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Visit the Smithsonian at the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum!
Don't miss your chance to see the Smithsonian Institution's Museum on Main Street (MoMS) traveling exhibition Crossroads: Change in Rural America. The national exhibit will be on display at the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum (PBR) until May 7, in the historic Big Barn of the property.
Crossroads: Change in Rural America offers small towns like Pawnee a chance to look at their own paths to highlight the changes that affected their fortunes over the past century. The exhibition is designed to encourage discussions about what happened when America’s rural population became a minority of the country’s population and the ripple effects that occurred as a result of that change. Visitors will also have a chance to view the exhibit Dust, Drought, and Dreams Gone Dry, which is on display in conjunction with Crossroads at the PBR. Call 918-762-2513 to learn more.
Crossroads: Change in Rural America is part of MoMS, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and state humanities councils nationwide. Support for MoMS has been provided by the US Congress. This exhibit visited two OHS sites on its tour of Oklahoma—Fort Gibson Historic Site and Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum. See a full list of the Oklahoma museums hosting the exhibit. Crossroads: Change in Rural America was made possible through the support of Oklahoma Humanities.
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Movie Night featuring Twister (1996)
Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore will host a Movie Night featuring the film Twister (1996) on Friday, April 29, at 7 p.m. Prior to the movie, “Horsing Around with Will” will take place from 6 to 7 p.m., during which families can enjoy activities and crafts relating to the movie’s theme.
Did you know? According to the National Weather Service, Rogers County (where the museum is located) has been struck by over 85 tornadoes since 1897. Some of the largest (F-4 on the Fujita Scale) occurred in the years 1991 and 1993.
Guests can enjoy free admission, popcorn, and drinks while watching the film. Seating is limited, so early arrival is suggested. This event is free to attend thanks to sponsorship by the Bank of Commerce. Please call 918-341-0719 for more information.
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“Fleece to Fabric” Sheep-Shearing event at Hunter's Home
Hunter’s Home in Park Hill will host the “Fleece to Fabric” Sheep-Shearing event on Saturday, May 7, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Visitors can observe the Hunter’s Home staff as they shear the site’s flock of heritage Merino sheep from 10 a.m. to noon. Other wool fiber arts activities like dyeing, spinning, and the various techniques of processing wool also will be demonstrated throughout the day until 4:30 p.m.
Hunter’s Home is the only remaining antebellum plantation mansion in the state of Oklahoma. The site is located at 19479 E. Murrell Home Road in Park Hill. Regular hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information about this program, please call 918-456-2751, email huntershome@okhistory.org or follow Hunter’s Home on Facebook.
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Blacksmithing and Wheel Setting demonstrations in Perry
Visit the Cherokee Strip Museum in Perry on May 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a special blacksmithing demonstration in the art of wheel setting. In addition to activities held in the blacksmith shop, the museum’s resident blacksmith, Tom Nelson, will be demonstrating the advanced art of setting of a wagon wheel and a buggy wheel. The wheel setting demonstrations will be held at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The wheelwright’s craft goes back thousands of years, and was essential in an age of wagon use. They were skilled in the art of building and repairing wooden wheels. There are many steps in the construction of heavy wheels, including the finishing touch of adding a metal ring or “tire” to tighten the wheel and ensure its stability. The metal piece is added when it is heated, so as it cools and shrinks, the spokes tighten, and the wooden joints of the wheel come together.
This educational event is free to attend, but donations are appreciated. For more information please call 580-336-2405.
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Birthday Bash and Archaeology Day at Spiro Mounds
Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center will celebrate the 44th anniversary of the opening of the site with a Birthday Bash and Archaeology Day on Saturday, May 7, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To celebrate its 44th year of increasing awareness of Oklahoma archaeology, admission for the day will be free, although donations will be gratefully accepted. Birthday cake will be served all day during the celebration.
As a part of the birthday celebration, demonstrations of flintknapping (stone tool making) and Native American games will be given upon request. There also will be a presentation of the history of the Spiro Mounds site at 2 p.m. by manager/archaeologist Dennis Peterson. Of course, the regular exhibits will be available throughout the day as well.
If you would like more information about the Birthday Bash or how you can help, please contact Dennis Peterson at 918-962-2062 or spiro@okhistory.org. The center is located three miles east of Spiro on Highway 9/271 and four miles north on Lock and Dam Road.
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The Importance of Being Earnest
In May the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center will host five special performances in partnership with the Gaslight Theatre of Enid. Players will perform an adaption of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest using all of the buildings in the Humphrey Heritage Village as their stage.
Performances will be held on May 6, 7, 8, 13, and 14.
The Gaslight Theatre of Enid, Oklahoma, was founded in 1966 under its original name of Enid Community Theatre. It is one of Oklahoma’s oldest and most active community theatres.
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OHS COVID-19 safety measures
We recommend that visitors who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 wear face masks in indoor public areas. We ask that you avoid visiting OHS museums, sites, and affiliates if you have COVID-19, are experiencing symptoms, have a fever, or are otherwise feeling sick or unwell.
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Click event listings below for more information.
29–30 - “19th-Century Trading” living history program, Fort Gibson Historic Site, Fort Gibson
29 - Movie Night featuring Twister (1996), Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
30 - Silver Selections from the USS Oklahoma exhibit closes, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
30 - Hammered Aluminum Ware exhibit closes, Fred and Addie Drummond Home, Hominy
6–8 - Museum After Dark: Gaslight Theatre’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
7 - Crossroads: Change in Rural America exhibit closes, Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum, Pawnee
7 - Birthday Bash and Archaeology Day, Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center, Spiro
7 - Blacksmithing and Wheel Setting Demonstrations with Tom Nelson, Cherokee Strip Museum and Rose Hill School, Perry
7 - “Fleece to Fabric” Sheep-Shearing event, Hunter's Home, Park Hill
7 - Milliner (hat-making) class, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
7 - History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
8 - Dust, Drought, and Dreams Gone Dry exhibit closes, Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum, Pawnee
9–12 - Section 106 workshop series (VIRTUAL), State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma City
10 - Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission meeting, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
13–14 - Museum After Dark: Gaslight Theatre’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
14 - Quilting workshop with Martha Ray, Sod House Museum, Aline
14 - Second Saturday Demo: Herb Gardening, Fort Towson Historic Site, Fort Towson
16 - Becoming Fearless exhibit opens, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
16–17 - University of Oklahoma Summer Field School Excavations, Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center, Spiro
16–17 - Working with the National Register of Historic Places workshops (VIRTUAL), State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma City
18 - Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Committee meeting, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
18–20 - Tax Credits for Certified Rehabilitation of Historic Structures workshops (VIRTUAL), State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma City
19 - Thursday Night Lecture Series featuring the Oklahoma Capitol Restoration Project with Trait Thompson, Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
20–21 - “Beans to Bullets: Frontier Foodways” living history program, Fort Gibson Historic Site, Fort Gibson
21 - Will’s Cowboy Trader Days at the Ranch, Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch, Oologah
21 - Volunteer Training Day, Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion, Oklahoma City
21 - History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
21 - Family Day at the Birthplace Ranch, Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch, Oologah
27 - Movie Night featuring Field of Dreams (1989), Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
27 - “History and Hops: Masonic Temples in Oklahoma” presentation by T. S. Akers, Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion, Oklahoma City
27–28 - “Leather Footwear” living history program, Fort Gibson Historic Site, Fort Gibson
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Join in the fun at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in Enid! The next History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip events will be held in Humphrey Heritage Village on May 7 and 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Step back in time and experience life in the Cherokee Outlet as the village comes alive every first and third Saturday of each month. Historical interpreters will be tending their shops and working their trades. There will be many new things to learn and experience. You can even file a claim in the region’s only remaining Land Office.
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