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December 2023
Winter Bake Day
Fresh-baked gingerbread soldiers, nurses, and laundresses will be served at Fort Gibson Historic Site’s Winter Bake Day on Saturday, December 16. The smell of fresh-baked gingerbread cookies will fill the crisp autumn air on Garrison Hill as staff and volunteers once again bring the 1860s military bakehouse to life. Gingerbread cookie kits will be available to purchase from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. or while supplies last. Cookies are made from 19th-century recipes and include candy trimmings similar to those…
Find out more »January 2024
History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip with musical group Zoetrope
Step back in time and experience life in the Cherokee Outlet during History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in Enid. On Saturday, January 6, the musical group Zoetrope will play traditional songs of yesteryear during the History Alive! event. The four historic territorial buildings in the Humphrey Heritage Village come to life with reenactors dressed in period clothing from the late 1800s. Attendees can sit at school desks in the Turkey Creek one-room…
Find out more »“Soldiers on Post” living history program
From Thursday, January 11, through Saturday, January 13, the Fort Gibson Historic Site will hold a living history program from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 3:30 p.m. On those days, visitors will be able to observe what life was like for “Soldiers on Post.” Living history demonstrations will include weapons care, winter maintenance, KP duty, and examples of what soldiers did to keep themselves entertained during the winter months. The program is free with admission. Admission is…
Find out more »History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip
Step back in time and experience life in the Cherokee Outlet during History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in Enid. On the first and third Saturday of each month, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the four historic territorial buildings in the Humphrey Heritage Village come to life with reenactors dressed in period clothing from the late 1800s. Attendees can sit at school desks in the Turkey Creek one-room schoolhouse while lessons are…
Find out more »February 2024
Blacksmithing Demonstration
On Saturday, February 3, the Cherokee Strip Museum will be holding a Blacksmithing Demonstration in the blacksmith shop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Guests can enjoy watching the craftsmen work and will have an opportunity for safe hands-on experiences. Families are welcome to attend and watch the demonstrations inside the Blacksmith Shop on the grounds of the Cherokee Strip Museum. For more information about all of the activities planned, please call 580-336-2405. Free admission for all but donations are…
Find out more »Art Night
The Oklahoma History Center will host a free, open house Art Night on Friday, February 16, from 6 to 8 p.m. Attendees will learn about the traditional and modern art forms practiced in Oklahoma. Visitors can participate in historical art forms, buy locally made art at an artists’ market, and participate in an open mic for artists of all mediums. The event is free and open to the public. No registration is necessary. Are you interested in becoming a vendor?…
Find out more »March 2024
Living History Education Day
On Wednesday, March 6, the site will bring history to life with Living History Education Day—a free event! Living historians will demonstrate historical skills and educate guests while wearing period clothing, teaching guests what life was like at Fort Towson more than 180 years ago. Living History Education Day will present multiple learning experiences about life at the military outpost during the 1840s, when it was a vital resupply point for soldiers headed south to engage in the Mexican-American War.…
Find out more »1840s Encampment
On Friday, March 8, and Saturday, March 9, the Fort Towson Historic Site will host an 1840s encampment from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. The fort will be brought back to life with reenactors wearing historical clothing while organizing period games, demonstrating the uses of historical tools, participating in the ongoing encampment activities, and camping in period tents on the grounds. The public will experience tool demonstrations, see laundresses at work, and observe domestic skills, blacksmithing, drills, and…
Find out more »Museum After Dark: Lantern Tours *canceled due to weather*
The “Museum After Dark: Lantern Tour” event previously scheduled for Friday, March 8, has been canceled due to poor weather conditions. We apologize for any inconvenience, and hope everyone stays dry and warm! For more information about this event, please call 580-237-1907.
Find out more »2024 Oklahoma Farm-to-Table Festival
The Oklahoma History Center will hold the 2024 Oklahoma Farm-to-Table Festival on Saturday, March 16, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The free, family-friendly event will encourage the exploration of historic and modern agriculture. There will be hands-on activities and demonstrations for visitors of all ages. The festival will offer many educational opportunities and experiences, including chuckwagon cooking and nutrition demonstrations, livestock, a petting zoo, various crafts, and story time. In addition, several Made-in-Oklahoma vendors will attend to illustrate how their products…
Find out more »Spring Break Activities
Spend afternoons during spring break at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum. Events are planned every day from March 18 to 22 between 1 and 3 p.m. to keep kids learning and entertained during their school break. Each activity is based on some aspect of Will Rogers’ extraordinary life, ranging from his time as a cowboy to his love of aviation. All children under 17 are admitted free during spring break thanks to a donation by Win and Kay Ingersoll. The…
Find out more »Chuck Wagon Gathering
Visit the Chisholm Trail Museum on Saturday, March 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a day filled with cowboy fun! Drop in and see a variety of working chuck wagons from across the region as they prepare some of their favorite dishes. Activities include live music by Kyle Dillingham and Horseshoe Road, cooking demonstrations with sample food, gunfights, Wild West Show performers, Medicine Man shows, and more. Make sure to visit thechisholm.org for parking information, schedules, and more!…
Find out more »April 2024
Spring Bake Day
Twice each year, OHS staff act as historical reenactors and bake bread in Fort Gibson’s original wood-fired oven from 1863. Spring Bake Day is an educational event that allows the public to experience one aspect of army life that occurred during and after the Civil War. On Saturday, April 6, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the smell of fresh-baked bread will once again permeate the Fort Gibson Historic Site. Staff will operate the oven all day on April 6, and the fresh loaves…
Find out more »1840s Solar Eclipse Watch Party
The Fort Towson Historic Site will host an eclipse watch party with a period encampment on Monday, April 8, from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The event costs $10 per person at the gate, with no charge for military personnel, Oklahoma Historical Society members or children under six. The site will only accept cash at the gate. NASA estimates the Fort Towson Historic Site and areas of southeastern Oklahoma will see the partial eclipse between 12:28 p.m. and 3:06 p.m., with…
Find out more »Something to Grow About: Earth Day Native Plant and Seed Swap
Gardeners and eco-enthusiasts will delight in the celebration of Earth Day at the Pawnee Bill Ranch on Saturday, April 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A native plant swap, a seed buffet, and loads of gardening tips, tricks, and activities will be a part of the “Something to Grow About” event. Join in sharing plants and seeds. Participants are encouraged to bring labeled seeds and plants for the swap. Agricultural experts will be available to teach about planting techniques,…
Find out more »May 2024
Spring on the Farm
Learn about 19th-century agriculture at Hunter’s Home on Saturday, May 4, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. as staff prepare for the upcoming growing season. Adults and children can observe the gardens, fields, and animals while learning how farms of the 1800s prepared for the changing seasons. Sheep shearing and other demonstrations will be happening at the event. There will also be a story time and craft for kids. Staff will talk about the importance of bees and gardens. “Spring on the…
Find out more »Blacksmithing Demonstration
On Saturdays, May 4, August 3, and November 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Cherokee Strip Museum will hold a Blacksmithing Demonstration in the blacksmith shop. Guests can enjoy watching the craftsmen work and have safe, hands-on experiences. Families are welcome to attend and watch the demonstrations inside the Blacksmith Shop on the grounds of the Cherokee Strip Museum. For more information about all of the activities planned, please call 580-336-2405. Free admission for all, but donations are…
Find out more »Summer Sounds Concert featuring Jason Scott and High Heat
Join The Chisholm on the third Thursday of May, June, July, and August for a free Summer Sounds Concert series. Plan to come early and enjoy dinner from a featured food truck beginning at 6 p.m., spread out your favorite blanket, set up a comfy lawn chair, and enjoy live music from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Horizon Hill, the home of territorial governor A. J. Seay. The family-friendly event is free. For more information, contact the museum at 405-375-5176.…
Find out more »The Wayne McCombs Classic, 1880s-era Baseball Game
Will Rogers loved baseball. “Baseball is our national game; every boy and girl in the United States should play it. It should be made compulsory in the schools.” To celebrate Will’s love of baseball and its place in our nation’s history, the Will Rogers Memorial Museum will host an 1880s baseball game on May 18 at 1 p.m. This is the fourth year for the Memorial Museum to host an 1880s baseball game, which originally began at the ranch in…
Find out more »Picnic in the Village
Enjoy a beautiful Spring Sunday picnic on the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center grounds on May 19 from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.! With the purchase of one ticket, guests will reserve a picnic basket for two, with early 20th-century picnic fare, a blanket to sit on, supplies for a hands-on activity, and some take-home gifts. This lunchtime event is perfect for a Mother’s Day gift, lunch date, or nice Sunday afternoon outing with a friend. Tickets are priced at…
Find out more »June 2024
History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip
Step back in time and experience life in the Cherokee Outlet during History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in Enid. On the first and third Saturday of each month, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the four historic territorial buildings in the Humphrey Heritage Village come to life with reenactors dressed in period clothing from the late 1800s. Attendees can sit at school desks in the Turkey Creek one-room schoolhouse while lessons are…
Find out more »Pawnee Bill’s Original Wild West Show
On Saturday, June 8, The Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum will celebrate the lives and showmanship of Major Gordon W. “Pawnee Bill” Lillie and his wife, May Lillie, with Pawnee Bill’s Original Wild West Show, which will be held at the historic ranch site. This grand reenactment will transport audiences to experience the historical Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Show exhibitions through the sights and sounds of genuine Western entertainment. They will be transported to an era when entertainers thrilled and amazed audiences…
Find out more »Summer Sounds Concert with musical duo Jim Garling and Susanne Woolley
Join The Chisholm on the third Thursday of May, June, July, and August for a free Summer Sounds Concert series. Plan to come early and enjoy dinner from a featured food truck beginning at 6 p.m., spread out your favorite blanket, set up a comfy lawn chair, and enjoy live music from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Horizon Hill, the home of territorial governor A. J. Seay. The family-friendly event is free. For more information, contact the museum at 405-375-5176.…
Find out more »July 2024
Summer Sounds Concert with Mackynsie McKedy and the McKedy Band
Join The Chisholm on the third Thursday of May, June, July, and August for a free Summer Sounds Concert series. Plan to come early and enjoy dinner from a featured food truck beginning at 6 p.m., spread out your favorite blanket, set up a comfy lawn chair, and enjoy live music from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Horizon Hill, the home of territorial governor A. J. Seay. The family-friendly event is free. For more information, contact the museum at 405-375-5176.…
Find out more »“A New Day” mural dedication ceremony
The Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library will hold a dedication ceremony on Wednesday, July 24, at 10:30 a.m. for a mural recently painted on the side of the museum building. Dr. Bob Palmer and artists from Palmer Studios painted the new public art entitled "A New Day," on the southeast side of the museum’s exterior. Palmer and his team have painted thousands of murals in the United States and other countries. For more information about the mural, call site…
Find out more »August 2024
Summer Sounds Concert with Travis Kidd
Join The Chisholm for a free Summer Sounds Concert with Oklahoma singer/songwriter Travis Kidd. Plan to come early and enjoy dinner from a featured food truck beginning at 6 p.m., spread out your favorite blanket, set up a comfy lawn chair, and enjoy live music from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Horizon Hill, the home of territorial governor A. J. Seay. The family-friendly event is free. For more information, contact the museum at 405-375-5176. About Travis Kidd: “As a full-time…
Find out more »September 2024
Settler’s Day
Experience “Settler’s Day” at the Cherokee Strip Museum and Rose Hill School in Perry on Saturday, September 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring the whole family to enjoy this free admission day at the museum and enjoy games and activities including schoolhouse sessions, old-fashioned games, and races. Visitors can watch trick roping, rope making, and flint knapping demonstrations. Historical characters and cowboy cooking will take visitors back to the era of 1893.
Find out more »Ice Cream Social
The Friends of the Fred and Addie Drummond Home are happy to announce that the annual Ice Cream Social will be held at the home on Saturday, September 7, from 1 to 4 p.m. The family-friendly event will be held outdoors. Special guests will include author Rosanne McKee, who will hold a book signing of her books The Arabella Effect and Oklahoma Roses. Osage storyteller Diane Fallis will also join the festivities. After visitors tour the late Victorian-style three-story historic…
Find out more »Boots, Beer, and BBQ Fundraiser
The Chisholm will hold its annual gala event on September 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. Boots, Beer, and Barbeque will feature live music by the Red Dirt Rangers, BBQ and sides prepared by a working chuck wagon, drinks from an Oklahoma brewery, dancing and more on the lawn. This annual event helps support the museum and its mission. The event is for anyone 21 or older. Tickets are available in advance for $60 per person or $100 for two.…
Find out more »“1832 Bean and Boone Expedition” living history program
Fort Gibson Historic Site will host a living history weekend on Friday, September 27, and Saturday, September 28. This program will focus on the Bean and Boone Expedition, originally launched from the military outpost in 1832. Each day from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., United States Mounted Rangers reenactors will bring the fort’s stockade to life by showing typical activities of soldiers at the fort in the 1830s. On Friday, September 27, the public can view living historians setting up…
Find out more »October 2024
“Pastimes at the Fort” living history program
The Fort Gibson Historic Site will hold living history programs in October. They will be held on October 3 and 4, 17–19, and 25–26 from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 1 to 4 p.m. Fort Gibson Historic Site staff will center the October programs on the pastimes undertaken by soldiers at the fort. The “Pastimes at the Fort” living history programs explore sources of entertainment in the early 1800s. Have you ever wondered how soldiers and civilians in…
Find out more »2024 Oklahoma Folklife Festival
The 2024 Folklife Festival at the Oklahoma History Center will be held on Saturday, October 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. This festival is designed to allow visitors to experience other cultures and traditions. Visitors are there to participate in the activities, not just observe. This community-wide event will celebrate and recognize what the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress has called “the everyday and intimate creativity that…
Find out more »Family Farm Day
The Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in Enid will host Family Farm Day on Saturday, October 5, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Family Farm Day allows guests to experience the agricultural advancements of the 1890s and 1900s with hands-on activities like shelling and grinding corn, churning butter, and more. In addition, guests can visit a farm animal petting zoo, get up close with vintage farm equipment, and participate in a pie auction and pumpkin decorating. The museum will also…
Find out more »“Pastimes at the Fort” living history program
The Fort Gibson Historic Site will hold living history programs in October. They will be held on October 3 and 4, 17–19, and 25–26 from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 1 to 4 p.m. Fort Gibson Historic Site staff will center the October programs on the pastimes undertaken by soldiers at the fort. The “Pastimes at the Fort” living history programs explore sources of entertainment in the early 1800s. Have you ever wondered how soldiers and civilians in…
Find out more »“Pastimes at the Fort” living history program
The Fort Gibson Historic Site will hold living history programs in October. They will be held on October 3 and 4, 17–19, and 25–26 from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 1 to 4 p.m. Fort Gibson Historic Site staff will center the October programs on the pastimes undertaken by soldiers at the fort. The “Pastimes at the Fort” living history programs explore sources of entertainment in the early 1800s. Have you ever wondered how soldiers and civilians in…
Find out more »“Haunt the Hill” at the Chisholm
On Thursday, October 31, from 5 to 8 p.m., The Chisholm in Kingfisher will host “Haunt the Hill,” a family-friendly trick-or-treating event. There will be child-friendly candlelit mansion walk-throughs at Horizon Hill, the former mansion of third territorial governor A. J. Seay. Put Kingfisher on the list for some fun trick-or-treating activities for ghouls, ghosts, and costumed children of all ages!
Find out more »Halloween Night at the Museum
The Will Rogers Memorial Museum will host Halloween Night at the Museum on Thursday, October 31, from 6 to 8 p.m. This event combines trick-or-treating with an opportunity for children and their families to visit the Will Rogers Memorial Museum. Businesses and individuals will share treats and a costume contest will be held with prizes for the best costumes. Halloween Night at the Museum is free and open to all ages. This event has attracted hundreds of costumed characters to…
Find out more »Haunting at the Fort *canceled*
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Fort Gibson Historic Site will not be holding the Haunting at the Fort event previously scheduled for October 31.
Find out more »November 2024
Blacksmithing Demonstration
On Saturdays, May 4, August 3, and November 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Cherokee Strip Museum will hold a Blacksmithing Demonstration in the blacksmith shop. Guests can enjoy watching the craftsmen work and have safe, hands-on experiences. Families are welcome to attend and watch the demonstrations inside the Blacksmith Shop on the grounds of the Cherokee Strip Museum. For more information about all of the activities planned, please call 580-336-2405. Free admission for all, but donations are…
Find out more »“Dance and Discover Through History!” children’s activity class
Kids! Visit the Pawnee Bill Ranch on November 2 at 2 p.m. to discover history through fun activities. This class will travel back in time to learn how those from the 1800s once lived with student educator Leah Brown! Historical Interpreter and Senior Arts Administration student at Oklahoma State, Leah Brown, has developed an educational program for children ages 5 to 10, but older children are more than welcome! The program is open to the public and will explore technological…
Find out more »