MEMORY MAKING: A FUN AN INFORMATIVE MUSEUM
We’re in OKC – that’s Oklahoma City for the uninitiated. It’s a wonderful mix of modern city and old west town. The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a great place to start a visit there and it’s also on my list of all time favorites. It follows the West from lonely prairie to cow punching paradise, from punching the ground from oil to punching the horizon with skyscrapers. Come along and see for yourself.
A Somber Beginning
The grand entrance to this museum starts on a somber note. Artist James Earl Fraser’s End of the Trail depicts a Native American warrior, defeated by the Cowboys who invaded the West and made it their home. It’s a poignant reminder that we weren’t first.
It’s not the last reminder in the museum of the sins we committed against the First Nation, but the rest of the museum is not a guilt trip. There’s plenty to love about the Cowboy way of life, from cattle drives to rhinestone covered western wear.
Into the Galleries
We turned right from this statue and entered the galleries. There you’ll see all kinds of displays. Some do represent the First Nation, beautifully beaded doeskin dresses, decorated top hats with eagle feathers and other mementos of a bygone culture, but you’ll also lots of other things to see.
If you like Western paintings and sculpture from names like Reminington and Russell, then hold on to your hat, because you’re going to see a lot. There’s lots of ranching paraphernalia from barbed wire to rodeo belt buckles. They touch on everything from the local general store to the various ethnicities of cowboys and vaqueros, including the influence of black cowboys, Chinese railway workers and Germanic farmers.
The museum takes you all the way from empty prairies to modern metropolises carved out of the West. Perhaps the most fun to be had is the Western influence on entertainment. From old black and white movies to the modern country & western music scene, you’ll see things which remind you of old favorites you’ve enjoyed. Tip of the hat to Jimmy Stewart, Tom Selleck and Sam Elliot!
Wrapping Up Our Visit
Hours after first walking up to the defeated Indian, we were back in the lobby – our heads spinning from all we’d seen. We went to the other side of the museum to use the restroom and walked through a gallery with modern interpretations of the West. I particularly liked the painting of the large cougar crossing a waterway. You can see it on the left center of the photo book spread.
From there we made our way into the gift shop, which is nothing like your standard souvenir store. Why? LOTS of gorgeous clothing for one thing. They had gorgeous jewelry also, but I’m used to seeing that in museum gift shops. If I lived up in OKC, it’s likely I’d be shopping there often. Don’t miss it if you visit. Heck, you don’t even have to go into the museum, just sidle into the lobby and head right. That will keep you busy for a while!
But all good things must come to an end. We were tired and needed to find our hotel – and what a hotel! Join us next week at The National!
jane sadek 