Are you a museum-goer who’s heading to Oklahoma City or perhaps a local who simply enjoys the arts? If so, you’re in luck as the following information covers OKC’s top museums. The list includes museums that feature various styles of art, historic artifacts, and science-related accomplishments.
We’re truly fortunate to have so many iconic destinations right in our own backyard. And thankful for the countless hours curators have dedicated to sharing the beauty, creativity, and tragedies that make us who we are today.
18 Best Museums in Oklahoma City
Many of the museums featured below change their themes and collections throughout the year. So please visit the museum’s website directly to learn about current displays, visitation hours, and fees.
Oklahoma City Museum of Art
Constructed in 2002, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s 110,000 square foot facility is located in the heart of downtown and is an anchor for a growing cultural district in the greater metropolitan area.
The Oklahoma City Museum of Art is among the leading arts institutions in the region. From prestigious museums and collections around the world, a dynamic range of exhibitions is presented by the museum.
Highlights from North America, Europe, and Asia feature in the Museum’s own diverse collection, with particular strengths in American art and postwar abstraction. Also, the permanent collection boasts one of the world’s largest public collections of Dale Chihuly glass, a major collection of photography by Brett Weston, and works by Washington Color painter Paul Reed as part of the definitive museum collection.
The Samuel Roberts Noble Theater at the Museum screens the finest international, independent, documentary, and classic films. Amenities at the Museum include the Roof Terrace and the Museum Store.
The American Alliance of Museums accredits the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, which is a member of the Association of Art Museum Directors. Annually, over 125,000 visitors from all fifty states and thirty foreign countries are served by the Museum.
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, America’s premier institution of Western history, art, and culture, was founded in 1955. Located in Oklahoma City, the Museum collects, preserves, and exhibits an internationally renowned collection of Western art and artifacts. It also sponsors dynamic educational programs to stimulate interest in the enduring legacy of the American West.
More than 10 million visitors from around the world have sought out this unique museum to gain a better understanding of the West: a region and history that permeates our national culture. The Museum features a superb collection of classic and contemporary Western art, including works by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell, as well as The End of the Trail, magnificent work by sculptor James Earle Fraser.
The exhibition wing houses interactive history galleries and a turn-of-the-century town that focus on Victorian firearms, the American cowboy, rodeos, Native American culture, frontier military, and Western performers.
Science Museum Oklahoma
Founded way back in 1958, Science Museum Oklahoma has evolved. Even our name has changed as the world’s understanding of science has grown in leaps and bounds. Here is a glimpse of our past, including a short biography of our founder, Admiral John Elson Kirkpatrick. Today, over 390,000 square feet of hands-on science experiences, art, and history are housed at the Science Museum Oklahoma! A few of the museum’s top attractions are listed here:
The heart of the museum is The Science Floor, with hundreds of activities designed to teach, entertain, and astound our guests. In the Segway Park, learn to drive on two wheels, move a 400-pound weight effortlessly with the Resonant Pendulum, and experience much more! All things science are what The Science Floor is about. During your visit, experience all the activities and dramatically increase the chances of having a scientist in the family!
Explore how engineering, art, and technology collide in the Tinkering Garage. This exhibit puts the “fun” in science fundamentals. As you design, create, invent, and experiment in this all-ages, hands-on workshop, see where your creativity takes you. The only limit is your imagination — activities in the Tinkering Garage change monthly!
Finity, the only permanent installation in the United States by world-renowned artist and inventor Tom Shannon, is an interactive sculpture that stands 25 feet tall featuring five spinning polyhedrons. It is awe-inspiring and serves as the focal point of Founder’s Plaza, the museum’s outdoor gathering space. The Kirkpatrick Family Fund commissioned this sculpture to honor John Kirkpatrick, the museum’s founder’s legacy. Constructed from mirrored stainless steel, each shape reflects the Oklahoma skies while visitors push and pull at the bottom pyramid. Don’t forget to give it a spin when you visit next!
Explore this bustling, 20,000-square-foot city and get lost! In CurioCity, pronounced like “curiosity,” children are exposed to science in eight whimsical neighborhoods through a number of interactive activities that encourage learning through play. There are plenty of ways to explore, whether it’s storytelling, navigating obstacles, playing instruments or balancing on a tightrope.
Oklahoma History Center
The Oklahoma History Center, an eighteen-acre, 215,000-square-foot learning center, explores Oklahoma’s unique history of Native culture, pioneers, aviation, commerce, and more. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Oklahoma History Center Museum is a Smithsonian Affiliate.
Members of the Territorial Press Association founded the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) on May 27, 1893. The OHS relocated to the State Capitol in 1918 and moved to the Wiley Post building in 1930. The opening of the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City happened in 2005. Over time, numerous collections, programs, research centers, museums, historic homes, and military sites across the state have been developed by the OHS.
At the time of this publication, exhibits being featured include Into the Mirror, which is the newest exhibit at the Oklahoma History Center Museum and features works by 20 Native American artists from the museum’s permanent collection.
The rich cultural heritage of Oklahoma presents many opportunities to experience history intimately and directly. From the prehistoric mounds in Spiro to the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, there are a multitude of sites designed to educate and entertain.
Oklahoma City National Memorial
The creation of the Oklahoma City National Memorial, meant to commemorate the response to the event it represents, has involved a cooperative effort with many people and all levels of government. Oklahoma City Mayor Ron Norick appointed a 350-member task force in 1995 to explore ways to honor those killed and remember this tragic event. The task force issued its report in March 1999. In the Memorial Mission Statement, they called for the creation of a memorial that would remember not only those who were killed but also those who survived and all who were changed forever – essentially everyone touched directly or indirectly by the bombing.
The Outdoor Symbolic Memorial is a quiet place for reflection. It commemorates those who were killed, survived, and were forever changed on April 19, 1995. The now-sacred soil where the Murrah Building once stood and the surrounding area devastated by the attack are encompassed by it. Open to everyone 24 hours a day, year-round, is the Memorial.
The west end of the former Journal Record Building is occupied by the Memorial Museum, an interactive learning experience. This building, built in 1923, withstood the bombing. On self-guided tours through the state-of-the-art Memorial Museum, visitors explore the story of those who were killed, those who survived, and those changed forever by the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995 – along with how the world responded afterward.
By using interactives and augmented reality as well as artifacts and hundreds of hours of video footage, each personal detail is shown to visitors by The Museum. The outdoor Memorial is maintained through Museum Admission.
45th Infantry Division Museum
The 45th Infantry Division Museum in Oklahoma City has a spectacular collection of military artifacts. These fascinating objects are presented in exhibits at the museum to tell the story of Oklahoma’s own 45th Infantry Division of the National Guard, also known as the Thunderbirds. The museum also showcases other parts of American military history.
The museum has some really interesting exhibits, like the Reaves Firearm Collection. This collection shows off basic weapons used by infantry and cavalry from the Revolutionary War all the way to the Vietnam War. One of the key pieces in this collection is the Mosby Cannon. It’s a Confederate cannon that was taken by the Union army back in 1863 during the Civil War.
The museum has over 200 World War II cartoons by Bill Mauldin, a soldier in the 45th Infantry Division. Most of these were made between 1944 and 1945.
The Hall of Flags has exhibits that tell the early military history of Oklahoma, starting with its forts. Thunderbird Park is outside on the grounds of the 45th Infantry Division Museum.
Some of the bigger pieces from Oklahoma’s military history are there, like tanks, aircraft, and big guns. Rising up 40 feet high in the park is the 45th Infantry Division Monument, which honors the men who served in both World War II and the Korean War.
Museum of Osteology
The museum showcases more than 450 real skeletons from every corner of the world. SKELETONS: Museum of Osteology offers fun for families and quality educational experiences for school groups to learn about the skeletal system’s form and function. They think that education and appreciation of the natural world are where conservation must start. Some favorite exhibits include:
Explorer’s Corner, where visitors have the opportunity to get hands-on with more than a dozen real animal skulls, offering an up-close and personal experience. It provides a unique chance for children to handle and examine various North American species. They can also test their osteology knowledge by taking on the challenge of identifying three “Mystery Skulls”.
Adaptation & Locomotion exhibit explores how adaptation and movement occur in the wild. Animals’ skeletal structures are very important because they help with support, protection, and movement. To fit their unique needs and homes, different animals have developed various ways their skeletons work. Nature has a way of changing creatures so they can live better in their homes. You can see these changes all over nature. In animals with backbones, these changes usually involve the skeleton. A clear example of this kind of change is seen in how animals move around. This display shows many different ways that animals get around in the animal kingdom.
The Forensic Osteology exhibit focuses on Homo sapiens, or humans! It shows how the examination of human bones is a big part of forensic anthropology. This field helps figure out things like age, sex, and how a person grew by looking at their bones. Visitors to this exhibit get to discover all about how human skeletons grow. This includes understanding how the human skull grows and comes together from when a person is a baby until they are fully grown. Learning about the skull’s growth and development is really interesting because it happens over many years.
American Banjo Museum
The perfect destination to experience a world-class collection dedicated to celebrating the music and heritage of America’s instrument, the banjo, is the American Banjo Museum.
The American Banjo Museum, a world-class facility spanning 21,000 square feet, celebrates the banjo’s rich history, vibrant spirit, and boundless future. With more than 400 instruments in its collection along with recordings, film, video, printed music, instructional materials and memorabilia related to the banjo. This museum holds the world’s largest collection of publicly displayed banjos.
You’ll find replicas of primitive banjos that were designed and crafted by African slaves, instruments from the Minstrel Age of entertainment, Classic Era banjos from the 1800s and early 1900s, plus post-WWII instruments used in bluegrass, folk, and jazz. The main banjo collection includes ornately decorated pieces that were constructed during the Jazz craze of the 1920s and 1930s.
The museum, which was first situated in Guthrie, Oklahoma, got its start as a non-profit organization back in 1998. It was Midwest City attorney Brady Hunt and Indiana industrialist Jack Canine who founded it, initially naming it The National Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame Museum. Canine himself, who plays the banjo and loves everything about it, has always said that he thinks keeping and sharing the history of the banjo—an instrument America has taken to heart—is really important for kids and everyone else coming up after us.
Oklahoma State Firefighters Museum
On April 6, 1967, a special ceremony to start construction happened in Oklahoma City, where you can still find the Oklahoma State Firefighters Museum today. Finished in 1969, this building not only has the Museum but also is home to the offices of the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association (OSFA), Oklahoma Fire Chiefs Association (OCFA), and the Oklahoma Retired Firefighters Association (ORFA).
The Oklahoma State Firefighters Museum is run and owned by the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association (OSFA). This museum gets its funding from the membership fees of over 9,000 firefighters. It’s totally focused on keeping and showing old firefighting gear and machines.
It has an amazing set of old equipment, going back to the mid-1700s, and it also includes the first firehouse in Oklahoma Territory, constructed in 1864. Several pieces from the earliest fire company in America, led by Benjamin Franklin, are shown here.
Displays also feature the biggest collection of patches in the world and the unique mural called The Last Alarm. Also, the building houses offices for the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association (OSFA), Oklahoma Fire Chiefs Association (OFCA), Council on Firefighter Training (COFT), and Oklahoma Retired Firefighters Association (ORFA).
On July 18, 1966, the Oklahoma State Firemen’s Museum Directors chose to finance the museum using the city trust method, and they anticipated it would cost about $200,000. Then on December 14, 1966, after meeting with the state insurance commissioner at the Will Rogers Memorial Building, the museum board received final permission for where to build the museum.
They broke ground for the museum building on April 6, 1967, but they didn’t stop taking bids from contractors until January 9, 1968. The construction of the building was finished by March 1, 1969, and the very next day, March 2, the museum opened its doors to everyone.
Oklahoma Railway Museum
The Oklahoma Railway Museum is more than just a museum. It’s a group of enthusiastic train lovers committed to keeping America’s transportation history alive. At the Oklahoma Railway Museum, you get to see history come to life through an educational journey of how railroads influenced both Oklahoma and the entire country.
The Museum’s story begins with the Central Oklahoma Railfan Club. In 1970, these fans became part of the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) as the Central Oklahoma Chapter.
The Central Oklahoma Chapter of the NRHS wasn’t only about gathering old equipment and artifacts or discussing history. They took an active role in the railroad community. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, they operated and set up various trains. By building connections with railroads such as the Union Pacific and collecting initial funds, these actions helped establish the foundation for the Museum.
Other museums have exhibits that don’t move. But the Oklahoma Railway Museum lets you see history come alive. You can see the steam engines that took settlers across the Great Plains. Touch the handrails just like your great-great-grandparents did.
Factory Obscura Mix-Tape
In a world of on-demand entertainment, it’s refreshing to find Factory Obscura has hand-crafted their own 20th-century take on the classic audio curation. Their Mix-Tape is a 6,000 square foot immersive art experience, entirely made by hand and with the audience in mind.
Factory Obscura was founded in 2017. Today the artists and leadership of Factory Obscura are on a mission to support, create, and enlighten Oklahomans and the world alike. The creators that craft the experiences share a like minded love for their craft and for those who experience their art. Some see it as building the world they want to live in and one that they want others to perceive.
At Factory Obscura, experiences are only complete when you immerse yourself in them. Organizers want visitors to let go of whatever is holding them back and open themselves up to new, creative ways of seeing the world around them.
Harn Homestead
Step back in time at the Historic Harn Homestead Museum. This beautiful outdoor museum is home to some of Oklahoma’s most unique treasures from the past. Learn about life in Oklahoma territory. Plan your visit today and reminisce about days gone by.
The Harn Homestead is a treasure in Oklahoma that showcases the territorial history of Oklahoma City. Visitors can experience the elegance of a Victorian home and the waste-not want-not ethic of farm families from the territory. The buildings and grounds at our site capture the diverse life experiences of men, women, and children who settled in Oklahoma territory.
The Harn Homestead’s history stretches over 100 years. Mr. William Fremont Harn was appointed by President Benjamin Harrison in 1891 as a special land commissioner, to help determine property ownership after the run of 1889.
The primary offering of the Harn Homestead to the public is providing educational programming for elementary school-aged students. This programming gives them the chance to first-hand experience life as a pioneer man or woman. Students participate in activities that show the hardships, traditions, and work ethic of our early settlers during a visit to the museum.
Oklahoma Hall of Fame
In 1927, Anna B. Korn founded the Oklahoma Hall of Fame to celebrate Statehood Day officially, honor Oklahomans who are dedicated to their communities, and offer educational programs for people of all ages. The very next year saw the first Induction Ceremony into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, where they inducted the initial two members.
The Hefner Mansion was donated to the association in the 1970s, to house the exhibits and busts or portraits of the inductees, and in 1971, the organization changed its name to the Oklahoma Heritage Association. In 2007, it moved into Oklahoma City’s former Mid-Continent Life Insurance building and opened the Gaylord-Pickens Museum with interactive exhibits.
In 2015, to better represent its goals and mission, the organization for the final time changed its name to the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
The Oklahoma Hall of Fame offers schools across the state Free Field Trips, over 30 Free Family Fun Days at the Museum each year, free online programs, and free traveling pop-up exhibits for classrooms in Oklahoma.
They participate in Museums for All through the SNAP program and accept the Allied Arts OKCityCard. Starting on Armed Forces Day and continuing until Labor Day each year, we also offer free admission to military personnel and their families as a Blue Star Museum Partner.
The American Pigeon Museum & Library
Founded back in 1973, as the American Homing Pigeon Institute (AHPI), the American Pigeon Museum & Library (APM&L) came into being. In 1993, the AHPI bought 10 acres of land where APM&L and World of Wings are now located. Today, visitors far and wide come to learn about the many pigeon varieties housed at APM&L and enjoy the surrounding’s stunning views.
For more than many decades, the museum has received several contributions of materials from prominent experts of the hobby and has collected historically significant artifacts from various pigeon fanciers.
In 2013, a new building was constructed on the west side of the property and the museum’s collection was moved into it. The larger facility provides the needed space for displaying and storing the museum’s vast collections.
Thousands of pigeon fanciers from all over the world and bird lovers alike visit APM&L every year. They learn about this amazing bird and how it has become known as man’s oldest, most reliable feathered friend. Your whole family will love this experience.
Fred Jones Jr Museum of Art
The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma is considered one of the best university art museums in the United States. Over 20,000 objects are featured in the museum’s expanding collection.
The collection includes notable highlights such as the Weitzenhoffer Collection of French Impressionism, Native American art and art from the American Southwest in the Eugene B. Adkins Collection, contemporary art, ceramics, photography, Asian art, 20th-century American painting and sculpture, works on paper dating from the 16th century to today, and the James T. Bialac Native American Art Collection.
Temporary exhibitions that examine the art of various periods and cultures are showcased throughout the year.
The museum, to accommodate its expanding collections, added the Lester Wing in 2005 and the Stuart Wing in 2011. Approximately 40,000 square feet is what the current exhibition space measures.
The museum’s collection, extraordinary in its scope, features major works by some of the most beloved artists ever, including Ansel Adams, Romare Bearden, John Singleton Copley, Stuart Davis, Edgar Degas, Paul Gauguin, Edward Hopper, early Kiowa artists, Maria Martinez, Claude Monet, Georgia O’Keeffe, Ben Shahn, Vincent van Gogh, Edward Weston, Oklahoma natives Olinka Hrdy, Allan Houser, and Leon Polk Smith.
99s Museum of Women Pilots
Initiated by The Ninety-Nines, Inc.®, (The 99s) in 1972, the 99s Museum of Women Pilots (MWP) is a non-profit museum and research institute. In 1999, the MWP opened its doors to the public. With over 5,000 square feet of displays and artifacts, the MWP focuses on preserving aviation history for women while providing education and inspiration for young adults interested in entering the fields of aviation and aerospace.
Additionally, on site are maintained archives and other resources. Educating the public about the significant contributions made by women to aviation is another goal of the MWP.
Several handsome new displays are contained in The Ninety-Nines Museum. At last, the Jerrie Cobb collection, which has been stored for several years, is prominently exhibited. A representation of Jerrie’s corporate flying, her astronaut testing, and years of flying in Amazonia are all represented thanks to Stan Byers, an Oklahoma City museum display expert’s generosity. For researchers interested in Jerrie’s inspiring story, copious scrapbooks are available.
21c Museum Hotel Oklahoma City
Located in downtown Oklahoma City, the 21c Museum Hotel Oklahoma City is on the National Register of Historic Places. The factory, originally a manufacturing complex known as the Oklahoma City Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant, opened in 1916 and first produced the iconic Ford Model T.
At the peak of its operation, the complex was capable of producing 200 car copies in just one day. It turned into the home for Fred Jones Manufacturing Company for 46 years after the plant shut down in 1967.
In 2018, the building debuted as the 21c Museum Hotel Oklahoma City and is now a welcoming hotel that has 135 guestrooms and boasts a contemporary art gallery spanning over 14,000 square feet.
Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
The Sam Noble Home programs are brought into your home by the Sam Noble Museum at the University of Oklahoma, excitingly combining science and nature.
Spring brings changes in the weather, animal behavior, and our natural surroundings! Dive into spring with themed activities like experiments, crafts, games, and suggested reading. Activities for Spring Into Science are suitable for all ages but specifically aimed at kids five to 11 years old.
Summer Explorers makes the excitement of the Sam Noble Museum’s summer camps available at your home. Games, experiments, crafts, and unique videos from our educators and museum scientists are featured each week of activities. While all ages can enjoy Summer Explorers activities, they are specifically aimed at younger kids.
Activities from Mission Possible let guests dream up, design, and craft unique solutions for daily engineering challenges! With an adult’s assistance, people of all ages can finish these Mission Possible tasks using just ordinary items found around the house.
Explore the world around you without leaving home with Wild about Science Activities! Featuring four to five activities per theme, including experiments, crafts, games, and recommended reading. Designed for ages five to 11, Wild About Science activities are suitable for all ages.
