Events for December 1, 2021 - January 28, 2022
Events List Navigation
December 2021
“Life at Hunter’s Home: Winter Celebrations” begins (virtual)
December at Hunter’s Home in Park Hill is all about winter celebrations, and staff members aim to continue the tradition through the “Life at Hunter’s Home” Facebook group. The Facebook group brings a version of the site’s events and programs to a larger audience while keeping everyone safe during the winter. To celebrate the holidays, the Facebook group will be free to join during the month of December. The merry activities and videos that will be featured during December include…
Find out more »SHPO Section 106 virtual workshop series
On Wednesday, December 1, from 10 a.m. to noon, the State Historic Preservation Office will offer the first class in Section 106 virtual workshop series. It will offer an overview Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Four classes will be offered in Section 106 virtual workshops taking place on December 1, 2, 3, and 6. The 4-day workshop series will be held online and live sessions will offer ample opportunity for questions and discussion. All workshops are free…
Find out more »SHPO Section 106 virtual workshop series
On Thursday, December 2, from 10 a.m. to noon, the State Historic Preservation Office will offer the second class in the Section 106 virtual workshop series. It will cover the topic of Section 106 and the Oklahoma Archeological Survey. Four classes will be offered in Section 106 virtual workshops taking place on December 1, 2, 3, and 6. The 4-day workshop series will be held online and live sessions will offer ample opportunity for questions and discussion. All workshops are…
Find out more »Museum Store Holiday Sale
On December 3 and 4, the Oklahoma History Center (OHC) Museum Store will hold its annual Holiday Sale! During this sale each year, additional discounts are offered to OHS members, staff, and volunteers to show appreciation for their support of the Oklahoma Historical Society. Each group receives an additional 10 percent off regularly priced merchandise. If you are not a member, the store can help get your membership started so you can enjoy a 10 percent discount during the sale.…
Find out more »SHPO Section 106 virtual workshop series
On Friday, December 3, from 10 a.m. to noon, the State Historic Preservation Office will offer the second class in the Section 106 virtual workshop series. It will cover the topic of Section 106 and forms, GIS, and fieldwork. Four classes will be offered in Section 106 virtual workshops taking place on December 1, 2, 3, and 6. The 4-day workshop series will be held online and live sessions will offer ample opportunity for questions and discussion. All workshops are…
Find out more »Will’s Country Christmas
Visit Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch in Oologah for Will’s Country Christmas on Friday, December 3, and Saturday, December 4, from 5 to 9 p.m. The ranch house will be decorated for an Indian Territory Christmas. The evening will include storytelling, Wild West shootouts, children's crafts, 19th-century games, carriage rides, a shooting gallery, music, vendors, and food trucks. Guests will also have the opportunity to take a Wild West hayride by the shores of Oologah Lake. Bring your family and take…
Find out more »Guthrie’s Distinctive Homes Tour and wassail at the Carnegie Library, Oklahoma Territorial Museum
The Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library will be part of Guthrie’s Distinctive Homes Tour on Saturday, December 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guthrie's finest homes, churches, buildings, and the Carnegie Library will be dressed for the season. Visitors will hear tales of the early days of Oklahoma's first capital. The Carnegie Library will be serving wassail to warm the hearts and hands of tour participants. Guthrie's Territorial Christmas festivities will begin with the Lighted Christmas Parade and…
Find out more »Photos with Santa at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum
The Heritage Gallery at Will Rogers Memorial Museum will be the perfect backdrop for Photos with Santa on Saturday, December 4, and Saturday, December 11, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring your family and your camera to take beautiful family Christmas card pictures with Santa. Admission is free to take photos. For more information please visit willrogers.com or call 918-341-0719. Be sure to visit Will's Country Christmas event at the Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch on December 3 and 4,…
Find out more »This Land is Herland book signing at the Oklahoma History Center
On Saturday, December 4, beginning at 2 p.m., the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City will host a discussion and book signing with Sarah Eppler Janda and Patricia Loughlin, editors of the new book This Land is Herland: Gendered Activism in Oklahoma from the 1870s to the 2010s, published by University of Oklahoma Press this year. In addition to the editors, several of the contributors will be available to sign books and discuss their research on the remarkable Oklahoma women depicted in…
Find out more »Christmas at the Overholser
Celebrate the holiday season by attending the special evening event "Christmas at the Overholser" at the Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion. Guests will be able to tour the home at night and see the grand rooms decked out in holiday splendor. Every room of the historic home will carry the holiday theme, with plenty of festive decorations perfect for photo opportunities. During the tour, Preservation Oklahoma’s executive director, Chantry Banks will be telling Victorian ghost stories and tales of the…
Find out more »Victorian Walk Night in Guthrie and wassail at the Carnegie Library, Oklahoma Territorial Museum
The Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library will be part of Victorian Walk Nights on Saturday, December 4 and 11, from 5 until 9 p.m. Guthrie's finest homes, churches, buildings, and the Carnegie Library will be dressed for the season. Visitors will hear tales of the early days of Oklahoma's first capital. The Carnegie Library will be serving wassail to warm the hearts and hands of tour participants. Guthrie's Territorial Christmas Victorian Walk Nights take place in historic downtown Guthrie…
Find out more »SHPO Section 106 virtual workshop series
On Monday, December 6, from 10 a.m. to noon, the State Historic Preservation Office will offer the second class in the Section 106 virtual workshop series. It will cover the topic of Section 106 and tribal consultation. Four classes will be offered in Section 106 virtual workshops taking place on December 1, 2, 3, and 6. The 4-day workshop series will be held online and live sessions will offer ample opportunity for questions and discussion. All workshops are free and…
Find out more »Silver Selections from the USS Oklahoma exhibit opens
The Oklahoma History Center is pleased to announce the opening of a special exhibit to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor featuring the silver service from the USS Oklahoma. The exhibit will open on December 7, 2021, in the third-floor atrium and may be viewed during regular museum hours. The tradition of creating presentation silver sets for United States warships of the “first rank” began with the USS Maine in the late 1890s. Continuing this tradition,…
Find out more »Holiday Market at the Museum
The Museum of the Western Prairie will host its seventh annual Holiday Market at the Museum on Tuesday, December 7, at 6 p.m. This event showcases the talents of area artists and provides a terrific holiday shopping opportunity for the members of the Western Trail Historical Society as well as the general public. The Holiday Market at the Museum is free and open to the public. Artists are carefully selected to ensure high quality and wide variety, as well as…
Find out more »SHPO Tax Credits virtual workshop series
On Wednesday, December 8, The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) will begin the Tax Credits virtual workshop series with a session that overviews the Tax Incentives program. From December 8–10, SHPO will host the Tax Credits virtual workshop series. The entire workshop series will be held online and live sessions will have ample opportunity for questions and discussion. All workshops are free and open to the public, however, the SHPO requests that participants register for each session they wish to…
Find out more »SHPO Tax Credits virtual workshop series
On Thursday, December 9, The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) will begin the Tax Credits virtual workshop series with a session about the Secretary of the Interior's standards for rehabilitation. From December 8–10, SHPO will host the Tax Credits virtual workshop series. The entire workshop series will be held online and live sessions will have ample opportunity for questions and discussion. All workshops are free and open to the public, however, the SHPO requests that participants register for each session…
Find out more »SHPO Tax Credits virtual workshop series
On Friday, December 10, The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) will begin the Tax Credits virtual workshop series with a session about the Secretary of the Interior's guidelines for rehabilitation. From December 8–10, SHPO will host the Tax Credits virtual workshop series. The entire workshop series will be held online and live sessions will have ample opportunity for questions and discussion. All workshops are free and open to the public, however, the SHPO requests that participants register for each session…
Find out more »Museum After Dark: Christmas in the Village
Come experience a Victorian Christmas in Humphrey Heritage Village at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center on Friday, December 10, from 6 to 9 p.m. Visitors will feel the warmth of holiday cheer throughout the beautifully decorated Humphrey Heritage Village. For just the regular cost of admission, visitors will hear Christmas carols echoing throughout the village from local choirs as they tour the Victorian-era Glidewell House. There are many other activities for the family, including ornament decorating, crafts, hot drinks,…
Find out more »Crossroads: Change in Rural America exhibit closes
The Oklahoma Historical Society, in cooperation with Oklahoma Humanities, is pleased to announce that the Smithsonian Institution Museum on Main Street traveling exhibition Crossroads: Change in Rural America will be on display at the Fort Gibson Historic Site through December 11, 2021.
Americans come together at the crossroads. They invest in places and build their futures where their paths cross. Small towns became centers of commerce, trade, local politics, and culture. For some, the crossroads affirmed a new life in a new place. For others, the crossroads meant hard work and hard times.
Oklahomans will have a unique opportunity to consider their crossroads stories through the exhibit’s themes of rural identity, community, land, perseverance and managing change. Each site will engage visitors in complementary programming, celebrating their town’s history and accomplishments and addressing community concerns.
Find out more »Christmas at the Fort
Fort Towson Historic Site will host Christmas at the Fort on Saturday, December 11, from 1 to 3 p.m. Visitors to the site, which was originally established in 1824, will celebrate the season with a riding tour of the grounds ending at the Sutler’s Store—where guests can enjoy coffee, cocoa, treats, and photos with Santa For more information about the event, please call John Davis at 580-873-2634 or email jdavis@okhistory.org. Fort Towson Historic Site is located north of US 70…
Find out more »Christmas Open House, Fred and Addie Drummond Home
The Fred and Addie Drummond Home's annual Christmas Open House will be held on Saturday, December 11, from 1 to 4 p.m. This is the perfect way to celebrate the Christmas season with family and friends. Every room of the historic home will be decorated in traditional décor for the holidays, and visitors will enjoy Christmas music from Cowboy Jim Garling and Susanne Drummond Woolley. Santa Claus will be on hand to hear everyone's Christmas wish! Chuck Drummond, the father-in-law…
Find out more »Christmas Open House
The Sod House Museum’s Christmas Open House will be a come-and-go event held on Saturday, December 11, from 1–3 p.m. Enjoy the holidays in Oklahoma’s only remaining sod house that will be decorated for the season in the traditional style of the late 1800s. The museum building that houses the historic soddie will also be decorated for Christmas. Guests can explore exhibits, artifacts, photographs, and a root cellar surrounded by the sounds of early-day songs and Christmas music. Cookies and…
Find out more »Pawnee Bill Ranch Holiday Open House
On Saturday, December 18, Pawnee Bill Ranch (PBR) and Museum will host its annual Holiday Open House from 1–4 p.m. 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 surrey rides (weather permitting), children’s crafts, and an opportunity to take a photo with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Hot cocoa and cookies…
Find out more »Winter Solstice Walks
Come to the Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center on Tuesday, December 21, 2021, for guided walks to learn about the winter solstice and how prehistoric American Indians dealt with the changes in the seasons. Archaeologist and manager Dennis Peterson will lead guided tours starting at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 7 p.m. Each walk will take about two hours and require a mile of easy walking. The pace of life today is so rushed and hectic that the natural rhythms of…
Find out more »“Life at Hunter’s Home: Winter Celebrations” concludes (virtual)
December at Hunter’s Home in Park Hill is all about winter celebrations, and staff members aim to continue the tradition through the “Life at Hunter’s Home” Facebook group. The Facebook group brings a version of the site’s events and programs to a larger audience while keeping everyone safe during the winter. To celebrate the holidays, the Facebook group will be free to join during the month of December. The merry activities and videos that will be featured during December include…
Find out more »Movie Night featuring Will Rogers in Life Begins at 40 *canceled*
The Will Rogers Memorial Museum will host a Movie Night in the newly renovated Will Rogers Theatre on Friday, December 31 featuring Will Rogers in Life Begins at 40 (1935). Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the movie beginning at 7 p.m. This event is free to attend thanks to sponsorship by the Bank of Commerce. Guests can enjoy free popcorn and drinks. Masks are required.
Find out more »January 2022
Oklahoma Capitol Restoration Project presentation by Trait Thompson
On Thursday, January 13, from 1 to 3 p.m., the John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick Research Center at the Oklahoma History Center will host a special program presented by Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Director Trait Thompson. Before becoming executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society, Thompson was the project manager of the Oklahoma Capitol Restoration Project. He will discuss the history of the Oklahoma State Capitol and how this monumental restoration project was achieved. OHS librarians and archivists will also offer…
Find out more »Museum OKademy volunteer training class
The Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center will hold a six-session course in 2022 to train volunteers. The classes will be held on the first and third Saturdays of the month from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., beginning on Saturday, January 15, and concluding on Saturday, April 2.
The course is designed to train volunteers, living history interpreters, and museum docents for the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center! Each of the six sessions will cover the history of northwestern Oklahoma and provide the attendees with a basic understanding of museums, heritage, and public history. Registration is required. Register today!
Find out more »History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip
Step back in time and experience life in the Cherokee Outlet during History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center (CSRHC) in Enid. On the first and third Saturday of each month, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the historic buildings in the Humphrey Heritage Village at CSRHC come alive with historical interpreters tending their shops and working their trades. There will be many new things to learn and experience. You can even file a…
Find out more »Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Committee meeting *canceled*
The OHS Executive Committee meeting scheduled for January 19 has been canceled. Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Committee meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. Agendas will be available online 24 hours prior to the meeting at www.okhistory.org/board.
Find out more »Historic Preservation Review Committee meeting
The Oklahoma Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), is pleased to announce the Oklahoma Historic Preservation Review Committee’s (HPRC) meeting schedule. The governor appoints the members of the HPRC to advise the SHPO about nominations to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and other preservation issues. The HPRC’s 2022 meetings will begin at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 20, April 21, July 21, and October 13. Unless otherwise noted, meetings will be held in the Clark and Kay…
Find out more »Living History Demonstration: 19th-century broom making
Visit Hunter's Home in Park Hill on special dates in January to see a living history demonstration of 19th-century broom making. Historical Interpreter Maddox Cott will demonstrate the process of weaving and wrapping sturdy pieces of corn stalks together to make a household broom. In the 19th-century, more primitive versions of the broom were improved upon by using winding machines to tightly wrap the bundles of broom corn together using wire or string. Broom corn is a species of tasseled…
Find out more »All Aboard: Examining the Orphan Trains exhibit opening
On Friday, January 21, the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center (CSRHC) will open the exhibit All Aboard: Examining the Orphan Trains. The exhibit explores the history of orphan trains that brought orphaned children from the overpopulated cities in the eastern United States, out to northwestern Oklahoma, across the Great Plains and beyond, during the latter half of the nineteenth century.
This special exhibit opening takes place during the CSRHC's monthly Museum After Dark event. A Behind-the-Scenes tour will take place with a special presentation by the Curator of Collections Amy Johnson about the making of the exhibit.
A live performance and presentation by Phil Lancaster and Alison Moore are also planned for the event. The one-hour multimedia program combines live music, a video montage with archival photographs and interviews of survivors, and a dramatic reading of the 2012 novel Riders on the Orphan Train by award-winning author Alison Moore. The program, supported by Oklahoma Humanities, is the official outreach program of the National Orphan Train Complex Museum and Research Center based in Concordia, KS. Their mission is to raise awareness and preserve stories about the orphan train movement.
Find out more »Museum After Dark: Behind-the-Scenes Tour and Riders on the Orphan Train presentation
The Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center is hosting its monthly Museum After Dark event on Friday, January 21st from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The event will include a special behind-the-scenes tour with Museum Director Jake Krumwiede and Archivist Aaron Preston, who will give a special guided tour through the Heritage Center’s collection to showcase many never-before-seen artifacts and manuscripts.
The event will take place on the evening opening of the new exhibit All Aboard: Examining the Orphan Trains. Curator of Collections Amy Johnson will be on hand to talk about the making of the exhibit. The exhibit explores the history of orphan trains that brought orphaned children from the overpopulated cities in the eastern United States, out to northwestern Oklahoma, across the Great Plains and beyond, during the latter half of the nineteenth century.
Find out more »Wanted: Dead or Alive exhibit opens
On Saturday, January 22, Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum will open its newest exhibit, Wanted: Dead or Alive. This photography exhibit is comprised of images of some of Oklahoma’s most infamous criminals and will be on display until March 20, 2022.
Images in the exhibit are from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the University of Oklahoma Western History Collections, the National Archives, the vast photographic archives of the Oklahoma Historical Society, and private lenders. The 38 black-and-white images on display consist of mugshots, crime scene locations, and group shots with criminals and law enforcement officers. They span more than 70 years, starting before statehood in 1907 and reaching into the late 1950s.
Find out more »Volunteer Training Day
On January 22, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion will hold a Volunteer Training Day. Attendees will learn the basics of volunteering at the mansion, including history, tour protocols, and all volunteer opportunities throughout the year. For more information, please contact Chantry Banks, Executive Director at director@preservationok.org. Register online
Find out more »Lap Loom Weaving class
On Saturday, January 22, from 1 to 4 p.m. the Oklahoma History Center will hold a Weaving class, which will teach participants how to create basic weaving patterns with a lap loom. The class, open for ages 12 and above, is offered by the Oklahoma History Center's Education Department and will also cover a brief history of weaving traditions. All materials are provided and participants will be able to take projects created in the class home with them. The cost…
Find out more »Kilgen Organ performance featuring Clark Wilson and silent film Girl Shy (1924)
The Oklahoma History Center is pleased to announce the first Kilgen theater organ performance of 2022, featuring widely recognized organist Clark Wilson. He will provide the accompanying music and sound effects to the Harold Lloyd silent film Girl Shy (1924). The performance will be Monday, January 24, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for Oklahoma Historical Society members and $20 for nonmembers, and may be reserved by calling 405-522-0765. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and seating is…
Find out more »Oklahoma Historical Society Board of Directors meeting
The Oklahoma Historical Society Board of Directors meetings are held on Wednesdays in January, July, and October at 1:30 p.m. The April meeting will take place on Friday, April 8. Agendas will be available online 24 hours prior to the meeting at www.okhistory.org/board. This meeting will be held at the Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, Oklahoma City.
Find out more »Movie Night featuring Stagecoach (1939)
Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore will host a Movie Night in its theater on Friday, January 28, 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. 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…
Find out more »