Press Release
March 11, 2025
Contact: Nicole Harvey
Oklahoma History Center Museum, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-5202
nicole.harvey@history.ok.gov
www.okhistory.org/historycenter
Oklahoma History Center Museum Announces Closing Date for “Launch to Landing: Oklahomans and Space” Exhibit
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma History Center Museum (OHCM) will close its popular exhibit “Launch to Landing: Oklahomans and Space” on Monday, March 31. Since opening in November 2020, the exhibit has offered visitors a rare opportunity to explore Oklahoma’s significant contributions to aviation and space exploration.
“Launch to Landing” was developed over several years in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., and the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas. It provides a comprehensive look at the pioneering Oklahomans who played critical roles in the U.S. air and space program, as well as early Oklahoma aviation history.
The highlight of this exhibit is the Skylab 4 Apollo Command Module (CM-118), which carried astronauts Gerald Carr (commander), Edward Gibson (science pilot) and William Pogue (pilot) into space. The Skylab 4 mission holds the distinction of being the longest mission conducted by any Apollo command module, spanning from November 16, 1973, to February 8, 1974, for a total of 84 days in space.
The exhibit also includes items generally associated with Oklahoma aviators and the U.S. air and space program, such as Oklahoma flags flown in space, a NASA Mission Control console, space shuttle heat shield tiles, and lunar samples — also known as “moon rocks.”
With its closure set for March 31, the OHCM encourages all who have not yet experienced “Launch to Landing” to do so while there is still time. As we bring this exhibit to a close, the OHCM is already looking ahead to its next major project—an exciting new exhibit slated to open in mid-2026 in conjunction with the centennial of Route 66.
“Launch to Landing: Oklahomans and Space” has been made possible by the generous support of the E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation, the M.D. Jirous and Barbara Jirous Foundation, the Inasmuch Foundation, the Records-Johnston Family Foundation Inc., Bob Ford, the James C. and Teresa K. Day Foundation, the Friends of the Oklahoma History Center, the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas, the Thomas P. Stafford Air and Space Museum in Weatherford, Bill Moore and Cameron Eagle, Ink Ranch.
The Oklahoma History Center Museum is located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Dr. in Oklahoma City and is open to the public Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For current admission costs, group rates, or additional information, please call 405-522-0765 or visit www.okhistory.org/historycenter.
The Oklahoma History Center is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, National Archives and is an accredited member of the American Alliance of Museums. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
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