Sam Noble Gallery
The Sam Noble Gallery highlights Oklahoma’s early history and features rotating exhibits.Relive the experiences of settlers, farmers, and cowboys through artifacts and images. A replica sod house, a 1930s-era house, and a 1950s pink kitchen give visitors a window into how past generations of Oklahomans lived. The Oklahoma Centennial Farm & Ranch Program section recognizes families who have continuously occupied their land and carried out farming or ranching operations for at least 100 years.
Featured Exhibits
Our Journeys
The Oklahoma History Center Museum, in partnership with the Vietnamese American Heritage Community of Oklahoma, is proud to feature Our Journeys, presented by Vietnamese Boat People. This multimedia traveling exhibition will be on display through January 4, 2027.
Created by New Jersey-based nonprofit Vietnamese Boat People, the exhibition centers the voices of Vietnamese Americans through oral histories, photographs, and interactive elements that explore migration, memory, and resilience across generations. The exhibit debuted in 2025, marking the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the displacement of millions of Vietnamese refugees whose stories continue to shape communities across the country—including here in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma History Center Museum staff have developed an Oklahoma-specific component to the exhibition, threading a local narrative into this global story through interpretive panels and artifact cases drawn from Oklahoma City’s Vietnamese American community.
Our Journeys is made possible with support from the Henry Luce Foundation, New Jersey Council for the Humanities, the Asian Women Giving Circle, and its Wall of Hope donors. Local support provided by the Asian District Cultural Association (utilizing Oklahoma County ARPA funds), Inasmuch Foundation, The Greater Oklahoma City Asian Chamber of Commerce, Quill Hawk Publishing Company, and the Agnes Nguyen family.
The exhibition is included with regular museum admission to the Oklahoma History Center Museum.
Related Events
Vietnam War: Untold Stories from the South—Trials, Triumphs, & Tragedies documentary screening
Beyond the Sash: Reflections on Oklahoma Pageants
With six Miss America winners to its name, Oklahoma has long been a powerhouse in the world of pageantry. Beyond the Sash: Reflections on Oklahoma Pageants is a new exhibit at the Oklahoma History Center Museum that explores the depth and variety of the state’s pageants and cultural representation. Through both historic and contemporary examples, the exhibit examines how these events reflect tradition, identity, and change.
From national competitions like Miss America to local honors such as Fairest of the Fair and cultural ambassador titles within tribal and multicultural communities, Oklahoma’s many forms of pageants have served as platforms for personal achievement, artistic and cultural expression, and public service. The exhibit highlights the varied experiences of participants across generations and backgrounds.
Featured objects include gowns, crowns, sashes, trophies, and accessories from statewide pageants and cultural competitions, including personal items from Jane Jayroe, Miss America 1967. Visitors will also see items from Muscogee (Creek), Ponca, Hispanic, and Asian communities; contemporary rhinestone tiaras and sashes; and garments from youth competitions such as Little Miss India Oklahoma and Mayan heritage celebrations.
Beyond the Sash is on exhibit in the Sam Noble Gallery through 2026.
Vintage dress donated by Jane Jayroe Gamble, Miss America 1967, and colorful boots worn by Ashleigh Robinson, Miss Oklahoma 2021 (OHS collections).
Oklahoma Sports Heroes
This exhibit highlights the achievements of Oklahoma athletes across various sports, linking them to the historical context and events during their careers.
Visitors will recognize sports legends such as Jim Thorpe and Mickey Mantle alongside athletes from recent years, including Kaleo Kanahele Maclay and Noah Zuhdi. Guests can revisit beloved sports icons and discover new sports heroes.
The exhibit features items from the Oklahoma Historical Society’s collections, made possible by a generous donation from the Oklahoma Sports Heritage Museum in Guthrie. The Oklahoma History Center Museum expresses its gratitude to Richard Hendricks and the broader Oklahoma sports history community for their support in bringing this exhibit to life.
Help Us Recognize Oklahoma’s Coaches
A future expansion of our sports exhibit will honor coaches at all levels—from youth to college—who have shaped Oklahoma’s sports legacy. We want your stories! Share how a coach impacted your life or recount your own experiences as a coach.
Share Your Story
Basketball star Wayman Tisdale, 1983 (2012.201.B1283.0892, Oklahoma Publishing Company Photography Collection, OHS)
Oklahoma-Built Excellence: GM OKC
This exhibit tells the story of the Oklahoma City General Motors plant and its employees. Through a timeline, archival newspaper prints, artifacts, and photographs, visitors will learn the history of the plant and its contribution to the economic growth our state. The exhibit looks at the growth provided by General Motors and what happened to the employees following its closure.
Line workers from left, Greg Raymo, Herb Weldman, and John Berisko, check the electrical system on a 1982 Chevrolet Citation at the General Motors Assembly Division plant in southwest Oklahoma City (2012.201.B1078.0405, Oklahoma Publishing Company Photography Collection, OHS).
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!: The Birth of Modern Musical Theatre and a New Image for the State
Based on the 1931 play Green Grow the Lilacs by Claremore native Lynn Riggs, Oklahoma! was the first musical written by the legendary team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! began a new era in American musical theatre. It also began the most successful songwriting partnership that Broadway has ever seen.
Oklahoma! premiered on Broadway at the St. James Theatre on March 31, 1943, and closed after 2,212 performances. Set in Indian Territory just after the turn of the twentieth century, the spirited rivalry between the local farmers and cowboys provides the backdrop for the love story between Curly, a handsome cowboy, and Laurey, a beautiful farm girl.
Explore More with Google Arts & Culture
Visit the Oklahoma Historical Society on Google Arts & Culture to learn about playwright Lynn Riggs, the early history of the state, and the lasting impact of the musical Oklahoma!
Lynn Riggs
