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Museum Store Annual Holiday Sale |
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The Oklahoma History Center’s annual holiday sale in the Museum Store will take place on Thursday, December 12, and Friday, December 13.
Oklahoma Historical Society members will get 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. The Museum Store is full of unique gift items related to Oklahoma history and culture, including kitchenware, shirts, books, toys, decorative items, and more.
All proceeds from the Museum Store help fund and support the mission and programs of the Oklahoma History Center Museum.
For those hard-to-shop-for friends and family, remember to give the gift of history by gifting them with an Oklahoma Historical Society membership. Store associates can help you purchase an OHS gift membership.
Visit okhistory.org/store to see hundreds of gift ideas. For more information, please contact the Museum Store at 405-522-5214 or museumstore@history.ok.gov.
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SAVE THE DATE FOR DECEMBER 21!
Winter Bake Day and gingerbread decorating
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Fresh-baked gingerbread soldiers, nurses, and laundresses will be served at Fort Gibson Historic Site’s Winter Bake Day on Saturday, December 21.
Get ready for the delightful aroma of freshly baked gingerbread cookies wafting through the crisp December air on Garrison Hill! The 1860s military bakehouse will keep the ovens warm, bringing the historic bakehouse back to life once again. It’s sure to be a heartwarming experience filled with the joys of the season!
Cookies are made using recipes from the 19th century and feature candy decorations reminiscent of that time. Children can either decorate their cookies at the Fort Gibson Commissary decoration station or purchase a complete decoration kit to take home. These kits include items such as cherry licorice laces, spice drops, candy wafers, and, of course, giant gingerbread people! The decoration station and kits will be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., or while supplies last.
Folks who come to make the cookies but wish to stay are welcome to tour the rest of the site or stroll the grounds. Admission can be purchased at the Commissary gift shop or the Palisade office. For more information, please call 918-478-4088.
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On Friday, December 20, from 5 to 9 p.m., the Cherokee Strip Museum and Rose Hill School will hold the “Christmas on the Prairie” gathering to celebrate the holiday spirit and experience the warmth of the community.
The event will include festive activities and refreshments to celebrate the season together. This evening event is a great way to meet with friends and make memories that connect to meaningful histories at the CSM—where the present meets the past!
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"Winter Traditions and Cheer" at Fort Gibson |
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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.
Winter on the edge of Indian Territory was spent in regular military duties such as guard, mess hall, and drill, as 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 small and meaningful seasonal traditions alive, whether through hunting for the game for the holiday meal, sharing mail from home, or adding decorative cheer to their quarters.
At Fort Gibson Historic Site, we will finish out the year decorating the palisade and decorating gingerbread cookies fresh from the 1860s oven!
For more information, check out the Fort Gibson Facebook event page.
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Christmas Open House at Hunter's Home |
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On Sunday, December 15, from noon to 8 p.m., Hunter’s Home will host its annual Christmas Open House. The historic home will be decorated as it would have been at Christmas in the 1850s, with Christmas music playing throughout the day. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be ready for photos. Refreshments will be available during the day, and candles around the home will be lit after dark.
This is a chance to make new Christmas memories as visitors join the festivities with Hunter’s Home staff and volunteers. Admission to Hunter’s Home will be free on December 15.
Hunter’s Home will be closed on Saturday, December 14, to prepare for the Christmas Open House and will reopen on Sunday, December 15. For more information, please call 918-456-2751.
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Oklahoma Sports Heroes
Oklahoma Sports Heroes opens on December 21 at the Oklahoma History Center Museum.
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 will feature items recently added to 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 the broader Oklahoma sports history community for their support in bringing this exhibit to life.
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OHS holiday happenings on Saturday, December 14! |
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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 that will open 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, and an opportunity to take a photo with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Hot cocoa and cookies will be served.
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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 14, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Bring your family, camera, or phone to take beautiful family pictures with Santa. Admission is free to take photos. For more information, please visit willrogers.com or 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 119-year-old home 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 on December 14 will include the open house event. For more information, please call 918-352-5583.
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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.
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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.
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“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,” (seen at right), made by the Sod House Quilters. The tickets 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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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.
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The Voices of Oklahoma book series is a compelling collection of stories that bring to life the history, culture, and people of the Sooner State.
Drawing from the rich oral history project founded by John Erling, Voices of Oklahoma, these volumes preserve the voices of Oklahomans who have shaped the state’s legacy—from governors and war heroes to pioneering artists, civil rights advocates, and everyday individuals with extraordinary stories.
The series captures Oklahoma's unique character, offering inspiration, education, and entertainment for readers of all backgrounds.
Together, these books celebrate the enduring spirit and profound contributions of Oklahomans to history and culture—the perfect gift for the history-lover in your family!
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Follow the OHS website calendar to learn about all of our events and programs at OHS museums and historic sites across the state! |
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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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