklahoma Department of Transportation share information for submitting a successful Section 106 project for review. May’s workshops are two-hour sessions Tuesday–Friday from 10 a.m. to noon. The entire workshop series will be online, and the live sessions will have ample opportunity for questions and discussion. On Wednesday, May 12, will be a workshop about the Oklahoma Archeological Survey and Section 106. Oklahoma Archeological…
Find out more »Archeological Survey Forms and Field Work workshop (virtual)
Join us May 11–14, 2021, as the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), Oklahoma Archeological Survey (OAS), and Oklahoma Department of Transportation share information for submitting a successful Section 106 project for review. May’s workshops are two-hour sessions Tuesday–Friday from 10 a.m. to noon. The entire workshop series will be online, and the live sessions will have ample opportunity for questions and discussion. On Thursday, May 13, will be a workshop about Archeological Survey Forms and Field Work. Oklahoma Archeological Survey…
Find out more »Section 106 and Tribal Consultation workshop (virtual)
Join us May 11–14, 2021, as the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), Oklahoma Archeological Survey, and Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) share information for submitting a successful Section 106 project for review. May’s workshops are two-hour sessions Tuesday–Friday from 10 a.m. to noon. The entire workshop series will be online, and the live sessions will have ample opportunity for questions and discussion. On Friday, May 14, will be a workshop about Section 106 and Tribal Consultation. Oklahoma Department of Transportation…
Find out more »Tea and Talk at Horizon Hill: Women and Wild West Shows
Please join us at the Chisholm Trail Museum on Saturday, May 15, for the Museum’s Tea and Talk at Horizon Hill. The program will be 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Guests will be treated to a variety of traditional teas and snacks on the lawn at Horizon Hill, Territorial Governor A. J. Seay’s home. During the event, Dr. Alyce Webb will speak on the topic of Women and Wild West Shows. Registration is $15 per person and space is limited.…
Find out more »Family Day at the Museum
Join the Will Rogers Memorial Museum for Family Day at the Museum on Saturday, May 15, as we take a step back in time to explore the Victorian era of Will's life! Come out and enjoy a demonstration of a high wheel bicycle with Bob Allen from the Bike-About Bicycles shop in Claremore. High-wheel bicycles were popular in the late 1800s, which featured a large front wheel and a much smaller rear wheel. This event is from 1 to 3…
Find out more »Pawnee Bill Goes Pop: Comic Books
Come and join us for a fun, hands-on art exhibit on Saturday, May 15, from 1 to 3 p.m. This summer we will explore all the unique qualities that led to Pawnee Bill becoming a pop culture icon. In Comic Books, we invite kids and adults to make their own comic book panel while exploring a small exhibit about how comic books and dime novels shaped our image of the west.
Find out more »Marshal McCully sculpture unveiling and open house
The Sod House Museum near Aline continues to celebrate the 126th anniversary of its centerpiece sod house by unveiling a bronze sculpture of Marshal McCully, the man who built it, at an Open House on Saturday, May 15, from 1 to 3 p.m. Sen. Roland Pederson, Rep. Carl Newton, and OHS Board of Directors President Dr. Deena Fisher will assist with the unveiling of the sculpture. Renowned sculptor and painter Burneta Venosdel created the likeness of McCully and will be…
Find out more »Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission meeting
Agendas will be posted at www.okhistory.org/commission twenty-four hours before the meeting. Unless otherwise indicated, meetings will be held at the Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, Oklahoma City, 73105.
Find out more »Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Committee meeting (virtual and on-site) *canceled*
This meeting has been canceled.
Find out more »Thursday Night Lecture Series featuring John Wooley
Will Rogers Memorial Museum is launching a return of the Thursday Night Lecture Series! Lectures are scheduled for May 20, June 17, July 15, and September 16 in the museum theater. Programs will begin at 7 p.m. and will include time for questions and answers with speakers. John Wooley, who co-hosts RSU-TV’s Film Noir Theatre with Ana Berry, will open Lecture Series on May 20. Wooley will share stories about this season’s Film Noir Theatre, which began in February and…
Find out more »Working with the National Register of Historic Places workshop (virtual)
Join us in May as the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) staff lead a workshop on the National Register of Historic Places, the foundation of the SHPO's programs. This virtual workshop is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will have ample opportunity for questions and discussion. Register Online
Find out more »Movie Night featuring Will Rogers in Doubting Thomas
The Will Rogers Memorial Museum will host a Movie Night in the newly renovated Will Rogers Theatre on Friday, May 28, featuring Will Rogers in Doubting Thomas (1935). Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the movie beginning at 7 p.m. This event is free to attend thanks to sponsorship by the Bank of Commerce. Guests can enjoy free popcorn and drinks. Masks are required. Admission is free, but tickets must be reserved in advance because of limited seating. Please call…
Find out more »A Place for All People: Introducing the National Museum of African American History and Culture exhibit closes
The Smithsonian Institution opened its newest museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), on September 24, 2016. The celebration continues and reaches beyond Washington, DC, to Guthrie as the Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library presents A Place for All People: Introducing the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The commemorative poster exhibition will be on view from February 2 to May 29, 2021. Organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) in collaboration…
Find out more »“The Diary of a Union Soldier from Kansas,” presentation by Tom Wing (virtual)
Honey Springs Battlefield will host a virtual lecture, “The Diary of a Union Soldier from Kansas,” on Saturday, May 29, at 1 p.m. central time. Tom Wing, assistant professor of history at the University of Arkansas–Fort Smith and author of the book entitled ‘A Rough Introduction to This Sunny Land’: The Civil War Diary of Private Henry A. Strong, Co. K, Twelfth Kansas Infantry, will speak about the experiences of Private Henry Strong during the Civil War in present-day Oklahoma.…
Find out more »June 2021
“Life at Hunter’s Home: Farm Life at Hunter’s Home” begins (virtual)
During the month of June, Hunter’s Home in Park Hill will continue its “Life at Hunter’s Home” subscription Facebook page with a focus on Farm Life. “Life at Hunter’s Home: Farm Life at Hunter’s Home” will present video workshops about the farming aspect of the historic site. The June subscription will include instructions about how to prepare a Haymaker's Lunch, and how to build a single person bench in the workshop. “Life at Hunter’s Home” is a paid subscription Facebook group.…
Find out more »Bitter Root panel discussion (on-site and virtual)
To commemorate the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre, OKPOP and the Greenwood Cultural Center are partnering to host a panel discussion focusing on the award-winning Bitter Root comic book series on Wednesday, June 2, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The panelists will include the writers, artist, and editor of Bitter Root, published by Image Comics. The program will open with words from Dr. Stevie Johnson, educator with the Bob Dylan Archive, and Mechelle Brown, program director for the Greenwood…
Find out more »24 Works on Paper exhibit closes
24 Works on Paper, a traveling exhibition of works by living Oklahoma artists sponsored by the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition (OVAC), is now open at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center (CSRHC) in Enid. The exhibition features 24 works of art created on paper, including printmaking, drawing, painting, and photography. The 2020–2022 guest curator is heather ahtone, PhD, senior curator at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City. “Working on paper is magic,” said ahtone, reflecting on the selection process.…
Find out more »Guided Tours
Honey Springs Battlefield is pleased to announce a unique tour opportunity at the site. Students from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) will serve as tour guides on the six trails that cross the 1,100-acre battlefield on two Saturdays in both June and July—June 12 and 26 and July 3 and 17. This series of tours coincides with the annual memorial of the battle on July 17 at 10:30 a.m. The students will point out the exact…
Find out more »Tulsa Race Massacre Roundtable
On Saturday, June 12, at 1:30 p.m. the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) will host “Legacy of the Tulsa Race Massacre,” a roundtable discussion on how race relations developed in Oklahoma after one of the state’s most horrific events, the Tulsa Race Massacre. The panel will present several perspectives that represent different aspects of the state’s African American community. This conversation will take place at the Oklahoma History Center, and limited seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The…
Find out more »Pawnee Bill Puzzle Club (virtual)
On Sunday, June 13, join the interpretive staff of the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum (PBR) as they put together puzzles and talk about Oklahoma history. This online event is an engaging way to gather the family together at home while learning lessons about Oklahoma's history from knowledgeable staff at the museum. Find the club on Facebook Live, and put together your own puzzle of choice at home while the staff pieces together both a puzzle and Oklahoma’s rich history.…
Find out more »2021 Enid Summer Chautauqua virtual event
The 2021 Enid Summer Chautauqua programs, 20th Century Visionaries: Catalysts for Change, will take place virtually Tuesday through Saturday, June 15–19. Through a blended live and prerecorded broadcasts, viewers can step back in time with each of the historical figures to hear stories and anecdotes from unique, first-person perspectives. Daily workshops will be held at 10:30 a.m. and noon, with the nightly featured performances, beginning at 7 p.m. Scholars for Summer Chautauqua are Doug Mishler, portraying Gene Roddenberry; Karen Vuranch,…
Find out more »On the Peak Lecture (virtual)
Join Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum on Facebook Live for an On the Peak Lecture. Lectures are held on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month from noon to 1 p.m. On Wednesday, June 16, the topic for the for lecture will be the World's Columbian Exposition also known as the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. It is a fascinating story of ingenuity, invention, wild west shows, and even murder! Visit PBR's Facebook page to find out more about the On the Peak…
Find out more »Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Committee meeting *rescheduled*
Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Committee meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month at 1:30 p.m.
Find out more »“What America’s Greatest Father-Daughter Political Dynasty Teaches Us About Fixing Democracy” Smithsonian program (virtual)
Just in time for Father’s Day, join Smithsonian Affiliations on June 17 for this talk with the National Museum of American History’s Jon Grinspan. He will explore America's greatest father-daughter political dynasty, Congressman William “Pig Iron” Kelley and his daughter, labor activist Florence Kelley. Will Kelley campaigned for abolition, women’s suffrage, workers’ rights, voting rights, and many more causes in the 19th century, and raised his daughter to carry on his legacy, even though she could not vote or hold…
Find out more »Thursday Night Lecture Series featuring Mike Martin
Will Rogers Memorial Museum is launching a return of the Thursday Night Lecture Series! Lectures are scheduled for May 20, June 17, July 15, and September 16 in the museum theater. Programs will begin at 7 p.m. and will include time for questions and answers with speakers. Mike Martin from Magnolia, Texas, will present “Dust Bowl George’s Boutique Wineshop” on June 17. Martin will share the story of a young man who left Oklahoma for California during the Dust Bowl…
Find out more »“Genealogy of Marshal McCully” presentation *Canceled*
This event has been canceled. Visit the Sod House Museum on Saturday, June 19, at 10 a.m., for a program focusing on its builder, Marshal McCully. Professor Jana Brown of Northwestern Oklahoma State University (NWOSU) will present McCully’s family history, tracing his genealogy back to the pre–Revolutionary War era. Brown has worked with the Sod House Museum for several years as a volunteer. In the summer of 2019, she began researching the family history of Marshal McCully. The migration of…
Find out more »“Resilience and Transformation: Germans from Russia in Northwestern Oklahoma (1889-1940)” presentation by Eric Schmaltz
Visit the Sod House Museum on Saturday, June 19, at 10 a.m., for the program "Resilience and Transformation: Germans from Russia in Northwestern Oklahoma (1889-1940)" presented by guest speaker Professor Eric Schmaltz of Northwestern Oklahoma State University (NWOSU). Professor Schmaltz will provide information on the general migrations and settlements of ethnic Germans from the Russian Empire in the western parts of Oklahoma at the turn of the last century. He will explore the factors that led this group to settle…
Find out more »Family Day at the Museum
Join the Will Rogers Memorial Museum for Family Day at the Museum on Saturday, June 19. Bring the family for this official kickoff to summer with lawn games and lemonade! Pack a picnic lunch and spend the afternoon garden side. Squeeze Me Lemonade of Tulsa will be on-site, serving up some refreshing lemonade to cool you down. Family-friendly games will be played under the many shade trees at the Memorial Museum! This event is from 1 to 3 p.m. Family…
Find out more »Pawnee Bill Goes Pop: Art as History
Come and join us at Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum for a fun, hands-on art exhibit on Saturday, June 19, from 1 to 3 p.m. This summer we will explore all the unique qualities that led to Pawnee Bill becoming a pop culture icon. In Art as History, we explore the often complex relationship of telling personal stories or meaning through the art of beading. We welcome adults and children to come and view some of our beautiful beadwork, be inspired…
Find out more »Summer Solstice Walks at Spiro Mounds
Start your summer with a trip to Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center for a special guided tour on the summer solstice, Sunday, June 20. There will be three walks led by archaeologist Dennis Peterson, who has served as archaeologist and site manager at Spiro Mounds for 35 years, will lead guided tours 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. Using his expertise and references to…
Find out more »Will’s Wild West Kids Camp
Grab your lasso and join the fun at Will‘s Wild West Kids Camp June 21–23 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore. Will's Wild West Kids Camp will transport participants back in time to the Wild West with hands-on activities in a fun and entertaining learning environment. Kids will have the opportunity to participate in nature programs, crafts, period dancing, 19th-century games, and much more. A chuck wagon lunch is included. The camp…
Find out more »Smoke Over Oklahoma: The Railroad Photographs of Preston George exhibit closes
Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum will host a traveling exhibit, Smoke Over Oklahoma: The Railroad Photographs of Preston George, from April 23 to June 23, 2021. This collection of 25 black-and-white images represents the railroad photographs taken by Preston George during the 1930s and 1940s. George photographed trains in his spare time while working as a civil engineer in Colorado and Oklahoma. Born in 1906 in Indian Territory, George’s interest in trains began at an early age but did not…
Find out more »Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Committee meeting
This meeting of the Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Committee was formerly scheduled for June 16, but has been rescheduled to occur on June 23, 2021. Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Committee meetings are normally held on the third Wednesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. Agendas will be available online 24 hours prior to the meeting at www.okhistory.org/board. This meeting will be held at the Oklahoma State Capitol, 2300 N Lincoln Blvd, Suite 100, Room 100.6, Oklahoma City, OK.
Find out more »Movie Night featuring Laurel and Hardy in silent movie shorts by director Hal Roach
The Will Rogers Memorial Museum will host a Movie Night in the newly renovated Will Rogers Theatre on Friday, June 23, featuring silent movie shorts by director Hal Roach, featuring the classic films Mixed Nuts (1922), Blotto (1930), and Helpmates (1932). Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the movies beginning at 7 p.m. This event is free to attend thanks to sponsorship by the Bank of Commerce. Guests can enjoy free popcorn and drinks. Masks are required. Admission is free, but tickets must be reserved in…
Find out more »History and Haunts at the Overholser
Join the Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion for a brand new monthly event, History and Haunts at the Overholser! Guests (limited to 12 total) will go on an after-hours tour of the mansion and see the home in its nighttime splendor. Learn the history of the home and its occupants (some still roaming the halls) and have time to explore on your own. Tickets are $20 per person. Visit www.overholsermansion.org to learn more.
Find out more »