Traveling Trunks
The Oklahoma History Center Museum offers a traveling trunk program which brings the museum to the classroom. Each trunk contains lesson plans, hands-on activities, and three-dimensional artifacts for the students to handle. All museum programs directly address Oklahoma Academic Standards and correlate with Oklahoma History Center exhibits.
Request a Trunk Trunk Topics Checkout Process
About Traveling Trunks
- Trunks are free to teachers, librarians, homeschool co-ops, and pre-service teachers.
- Trunks may be picked up at the Oklahoma History Center or sent to your school for the cost of shipping.
- Trunks are checked out for up to one week.
All trunks include:
- A curriculum guide, activities, and lesson plans based on Oklahoma Academic Standards
- Background information and supplemental activities
- Hands-on objects
- Trade books
Trunks may include:
- CDs
- DVDs
- Period clothing and accessories
The curriculum guide in each trunk includes hands-on items, activities, and lessons appropriate for all students from kindergarten to grade 12. While our trunks focus on social studies curriculum, they are also cross-curricular and cover many subjects including math, economics, science, English language arts, world languages, and the visual and performing arts. View a list of trunks by topic.
Interested in a trunk or have questions? Contact education@history.ok.gov or call 405-522-0798.
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Your feedback helps us continue to improve and expand our Traveling Trunks program. Take our 4-minute survey.
The Oklahoma History Center’s traveling trunk program is made possible by support from BancFirst.
Traveling Trunk Checkout Process
Reserving a trunk
First, view our trunk topics and descriptions on the resources page to learn what themes and trunks we offer. Then, complete the short trunk reservation form and include which trunk you would like to check out and for which week.
Once you submit the trunk reservation form, an education staff member will check the availability of the trunk requested. If the trunk has not been reserved for that week, we make your reservation and send you a confirmation email to review. If the trunk is unavailable, our education staff will email you dates that the trunk is available as well as other similar trunks available to give you a full range of options.
Reservation period
Trunks are reserved for one week at a time, from Saturday to Saturday. Pickup times are Saturday between 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Trunks must be returned between 10 a.m and noon. Please be sure to return trunks by noon on the last Saturday of your reservation, so it is available for the next teacher coming to pick it up.
Picking up and dropping off trunks
All pickups and returns are handled at the front desk of the Oklahoma History Center, located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73105.
When you arrive to pick up or return a trunk, please let the greeter at the front desk know your name and the name of the trunk. They will have a sign in/sign out sheet ready for you. Teachers are also welcome to send a friend or family member to pick up or drop-off, just be sure they know the teacher’s name and the name of the trunk they are picking up.
If you live outside of the Oklahoma City metro and cannot make the trip to Oklahoma History Center, trunks can be shipped to your school for the cost of shipping both ways. Depending on the weight of the trunk, shipping rates are usually $30–60 one way.
Trunks vary in size and weight, so be sure you have adequate space in your vehicle and can physically manage the trunks as well, as our front desk staff cannot leave their stations to assist teachers outside of the building. Most of our trunks are between 30 and 60 pounds but can be as heavy as 90 pounds. Every trunk comes in a protective Pelican case with wheels for easy transportation. If you have questions about the size of a trunk, please feel free to contact our education staff at 405-522-0798 or education@history.ok.gov.
Shipping a trunk
If you live outside of the Oklahoma City metro and cannot make the trip to Oklahoma History Center, trunks can be shipped to your school for the cost of shipping both ways. Depending on the weight of the trunk, shipping rates are usually $30–$60 one way. Concerned about funding the cost of shipping a trunk to your school? Teachers outside of the Oklahoma City metro who use our trunks have had great success with asking the local BancFirst branches, our program’s sponsor, to pay for the cost of shipping a trunk directly to the school. Other teachers have utilized their PTAs, grants, and school activity funds.
Trunk checklist
Each trunk includes a checklist, which teachers must fill out both when they receive the trunk and before they return it. The checklist ensures that lost or broken items are accounted for. Many times trunks are reserved back-to-back, and our staff members are not able to check each trunk thoroughly between reservations.
Take Our Survey
Your feedback helps us continue to improve and expand our Traveling Trunks program. Take our four-minute survey.
