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Oklahoma History Center

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The exterior of the Oklahoma History Center with a crowd of people waiting outside

I am going to the Oklahoma History Center today!

As I drive in I will see the Oil and Gas Park outdoor exhibit.

When I see this sculpture of the two Apache warriors, I will know that I am here! The entrance to the museum is just through those doors.

A staff member sitting behind the admissions desk Rolls of stickers with the History Center logo

I will purchase tickets to the museum here. I will receive a sticker to wear on my shirt while I am at the museum. I may have to wait in line to buy my ticket.

A staff member with his arm around the shoulder of a volunteer

I might see a volunteer at the History Center. They wear a blue shirt and have a name tag. Staff will wear different types of clothing, but they all have name badges. Anyone with a blue shirt or a name badge can help me.

Two elevators are located on the first floor There is access to the stairs on the first floor

I can use the elevators, or I can take the stairs. Galleries are on the first and third floors.

An exhibit with a green 'Hands on History' sign An exhibit with a 'Do Not Touch' sign

If I see a green sign, I know I can touch or play with these items. I will remember to be careful with anything I touch. I cannot touch if I see a red sign. Sometimes these signs might be very close to each other.

I will see these signs in all of the galleries.

A sign pointing the way to exhibits, restrooms, and other spaces

Restrooms can be found at either end of every hallway on all three floors.

I can look for signs that might help direct me to places in the museum.

The Research Center library includes bookshelves and tables with computers

If I need a break or a quiet place, I can go to the library on the first floor. I can sit there until I am ready explore more.

A large video screen in an exhibit An exhibit that looks like four seats inside an airplane

In the Crossroads of Commerce exhibit there is a large screen. As soon as I step through the doors, a man will appear on the screen and start talking. If I don’t like the sounds, I can leave the gallery. There are four more large screens like this in the gallery.

The airplane area in this same gallery will let me experience the sights, sounds, and feeling of taking off!

The Kilgen Theatre Organ exhibit An exhibit with buttons that play the sounds an organ makes

There is a display in this gallery where I can see pipes and wooden parts of a theatre organ. I can press buttons to hear the sounds an organ makes. The sounds may be very loud.

There will be many screens and sounds while I explore today that may be very loud. I will be respectful of others when exploring these sounds.

Noise-reducing headphones are available at the front desk if I need to not hear so many loud sounds.

A video screen inside an exhibit The exit of the Crossroads exhibit

I can find my way through the Crossroads of Commerce exhibit by looking for colored arrows on the floor.

This gallery has its own exit. I don’t have to turn around and go out the way I came in!

A large sign showing the native lands of tribal nations in Oklahoma An exhibit about Native Americans featuring a star chart on the ceiling

The We Are Who We Were American Indian gallery is also on the first floor. Start by walking straight ahead where I see “Origins.” I can turn right to the “Tribes” area, but that is meant to be the end of the exhibit.

Be sure to look for raised floors and watch my step!
The seats and bed of a wagon, with a large photograph of people in wagons on the wall Part of a chuckwagon, with a large photograph of cowboys on the wall.

The Noble Gallery has many places to explore and learn about early Oklahoma history. I will see exhibits about land runs, one-room school houses, ranches, farming, law and order, and many more!

There are fun places in this gallery where I can sit on a saddle and pretend to work on a chuck wagon.

Yellow and black borders show the floor is uneven in front of the sod house exhibit The exterior of a yellow farmhouse in the 'Oklahoma!' exhibit

There are areas in this gallery that have a raised floor. I will need to watch my step! In this gallery, I will also find a pink kitchen and an exhibit about the musical Oklahoma!

This gallery has a lot of different paths to walk, but it’s okay to choose my own way.

The steamboat exhibit with a man speaking on a video screen An exhibit about segregation with a single chair in an area labeled 'colored'

In the Kerr-McGee Gallery I will find exhibits about the steamboat Heroine, oil and gas, African American history in Oklahoma, and Oklahomans who served in the military.

A helicopter flight simulator game with a chair in front of a monitor and large screen

This fun game can be found in the military exhibit! I can pretend to fly a helicopter.

If someone else is playing the game, I will need to wait my turn.

Exhibit featuring a wooden wall and a small trench A model of the Golden Driller statue with a man resting his hand on top of an oil derrick

In the military exhibit area I will find something that looks like a trench (photo on the left). A trench is a deep hole in the ground soldiers hid in and fought from during World War I. I can look through the view finder and see other soldiers from across the field.

The golden driller is in the oil and gas exhibit and is a smaller version of the real statue in Tulsa, Oklahoma!

A corridor with large windows showing the outside spaces The Red River Journey outside walking trail

I can go outside to see more exhibits, or just take a walk. There are picnic areas where I can eat my lunch if the weather is nice.

There are other areas in the building that I cannot go, such as the offices.

I can visit the Museum Store before I go home so I can remember my trip to the Oklahoma History Center!

Some important rules to remember: I will stay with my adult, and I will follow directions. I will speak quietly, and I will not run.