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November 2023
Silver Selections from the USS Oklahoma exhibit opens
The Oklahoma History Center Museum will have pieces of silver service from the USS Oklahoma on display starting Monday, November 27, to commemorate the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The complete set consists of 55 pieces. Only select pieces will be available for public view.
On December 7, 1941, the USS Oklahoma was one of eight battleships docked at the Pearl Harbor Naval Base in Honolulu, Hawaii, when it came under attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service. The USS Oklahoma suffered 429 casualties, and the battleship capsized due to multiple torpedo strikes.
The tradition of creating presentation silver sets for American warships of the “first rank” began with the USS Maine in the late 1890s. Continuing this tradition, the Oklahoma Legislature appropriated $7,500 in 1913 to create a silver service to express the state’s pride in having a new battleship named for the state.
Find out more »Kilgen Theatre Organ performance featuring Donnie Rankin and the silent film Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)
The November performance of the Kilgen Theatre Organ at the Oklahoma History Center (OHC) will feature Donnie Rankin IV accompanying the Buster Keaton classic film Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928). Rankin is internationally known, having played for theatre organ audiences worldwide, including appearances in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
The performance will take place on Monday, November 27, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Devon Great Hall of the OHC. Tickets are $10 for Oklahoma Historical Society members and $20 for the general public and are available by calling 405-522-0765.
Find out more »Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission meeting
The meeting of the Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission will be held on Tuesday, November 28 at 1 p.m. Agendas will be posted at okhistory.org/commission twenty-four hours before the meeting. Unless otherwise indicated, meetings will be held in the Dr. LeRoy H. Fischer Boardroom at the Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, Oklahoma City, 73105.
Find out more »December 2023
Museum Store Annual Holiday Sale
The Oklahoma History Center’s annual holiday sale in the Museum Store will occur on Friday, December 1, and Saturday, December 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oklahoma Historical Society members will get a total discount of 25%. Staff and volunteers will get a total discount of 30%. The general public will receive a 10% discount on regularly priced merchandise. Several items will be on sale. There is no charge to visit the Museum Store. The Museum Store contains unique…
Find out more »Museum After Dark: Christmas in the Village
Come experience a Victorian Christmas in Humphrey Heritage Village at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center on Friday, December 1, from 6 to 9 p.m. Visitors will feel the warmth of holiday cheer throughout the beautifully decorated Humphrey Heritage Village. For just the regular cost of admission, visitors will hear Christmas music echoing through the village. Activities for the family, including ornament decorating, crafts, hot drinks, and a visit from Santa Claus are planned for the festive occasion. For more…
Find out more »Museum Store Annual Holiday Sale
The Oklahoma History Center’s annual holiday sale in the Museum Store will occur on Friday, December 1, and Saturday, December 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oklahoma Historical Society members will get a total discount of 25%. Staff and volunteers will get a total discount of 30%. The general public will receive a 10% discount on regularly priced merchandise. Several items will be on sale. There is no charge to visit the Museum Store. The Museum Store contains unique…
Find out more »Guthrie Distinctive Homes Tour and Wassail at the Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library
The Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library will be part of a tour showcasing some of Guthrie’s most distinctive homes and historic buildings on Saturday, December 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors will hear tales of the early days of Oklahoma’s first capital. Wassail will be served at the Carnegie Library to warm the hearts and hands of tour participants. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online from the Guthrie Territorial Christmas Foundation. To learn more about…
Find out more »Photos with Santa at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum
The Heritage Gallery at Will Rogers Memorial Museum will be the perfect backdrop for taking photos with Santa on Saturday, December 2, and Saturday, December 9, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring your family and your camera to take beautiful family pictures with Santa. Admission is free to take photos. For more information, please visit willrogers.com or call 918-341-0719.
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 »Osage Ribbonwork class with Ruth Shaw **class is full**
A series of four programs taught by Osage artist Ruth Shaw will introduce the techniques of making Osage ribbonwork. The classes will occur at the White Hair Memorial in December 2023 and January 2024. Each student will create an Osage ribbonwork piece to take home with them. The classes will be held on four Sundays: December 3 December 10 January 21 January 28 Each class will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. at no charge. All supplies needed will…
Find out more »Holiday Market at the Museum
The Museum of the Western Prairie in Altus will host its Holiday Market at the Museum on Tuesday, December 5, at 6 p.m.
The event will showcase the talents of 12 area artists who will be selling their unique work, including paintings, jewelry, pottery, fused glass, and more. The market is free and open to the public. Visitors can also tour the museum while browsing the artists’ displays. Refreshments will be served.
This event will be hosted by the Western Trail Historical Society. The Museum of the Western Prairie is located at 1100 Memorial Dr. in Altus, for more information, call 580-482-1044.
Find out more »Quilting Workshop
The Quilting Workshop meets on the second Saturday of each month from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Sod House Museum for $5 per person. Learn to create appliqué designs, traditional block patterns, original designs, crazy quilts, landscape designs, and paper piecing. New members of any skill level are always encouraged to attend! Share in the happy exchange of shared skills, fun, camaraderie, door prizes, refreshments, discussions, quilt patterns, and old-fashioned bed turnings at the next quilting workshop. Proceeds directly…
Find out more »Holiday Open House
On Saturday, December 9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Pioneer Woman Museum and Statue will host a Holiday Open House. Celebrate the season in style with the Pioneer Woman Museum. Guests will have free admission to all museum galleries, enjoy special holiday deals in the museum’s gift shop, and be able to savor the flavors of a hot chocolate bar with all the fixings.
Find out more »Photos with Santa at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum
The Heritage Gallery at Will Rogers Memorial Museum will be the perfect backdrop for taking photos with Santa on Saturday, December 2, and Saturday, December 9, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring your family and your camera to take beautiful family pictures with Santa. Admission is free to take photos. For more information, please visit willrogers.com or call 918-341-0719.
Find out more »Christmas Open House
Celebrate Christmas with an open house at the historic Fred and Addie Drummond Home in Hominy on Saturday, December 9, from 1–4 p.m. Every room of the 117-year-old house will be decorated for the Christmas season. Musicians Jim Garling, Suzanne Wooley, and friends will perform live music in the parlor. Joe Bush, the great-great-grandson of Fred and Addie Drummond, is expected to visit during the festivities to tell stories about the Drummond family. Author Rosanne McKee and Osage storyteller Diane Fallis will…
Find out more »Holiday Open House
On Saturday, December 9, Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum will host its annual Holiday Open House from 1 to 3 p.m. Visitors can view seasonal decorations throughout the home of the world-renowned Wild West Show entertainer Gordon W. “Pawnee Bill” Lillie. Holiday decorations will adorn some of the outbuildings at the 500-acre working ranch. Family-friendly, festive activities will include outdoor surrey rides (weather permitting), children’s crafts, and an opportunity to take a photo with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Hot cocoa…
Find out more »Christmas Open House
Celebrate Christmas the pioneer way at the Sod House Museum on Saturday, December 9, from 1 to 3 p.m. Share in the festivities, including holiday music, traditional decorations, and treats prepared by the Friends Group. Silver Strings and Friends of Carmon will share their love of music with guests at the Christmas Open House. This group plays folk, traditional Christmas music, gospel and country, and unusual instruments throughout the day. Margaret Goss will perform on the hammered dulcimer, autoharp, ancient…
Find out more »A Civil War Christmas program
The annual Civil War Christmas program will return to Honey Springs Battlefield and Visitor Center near Checotah on Saturday, December 9, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. The family-friendly event will include Christmas crafts, refreshments, and Civil War reenactors dressed in period attire. Children are encouraged to bring their wish lists to the newly expanded visitor center, where they can sit, talk, and take a photograph with Santa. The program is free to the public, but donations are welcome. Soldiers celebrated…
Find out more »Fort Gibson Christmas Candlelight Tour **sold out**
The Fort Gibson Historic Site Christmas Candlelight Tour taking place on Saturday, December 9, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. is fully sold out! If you would like to be added to the waiting list in case of cancellations, give us a call at 918-478-4088. Bundle up to take in the sounds of music, smells of mulled cider, and laughter of people readying for the coming winter at the Indian Territory frontier post. Staff and volunteers will lead visitors through several…
Find out more »Christmas Open House
On Sunday, December 10, from 1 to 4 p.m., Hunter’s Home will host its annual Christmas Open House. The historic home will be decorated as it would have been at Christmas time in the 1850s. This is a chance to make new Christmas memories as visitors will join the festivities with Hunter’s Home staff and volunteers. Admission to Hunter’s Home will be free on December 10. Hunter's Home will be closed on Saturday, December 9, and will reopen for the…
Find out more »Osage Ribbonwork class with Ruth Shaw **class is full**
A series of four programs taught by Osage artist Ruth Shaw will introduce the techniques of making Osage ribbonwork. The classes will occur at the White Hair Memorial in December 2023 and January 2024. Each student will create an Osage ribbonwork piece to take home with them. The classes will be held on four Sundays: December 3 December 10 January 21 January 28 Each class will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. at no charge. All supplies needed will…
Find out more »Christmas Tea
On Sunday, December 10, the Cherokee Strip Museum in Perry will host a Christmas Tea from 1:30 to 4 p.m. This event coincides with the Christmas Tour of Homes in Perry when the museum opens its doors to the public. The museum, the gazebo, and Rose Hill School will have festive holiday decorations to set the mood for an old-fashioned Christmas. Historical interpreters in Victorian dress and 3rd- and 4th-grade carolers will add to the seasonal splendor. A station will…
Find out more »Millwood High School and Arts Academy Christmas concert
A choir from Millwood High School and Millwood Public Schools’ Arts Academy will perform a free Christmas concert at the Oklahoma History Center on Thursday, December 14, at 10:30 a.m. The public is invited. Millwood Public Schools is located in northeast Oklahoma City. The district has more than 1,000 students. Many students are part of the Arts Academy, which provides visual and performing arts opportunities.
Find out more »Holiday Candlelight Tours
Oklahoma’s only remaining pre-Civil War plantation home will host two nights of candlelight tours in December to encourage visitors to see the historic property in a new light. The tours of Hunter’s Home will take place from Friday, December 15, and Saturday, December 16, through 8 p.m. each day. Once the sun sets on those days, tours will lead visitors through the historic home decorated with period Christmas decorations, and candlelight will adorn the home’s lavish parlor, sitting room, and…
Find out more »“A Night of Christmas Music” live performance starring acclaimed vocalist Darla Z
Christmas is a magical time of the year. It’s a time when people come together, and smile more, and it’s a time to celebrate music. On Friday, December 15, at 7 p.m., singer/songwriter Darla Z will perform “A Night of Christmas Music” live at the Oklahoma History Center in a benefit concert for the Center. Sure to be a night filled with your favorite Christmas tunes, Darla Z will perform some of the season’s greatest hits, including “O Holy Night,”…
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 »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 »Holiday Candlelight Tours
Oklahoma’s only remaining pre-Civil War plantation home will host two nights of candlelight tours in December to encourage visitors to see the historic property in a new light. The tours of Hunter’s Home will take place from Friday, December 15, and Saturday, December 16, through 8 p.m. each day. Once the sun sets on those days, tours will lead visitors through the historic home decorated with period Christmas decorations, and candlelight will adorn the home’s lavish parlor, sitting room, and…
Find out more »Christmas at the Fort: 19th-century traditions
Fort Towson Historic Site will host Christmas at the Fort on Saturday, December 16, from 1 to 3 p.m. The theme for 2023 is “Traditions.” Guests can learn about 19th-century traditions and meet a soldier in an 1860s military camp who is anxiously waiting to receive packages from home. A living history interpretation will depict some of the long-lasting Christmas traditions that continue to be practiced today, and others that are long forgotten. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be warming…
Find out more »Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Committee meeting
Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Committee meetings are scheduled on the third Wednesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. However, Executive Committee meetings are not usually held on the months in which the full board meets. Agendas will be available online 24 hours prior to the meeting at okhistory.org/BOARD. Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are held at the Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, Oklahoma City, OK, 73105.
Find out more »Jim Edgar and the Roadrunners exhibit closes
The exhibit featuring the “Godfather” of the Oklahoma City Rock and Roll scene: Jim Edgar (1939–2022) will remain open through Friday, December 29. The exhibit follows Edgar’s life as a musician and the success of his musical group. In the mid-1960s—the group’s most successful era—the band consisted of Jim Edgar, Sam Edwards, Farland Stanley, Larry Marcum, and Jimmy Driskol. In 1966, Jim and his band were the first to appear on the new program by Ronnie Kay titled The Scene,…
Find out more »January 2024
Silver Selections from the USS Oklahoma exhibit closes
The Oklahoma History Center Museum will have pieces of silver service from the USS Oklahoma on display through January 5, 2024, to commemorate the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The complete set consists of 55 pieces. Only select pieces will be available for public view.
On December 7, 1941, the USS Oklahoma was one of eight battleships docked at the Pearl Harbor Naval Base in Honolulu, Hawaii, when it came under attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service. The USS Oklahoma suffered 429 casualties, and the battleship capsized due to multiple torpedo strikes.
The tradition of creating presentation silver sets for American warships of the “first rank” began with the USS Maine in the late 1890s. Continuing this tradition, the Oklahoma Legislature appropriated $7,500 in 1913 to create a silver service to express the state’s pride in having a new battleship named for the state.
Find out more »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 »Encountering John Brown exhibit opens
The exhibit Encountering John Brown, will be displayed inside the Honey Springs Visitor Center from Tuesday, January 9 to Saturday, March 16.
The exhibit will explore the history of the man who helped ignite the American Civil War. The display will also provide meaningful historical connections between John Brown and those who later fought at the Battle of Honey Springs on July 17, 1863.
Encountering John Brown was developed, designed, built, and toured by Overland Traveling Exhibits from North Newton, Kansas. Founding institutions include the Watkins Museum of History in Lawrence, Kansas.
Find out more »OETA’s Back in Time: “Will Rogers, Oklahoma’s Favorite Son” premiere
On Tuesday, January 9, at noon, the Will Rogers Memorial Museum (WRMM) will premiere Back in Time: “Will Rogers, Oklahoma’s Favorite Son.” OETA has partnered with the museum to arrange the first screening of Back in Time: “Will Rogers, Oklahoma’s Favorite Son” in the museum’s theatre. A panel discussion and a question-and-answer session with Back in Time producer Robert Burch and WRMM experts will follow the screening. This event is free but does require registration. Register for the screening. Back…
Find out more »Lunch and Learn: “The Canadian County Jail and Current Preservation Efforts” presentation with Amy Neathery
The effort to preserve the old Canadian County jail will be highlighted in a Lunch and Learn webinar hosted by the State Historic Preservation Office on Wednesday, January 10, starting at noon. The featured speaker is Amy Neathery with Preservation El Reno. The jail was finished in 1907, a few months before Oklahoma became the 46th state. It cost $18,000 to build. The jail served the county for 78 years. The presentation will focus on the jail’s rich history, including…
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 »“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 »“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 »Encountering John Brown exhibit grand opening
The exhibit Encountering John Brown will be celebrated with a grand opening to the public on Saturday, January 13, at 1 p.m. The Grand Opening will be celebrated with light refreshments and is included with paid admission. This is a good opportunity to see the exhibit material that uncovers the history of the man who helped ignite the American Civil War. Join the excitement as the Honey Springs Battlefield site in Checotah officially opens Encountering John Brown to the public!…
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