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The 2025 Oklahoma History Symposium will be held on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City. Presented by the Oklahoma Historical Society, the symposium is a one-day event encompassing a range of historical topics pertaining to Oklahoma. It provides a venue for scholars, students, educators, public history professionals, and the interested public from across the state and region to share their work and interests with others. The 2025 symposium will center on the theme “Oklahoma in Context.”
Keynote Award-winning filmmaker Loren Waters (Cherokee/Kiowa) will be our keynote speaker. Waters will share about her short documentary Meet Me at the Creek, which focuses on Rebecca Jim’s (Cherokee) efforts to restore Tar Creek in Miami, Oklahoma. Waters’s experience in the film industry includes directing, producing, and casting for film and television including Reservation Dogs, Fancy Dance, and Killers of the Flower Moon.
The event is free, but attendees will have the option to purchase a boxed lunch when registering. Lunches will be distributed at the event, and can be ordered until Friday, April 25. The Oklahoma History Symposium is open to the public.
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This program is funded in part by Oklahoma Humanities (OH) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the program do not necessarily represent those of OH or NEH. |
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Oklahoma Historical Society Membership Meeting
May 3 - 10 a.m.
A meeting of the membership of the Oklahoma Historical Society will be held on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at 10 a.m. Agendas will be available online 24 hours prior to the meeting at okhistory.org/BOARD.
Oklahoma Historical Society
Board of Directors Organizational Meeting
May 3 - 10:15 a.m.
An organizational meeting of the Oklahoma Historical Society Board of Directors will be held on Saturday, May 3, 2025 at 10:15 a.m. Agendas will be available online 24 hours prior to the meeting at okhistory.org/BOARD.
Both meetings will be held in person at the Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73105.
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Your Vote, Your History
OHS Board ballots due tomorrow!
The Oklahoma Historical Society is guided by a 25-member Board of Directors, with 13 elected by OHS members and 12 appointed by the governor. These board members play a pivotal role in carrying out the OHS mission to collect, preserve, and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Ballots for the 2025 OHS Board of Directors election have been mailed to current members and must be received by noon on April 24. This is your opportunity to influence the leadership that shapes the preservation of our state's heritage. For more information on the election process, visit the OHS elections and nominations page or contact Angela Spindle at 405-522-0472 or angela.spindle@history.ok.gov.
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Cultural Heritage Art Project exhibition in Perry |
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On Saturday, May 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Cherokee Strip Museum and Rose Hill School will host the Cultural Heritage Art Project exhibition. This is a juried art contest featuring the art of high school art students from Noble County, with entries based on the history of the student’s lineage or culture.
The freestyle art exhibit will be open to the public all day on Saturday, May 3. Admission will be $3 for students, $7 for adults, and $5 for seniors. Children 5 and under will be admitted free of charge.
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Enjoy a beautiful Spring Sunday picnic at the Picnic in the Village event at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center grounds on Sunday, May 4, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.!
With the purchase of one ticket, guests will reserve a picnic basket for two, with early 20th-century picnic fare, a blanket to sit on, supplies for a hands-on activity, and some take-home gifts. This lunchtime event is perfect for a Mother’s Day gift, lunch date, or nice Sunday afternoon outing with a friend. For more information, call 580-237-1907.
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Showmanship and the Wild West – Oklahoma’s Wild West Exhibitions: 1886-1933 exhibit opens |
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The Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum will showcase its exhibit Showmanship and the Wild West—Oklahoma’s Wild West Exhibitions: 1886-1933 from Saturday, May 10, to Sunday, August 31.
Through a collection of historic posters, photographs, and Wild West show artifacts, the exhibit will feature the rise and fall of “America’s National Entertainment,” reflecting the popularity of Wild West Shows from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. Oklahomans played a significant role in this nostalgic era as the American frontier faded, with Native Americans forced onto reservations and cattle drives ending.
The exhibit—first created by the University of Oklahoma Libraries Western History Collections—will be on display in the Wild West gallery of the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum through Sunday, August 31.
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Lunch and Learn with author Chris Enss |
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The Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library will host a Lunch and Learn presentation with New York Times bestselling author Chris Enss on Thursday, May 8, at noon.
The event will also be available to watch on Zoom. The link will be provided closer to the event.
During the event, Enss will discuss Bill and Zoe Tilghman. Bill Tilghman became known as one of Oklahoma’s “Three Guardsman”—a name given to three men known for pursuing criminals in Oklahoma.
The event is free and open to the public. Registration is not required.
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Sign your kids up for History Day Camp today!
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Fort Towson Historic Site will have a FREE History Camp for young people ages 9 to 13, from Tuesday, May 27 through Thursday, May 29, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
During the three-day camp, young people can explore the site with physical and experiential learning activities that will encourage them to learn what life was like in the 1840s. Historical interpreters will lead campers in hands-on activities such as archaeology, military drills, old-fashioned games, hands-on crafts, and outdoor exploration.
Registration is required and limited to 15 students on a first come, first served basis. You may register by calling 580-873-2634, emailing fttowson@history.ok.gov or visiting the Fort Towson Historic Site. This is a FREE camp thanks to a grant from the Carolyn Watson Rural Oklahoma Community Foundation. The deadline to apply is May 3.
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Spring events happening on Saturday, April 26! |
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 Spring on the Farm
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 Cast Iron Cooking
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 Spring Fling
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The OKPOP Museum is launching its First Friday OKPOP-IN open house on Friday, May 2, the public is invited to a free exclusive look inside the future of OKPOP with behind-the-scenes tours of the museum.
- Public tours of our exhibit plans and collections vault at 5, 6, 7, and 8 p.m.
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Free Dirty Sodas from Cheers Soda
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Ink & Draw Station with comic artist Jerry Bennett (presented by the Oklahoma Comic Arts Foundation)
- An all-Oklahoma vinyl listening lounge
Whether you’re a longtime pop culture fan or just curious about what’s coming to OKPOP, this is your chance to be part of something exciting. This event is free and open to the public! OKPOP is located at 422 N. Main Street in Tulsa.
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We are looking for enthusiastic volunteer judges to help make our upcoming Oklahoma National History Day State Contest successful at the Oklahoma History Center.
Oklahoma National History Day is a program allowing thousands of students across the state to become historians for a year. Students prepare history projects and compete in one of eight contests before advancing to the state contest held each May at the Oklahoma History Center Museum. This year’s contest will be held May 7–8, 2025, with the Junior Division happening on Wednesday, May 7, and the Senior Division on Thursday, May 8. The contest theme is “Rights and Responsibilities in History.”
Judges’ days begin at 8:30 a.m. each morning, breakfast will be provided, and they will conclude by lunchtime or slightly after. Each judge will provide complimentary and constructive comments to the student contestants, make recommendations for improvement, and then rank the top student entries for advancement to serve as Oklahoma’s representatives at the College Park, Maryland, a national contest. No experience is necessary, and we would love for you to bring your unique insight and talents to these incredible student historians.
If you are interested in serving as a judge as an individual or on a team with others at the upcoming State competition, please click the button below. You may register for one or both days. Please note that if you registered as a judge last year, you will have to register again. If you have any questions about serving as a judge, please email oklahomanhd@gmail.com.
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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! From seasonal events to celebrations, exhibits, films, educational classes, workshops, our calendar is constantly changing with the latest programs and activities. |
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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: Cowgirls from the Miller Brothers’ 101 Ranch Wild West Show, 1907 (19439.3.34.2, Mabel Tompkins Collection, OHS). |
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