National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum facts for kids

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

Established	1955
Location	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Type	Hall of fame

Fountains in front of the impressive entrance to the museum in Oklahoma City in May 1972.

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a fun and educational museum located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. It's a great place to learn about the history and culture of the American West.

The museum has over 28,000 amazing pieces of art and artifacts from the American West and Native American cultures. You can see one of the world's largest collections of rodeo photographs, barbed wire, and old rodeo trophies. The museum's main goal is to keep the stories and traditions of the American West alive for everyone to enjoy.

History of the Museum

A photo of "Cowboy Morgan Evans" doing bulldogging from 1927.

The museum first opened in 1955. It was the idea of Chester A. Reynolds, who wanted to honor cowboys and their way of life. Back then, it was called the Cowboy Hall of Fame and Museum.

Over the years, its name changed a few times. In 2000, it became the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, which is its name today. This new name came when the museum received full accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums.

To remember its founder, the museum gives out the Chester A. Reynolds Memorial Award. This award goes to people or groups who help protect the history and heritage of the American West.

Exploring the Exhibits

The museum has a huge amount of space for its exhibits, covering more than 200,000 square feet. Inside, you'll find over 2,000 works of Western art.

Art of the American West Gallery

The "William S. and Ann Atherton Art of the American West Gallery" is a big exhibit space. It features beautiful landscapes, portraits, and sculptures by famous artists from the 1800s and 1900s. You can see works by Charles Marion Russell, Frederic Remington, and many others.

The museum also has a fantastic collection of modern Western art. This art was created by award-winning artists from the Prix de West art show. One famous sculpture you can see is James Earle Fraser's large plaster sculpture called End of the Trail.

A close-up of The Hunters' Supper by Frederic Remington, from around 1909.

Historical Galleries

The museum has several galleries that show different parts of Western history:

• The American Cowboy Gallery teaches you about the daily life and traditions of working cowboys and the history of ranching.
• The American Rodeo Gallery looks like a 1950s rodeo arena. It shows you all about America's own sport, rodeo!
• The Joe Grandee Museum of the Frontier West Gallery displays over 4,500 items that once belonged to Western artist Joe Grandee.
• The Native American Gallery focuses on how Western tribes decorated their everyday items. These decorations often showed their beliefs and histories.
• The Weitzenhoffer Gallery of Fine American Firearms has over 100 examples of old firearms. These include guns made by famous companies like Colt and Winchester.

Prosperity Junction

Imagine stepping back in time! The museum has a special area called Prosperity Junction. It's a 14,000-square-foot replica of a Western prairie town from the early 1900s. You can walk through the streets, look into store windows, and even go inside some of the fully furnished buildings. During the museum's holiday event, "A Night Before Christmas," the town comes alive with historical characters!

Liichokoshkomo’ Children's Museum

In 2020, the museum opened Liichokoshkomo’, an interactive outdoor children's museum. This huge space, over 100,000 square feet, is all about "let's play" (that's what Liichokoshkomo’ means!). Kids can learn through fun activities like dodging a geyser, grinding corn, or loading a pioneer wagon.

Professional Bull Riders Hall of Fame

Starting in early 2024, the museum's American Rodeo Gallery will also be home to the Professional Bull Riders Hall of Fame.

Western Heritage Awards

"The Wrangler" in bronze.

Every year, the museum hosts the Western Heritage Awards. During this event, they give out the Bronze Wrangler award. This award is a special bronze sculpture created by artist John Free. It's given to the main creators of winning works in Western literature, music, film, and television.

Many famous people have won this award, including actors like John Wayne, James Stewart, and Tom Selleck.

The people honored in the Rodeo Hall of Fame have a separate celebration. They receive medallions instead of the "Bronze Wrangler" award.

Rodeo Halls of Fame

"Cowboy Morgan Evans" 1928 World Series Rodeo Contest entry ticket.

The museum is home to three special halls of fame, which are managed by the Rodeo Historical Society (RHS). The RHS members vote on who gets inducted into these halls.

• The Hall of Great Westerners honors real people who lived during the frontier era and up to the present day.
• The Hall of Great Western Performers is specifically for actors.
• The Rodeo Hall of Fame celebrates important figures in rodeo history.

Here are a few people who have been inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame:

Donald C. and Elizabeth M. Dickinson Research Center

The Donald C. and Elizabeth M. Dickinson Research Center is the museum's library and archives. It opened in 1965. This center holds many books, photographs, and historical records. It focuses on Western culture, art, ranching, Native Americans, and rodeo. It's a great resource for anyone wanting to learn more about these topics.