Oklahoma History Center

The History Center is a pretty darn cool place! The Center’s permanent collection is perhaps a little dated and needs some maintenance, but I prefer to say it has some character. More importantly, the Center does a fantastic job bringing in an interesting variety of temporary exhibitions and one-​off exhibits showcasing neat aspects of history with an Oklahoma tie-​in. Add to that some amazing architectural space for events and friendly staff to help with whatever you need, and their willingness to accept a wide variety of historically significant items for preservation, and you’ve got a real winner for the city. Definitely worth a visit.

I visited the museum on my first time to Oklahoma. Wow. Oklahoma is sincerely dedicated to preserving it’s history. The building was beautiful and the exhibits were top quality. I would definitely recommend a visit to this spectacular museum.

We came here for a wedding which was very well executed. The space was beautiful in and of itself and the decorations just added to the atmosphere. I wish I had more time to actually tour the facility but I was too busy catching up with friends. I will however, keep it in mind as a future place to bring my nieces and nephews for a history lesson.

The History Center is one of my favorite places in OKC. I go often to see what’s new and to browse among the familiar exhibits that have been there a long time. There is always something to learn or discover. I’ve probably been there 20 times. It’s also a great place to have a large gathering. Our Northwest Oklahoma Alliance sponsors a legislative reception every year that is attended by many of the legislators, elected commissioners, Lt. Governor, and often the Governor attends.
Today I found a new reason to go to the History Center. Mrs. Eva is big into genealogy. She wanted to do some research and needed some info from the Research Library. I tagged along and started exploring. Wow! There are so many things to look at in the library! I found some books on OK and local history that were very interesting. I looked up information on my hometown of Fairview and found photos, cemetery records, newspaper articles, and even found old phone books back to 1954 (Yes, I looked up my name). The computer system used to find all the stuff is easy to use and the library is laid out in easy to find info.
I am going back to study some other things of interest.

Researchers should be advised that you may use the research facility without paying admission into the center itself. What’s great about this is that you can use genealogical subscription services, like
, free. That’s right, no need to pay the annual subscription fee because the center pays it for you. You also may use the research center’s printers for a moderate per page fee, even for the large 14 or 17 inch printouts. You can’t, however, bring in your own thumb or flash drive and hook it into the provided computers… virus reasons, of course. But you really should go ahead and become a member to support the center. The staff is wonderful, facilities clean and family-​friendly, research is a breeze, and it’s great to clear your mind by strolling through the impressive Oklahoma memorabilia. Of special note is the African American Oklahomans exhibit, which is now a permanent part of the museum. Some very rare and inspirational items that people of all races will find impressive. Oklahoma in the Movies is a terrific installation as well, and many will be surprised at how the state has had such a continuing impact on Hollywood. The outdoor grounds and installation art are worthy of a quick meander, too. Parking is easy, although it may be remote for the infirm, but there’s a circular drive that is convenient for a front door drop-​off. Go for it!

I am reviewing the Oklahoma History Center (OHC) as an event venue and my experiences renting the venue for our wedding.
My husband, fiancé at the time, and I were in a hunt to find a wedding venue that would be able to accomodate a wedding that would seat 450 guests banquet style. Since our wedding guest list was so high, we only had a few options within the OKC area that would be able to accomodate: 1) Oklahoma History Center, 2) Cowboy Hall of Fame, 3) Farmer’s Market, 4) Hilton Skirvin, 5) Marriott on NW Expressway, 6) Asian Buffet on Classen, and 7) The Montgomery. We got price quotes from all of these locations with details on each venu’s specific requirements on deposit, catering, security, etc. After reviewing all of the information and talking to each location’s wedding coordinator, we ended up choosing the Oklahoma History Center for multiple reasons.
1. Cyndi Lu Daniels, the wedding coordinator — Cyndi Lu was one of the main reasons we went with the OHC. She was extremely professional, confident, and knowledgable in the venu. She made us feel like we were being taking care of… and we were. Cyndi Lu can, from time to time, come off extremely confident and «all knowing» to the point of seeming abrasive to certain people, but not to worry! It’s just that she is confident and «all knowing» and just trust her when she tells you that you can or cannot do something. As long as you are respectful and trust her advice, you will not be disappointed in what she can do. She was always prompt in her responses and available whenever we needed her. There was potential for a tornado on the day of our wedding, and she even had a tornado plan for us! I was like, seriously?! That’s the kind of service that you can expect. Our wedding went off without a hitch, and I can confidently say that she was a large reason for that!
2. Location, Location, Location — The OHC was centrally located, a mile from a major highway, and faces the state capital. The views of the capitol from the main atrium were stunning and some of our best photos were with the capitol in the background. Not to mention the OHC has stunning views on the inside as well with historical artifacts of Oklahoma. Everything about this venu is stunning and one of a kind!
3. The food and booze — We were able to hire our own caterers and bring in our own alcohol. This was a very big deal to us because we have a large group of people that consume tons of alcohol and we wanted to be provide free alcohol to our guests (i.e. wine, beer, and liquor). This would have been virtually impossible at many of the venus above, especially at the hotels that require you to use their caterers and alcohol and charge a HUGE premium on both. For example, for the amount of alcohol that we needed the Skirvin would have charge us at least $ 20,000 (seriously, this number is not exaggerated) because of their ridiculous 30% alcohol tax. We ended up buying all of our alcohol for less than $ 2,000, instead. As far as the catering is concerned, we used Ned’s Catering, who was recommended by Cyndi Lu. They were amazing. If you’re interested, you can find my review of them in another post.
Summary: Amazing venu, amazing professional service, open use of caterer and booze.

This has been one of my favorite places in the city since the first time I stepped foot inside. We have Director Dr. Bob Blackburn and his talented staff to thank for the massive fundraising campaign for both private and state dollars that made the History Center possible.
This is Oklahoma’s version of the Smithsonian, and it is actually a Smithsonian affiliate, meaning the OHC will have exhibits and artifacts on loan from the nation’s museum.
My favorite exhibit over the years has been the Rock & Roll exhibit, telling the story of Oklahoma’s rich rock history including Leon Russell, JJ Cale, Wanda Jackson, The Flaming Lips and more. I was fortunate to be involved in planning the opening night event for that exhibit and it remains one of the most special things I’ve ever been involved in. Right now they also have an Oklahomans in the Movies exhibit, another one that is near and dear to my heart. Both of these will become a permanent part of the OKPOP, Oklahoma’s Pop Culture museum set to be located in Tulsa’s Brady District when all the funds are raised.
There are permanent exhibits at the History Center showcasing our Native American history, Oklahoma history after the land run, exhibits that tell the story of our aviation history and our farming and ranching history. Many of the exhibits are interactive, hands-​on and involve video and audio components. I know a few people on the exhibit staff and all I can say is I’m so glad this is what they chose to do with their lives.
I’ve been involved with or attended a dozen events here over the years. A large room is wonderful for big meetings, fundraisers or parties, and the main several-​story atrium lobby is an architectural masterpiece. I think this is one of the best places in town to host a special event from a board meeting to a wedding.
A café and a gift store round out the experience here at OHC. If you haven’t spent at least a day wandering around this wonderful place, you’re missing out!

Not only is this a perfect family trip spot. They do a fantastic job with events. From legal seminars to events with the Governor they can handle it all.

After we toured one gallery, we were hooked and bought a membership for a year. One of the best museums we have been to in OKC, so well put together with amazing artifacts. The Native American gallery was particularly impressive with so much rich history and priceless artifacts, all artfully displayed along with lots of written information for as much history as you wanted about many things. Next time we go we will finish up the remaining galleries or just take our time.
Oh, they also have a wonderful gift shop and a little café upstairs if you get hungry absorbing all that knowledge!
PS — Veterans get in FREE

Really cool exhibits here! I really wish I could have had more time here. But we got there too late and we had 30 mins to look at everything. It took about that long to look at one exhibit. We mainly checked out the Native American display, which explored all of the Native American Tribes that inhabit Oklahoma State, it was very nice. We then quickly toured the «Famous People from Oklahoma» section, which was pretty cool as well. I hope to return and take a better look and allow myself plenty of time.

Usually I’m not a big fan of museums and would zoom through them as fast as the road runner (*meep meep!*) but this one actually had some interesting exhibits on the history of Oklahoma. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that you could touch some of the exhibits or that they were set up to allow you to pose against some cool backdrops for some neato pics. I was always a sucker for kodak moments!
The place is super clean, the exhibits were clear and informative, and there were no crowds. The only downer is that the exhibits are split up on different floors. You could easily miss some of the exhibits if you didn’t look at your map. (I missed one). Booo. The reason I’m not giving this place a full 5 stars is because I felt some of the exhibits were not really fully related to OK and they were trying to find some sort of linkage to it. It really just felt like it was just a tour through the history of the US. Thanks for the history lesson! Overall, a nice place to stroll through and learn how the term «sooners» came to be.
Cool tip: students are free on mondays! If you can’t make it out on mondays, don’t worry cause admissions are a steal here! ($ 5 for adults, $ 3 for students). Come get a lesson on history and still have enough to save for that gucci bag! awesome!