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Celebrate the holidays with the Oklahoma Historical Society! |
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1850s Christmas Traditions
Visit Hunter’s Home—the only remaining pre–Civil War plantation home in Oklahoma—for a genuine 1850s Christmas experience through Friday, December 13. The historic home will be decorated in the style of an 1850s Christmas.
Did you know that in 1850, the Christmas holiday was just beginning to include traditions we know today? In that period, Christmas was a more modest occasion. Christmas trees may have been just generous branches, small in size, and set up on a tabletop or the corner table of a room.
Be sure to attend the Christmas Open House at Hunter’s Home from noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday, December 15.
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Wassail at the Carnegie Library
The Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library will participate in a tour showcasing some of Guthrie’s most distinctive homes and historic buildings on Saturday, December 7, 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 $20 and can be purchased online from the Guthrie Territorial Christmas Foundation. Tickets can also be purchased in person on Monday, December 2, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. at Guthrie City Hall. Pre-purchased tickets are nonrefundable. To learn more about all the festivities, contact Guthrie’s Territorial Christmas Foundation at 405-394-1947 or email info.gtcf@gmail.com.
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Photos with Santa at WRMM
The Heritage Gallery at Will Rogers Memorial Museum will be the perfect backdrop for taking photos with Santa on Saturday, December 7, and Saturday, December 14, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Bring your family and a camera or phone to take beautiful family pictures with Santa. Admission is free to take photos. For more information, please call 918-341-0719.
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Celebrate the season with a Christmas open house at the historic Fred and Addie Drummond Home in Hominy on Saturday, December 14, from 1 to 4 p.m. Every room of the 118-year-old house will be decorated for the Christmas season.
Musicians Jim Garling, Suzanne Wooley, and friends will perform live music in the parlor. Author Rosanne McKee and Osage storyteller Diane Fallis will participate in the festivities. McKee, a former writer for the Pawhuska Journal-Capital and the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise, will read passages from her novels. Santa Claus will make an appearance to take photos with guests. Visitors will receive a Christmas treat bag at the end of the open house.
A regular admission ticket to the Fred and Addie Drummond Home on December 14 will include the open house event. For more information, please call 918-352-5583.
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"Winter Traditions and Cheer" living history program through the month of December |
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The Fort Gibson Historic Site will celebrate winter traditions and cheer in a series of December living history programs. The programs will take place on December 19–21 from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 1 to 4 p.m.
Soldiers separated from loved ones, stationed at Fort Gibson, tended to livestock, continued training, and found small ways to celebrate the season, bringing cheer among their ranks. Winter on the frontier military post required that oxen, horses, and mules were fed, wintered, and cared for through the coldest months. Visitors can learn about the way enlisted men kept seasonal traditions alive, whether sharing mail from home or adding small decorations to add cheer to their quarters.
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December 21 is Winter Bake Day!
Fresh-baked gingerbread soldiers, nurses, and laundresses will be made at Fort Gibson Historic Site’s Winter Bake Day on Saturday, December 21. Join in the fun as staff and volunteers once again bring the 1860s military bakehouse to life.
Children may decorate their cookies at the fort’s decoration station or purchase a complete decoration kit to take home. Some items included in these kits are cherry licorice laces, spice drops, candy wafers, and, of course, giant gingerbread people! The decorating station and decoration kit sales will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or while supplies last.
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Christmas at the Fort: “19th-Century Traditions”
Fort Towson Historic Site will host Christmas at the Fort on Saturday, December 14, from 1 to 3 p.m. The theme for 2024 is “19th-Century Traditions.”
Guests can learn about 19th-century traditions and meet a soldier in an 1860s military camp 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 have been long forgotten. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be warming up to a cozy fire in the sutler store, giving out cookies and toys. Visitors to the site, originally established in 1824, can also take a tractor tour of the grounds and play historic games.
Christmas at the Fort is a FREE event. For more information, call 580-873-2634 or email fttowson@history.ok.gov. The Fort Towson Historic Site is located at 896 N. 4375 Rd. in Fort Towson.
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Movie Night featuring The Polar Express (2004) |
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The Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore (WRMM) is planning a special Polar Express Movie Night on Friday, December 13. The theatre’s doors will open at 6 p.m., and the movie will begin at 7 p.m.
Guests are encouraged to wear cozy Christmas pajamas for this fun screening of the classic animated film The Polar Express (2004). The event will feature Christmas caroling, hot chocolate, and Christmas treats, which will be just in time to celebrate the season! Thanks to the Bank of Commerce sponsorship, this event is FREE to attend. Please call 918-341-0719 for more information.
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Pawnee Bill Ranch Association Annual Members’ Meeting and Meal
The Pawnee Bill Ranch Association Annual Members’ Meeting and Meal will take place in the big barn from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 14. The meeting will be followed by a light lunch. The meal and meeting are open to Ranch Association members or those who desire to become members.
The meeting will be held before the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum’s Holiday Open House opens to the public from 1 to 3 p.m. on the same day. 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 tram rides (weather permitting)
- Children’s crafts
- An opportunity to take a photo with Santa and Mrs. Claus
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Hot cocoa and cookies will be served
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Christmas Tea
On Sunday, December 8, 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. Guests can enjoy tea, hot cider, and cookies.
This event is free to the general public. For more information, please call 580-336-2405.
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Sod House celebrates 130 years!
The Sod House Quilters are stepping in to celebrate and commemorate the 130th anniversary of the Sod House the “quilted way.” Christmas trees throughout the museum will be decorated with quilt blocks such as log cabins, yo-yos, four patches, stars, and Christmas tree blocks, and the Sod House itself will have seasonal decorations on display.
“A Quilter’s Christmas” open house will be on Saturday, December 14, from 1 to 3 p.m. The Friends of the Sod House Museum will celebrate this milestone with cookies and cider and give away door prizes! Visitors can buy tickets for a queen-sized quilt with the theme of “Chickadees and Trees,” made by the Sod House Quilters. They will be $2 each, three for $5, and 6 for $10.
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Holiday Open House at the Pioneer Woman Museum and Statue |
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On Saturday, December 14, 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 savor the flavors of a hot chocolate bar with all the fixings.
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Christmas Candlelight Tour at Fort Gibson |
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The Fort Gibson Historic Site Christmas Candlelight Tour will take place on Saturday, December 14, from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Bundle up to experience the magic of the Fort Gibson site after hours. Guests will be led by candlelight through scenes of 19th-century life in the palisade and the surrounding grounds. Enjoy the sounds of Christmas music and the smells of mulled cider, and see the Indian Territory frontier post after dark.
The tours will be family-friendly and should take about an hour. Tours will be every 20 minutes from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Each tour group is limited to 10 people.
This program requires tickets to be purchased in advance. Call 918-478-4088 to learn more.
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Museum After Dark: Christmas in the Village
A Victorian-style Christmas experience will return to the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in Enid with “Museum After Dark: Christmas in the Village” on Friday, December 20, from 6 to 9 p.m.
With the purchase of regular admission, visitors will see some of the unique Christmas traditions that early Cherokee Outlet homesteaders may have brought with them. A cottage market will be set up, and guests can purchase local handmade gifts. This family-friendly event will also include Christmas carols, hot drinks, a visit with Santa Claus, and more.
For more information about the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, please call 580-237-1907 or visit www.csrhc.org.
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Are you looking for photos with Santa, a candlelight tour, or a warming cup of hot chocolate? Whether you want to enjoy the sounds of the season, do a little shopping, or learn about the history of holiday traditions, we welcome you and your family to OHS museums and historic sites across the state! Follow the OHS website calendar to learn about our events and programs happening this December. |
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SAVE THE DATES!
Shop for unique gifts at the OHCM Store!
The Oklahoma History Center Museum Store’s annual holiday sale will take place on Thursday, December 12, and Friday, December 13.
Oklahoma Historical Society members will receive a 25% discount on merchandise, and the general public will receive a 10% discount. Several items will be marked down for this sale. There is no charge to visit the Museum Store, which is full of unique gift items related to Oklahoma history and culture, including kitchenware, shirts, books, toys, decorative items, and more!
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FAR OUT, MAN!
Looking for the perfect stocking stuffer?
If you are searching for the right gift, check out the Research Center’s wide selection of playing cards featuring historic images, places, and people important to Oklahoma’s past. The newest deck of historic playing cards feature Oklahomans and Space with a different image of many Oklahomans who played a part in the US air and space program.
The OHS Research Center store site sells books, maps, photographs, puzzles, and playing cards about Oklahoma history. The public can also submit online requests for research orders.
Visit okhistory.org/cards to learn more.
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Connect with the Oklahoma Historical Society on social media—where you can learn more about Oklahoma history and get up-to-date information about events and exhibits across the state!
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Masthead image: Christmas lights ready to go up for the Major County Christmas party in Fairview, 1952, photo by Thomas F. Killian (2012.201.B1078.0068, Oklahoma Publishing Company, OHS). |
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