The Traditional Image Of Summertime, For A School-Aged Child, Is One Of Lazy Mornings Spent Sleeping In, Followed By Days
And Nights Filled With Rollicking Episodes Of The Most Extraordinary Fun.
They’re not alone; even if adults are forced to be a little more realistic in their aspirations, they aren’t immune to the hopes and dreams that warm weather stirs up, especially after a cold winter spent dealing with icy roads and bitter temperatures.
Maybe finances and work schedules preclude jetting off to a beach somewhere this summer and you need a staycation that will provide a little fun within a reasonable distance and budget. Perhaps your getaway is to Grandma’s and you need a little diversion on the drive to keep spirits high and legs awake. Even if you do get to fly off to the Caribbean (you lucky duck), maybe you’re just curious about the wonderful museums our state has to offer, and want to support local endeavors and culture, or want to have a few fun ideas for places to take visiting guests. There are a multitude of good reasons to go on a museum quest this summer (and fall, winter and spring), and this guide, hopefully, will get you started.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
KEY
State Standards
These are locations that are almost required visits; sites that are practically synonymous
with “Oklahoma” and “Fun.”
Offbeat Add-Ons
Unique attractions that you may not even realize exist, or would have dreamed could have a museum devoted to them. Often small and quickly toured, these are great detours to fold into larger trips.
Worth the Drive
Substantially distant from the metro area, but well worth your time, and a day’s drive, to visit.
Hidden Treasures
Little-known institutions that merit more attention.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art
Shawnee, mgmoa.org, 405.878.5300
Oklahoma art enthusiasts will already be aware of the more publicized options for viewing and engaging with works of beauty in our state, but some may not be aware of the gem that is the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art, located on the campus of St. Gregory’s University in Shawnee. Home to an array of artifacts and art dating from antiquity to the 20th century (including Egyptian, Greek and Roman objects, as well as European and American), the Mabee-Gerrer is one of the oldest museums in Oklahoma, and is named for Father Gregory Gerrer, a Franciscan monk (himself an artist) who wanted to share the treasures that he had acquired during world travels with the Oklahomans that he served. That intent is palpable in the museum’s presentation, as is the sentiment that drove its founding, making it one of the rare examples of an art museum that goes beyond its purpose of merely exhibiting art to help foster a love for it, as well.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Oklahoma Aquarium
Jenks, okaquarium.org, 918.296.FISH
If you have a yearning for the sea but no means to get there, a glimpse of some of its treasures is as feasible as a trip towards Tulsa. With a variety of exhibits that present aquatic life both global and local – from a coral reef to an Ozark stream – the Oklahoma Aquarium is an educational and engrossing way to spend a day. The museum’s mission is to “educate and inspire conservation” and the means they’ve chosen to carry that out do a fantastic job, whether it’s through simple observation at the Shark Experience tunnel and dome, or the hands-on interaction available through a number of touch tanks throughout the aquarium.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
The Toy and Action Figure Museum
Pauls Valley, actionfiguremuseum.com, 405.238.6300
Just a short jog from I-35 in Pauls Valley, the Toy and Action Figure Museum is a great way to break up a drive to Dallas, although for the action figure/comic book devotee, it might merit a trip all its own. Don’t let its diminutive outer appearance fool you; the museum’s modest square footage houses a staggering number of action figures (over 13,000), as well as drawings, models and other memorabilia, which represent an impressive array of subjects from Marvel superheroes to Hopalong Cassidy. Although the primary focus is action figures (many of which are displayed in a bedroom setting that’s sure to relax many parents’ complaints about the condition of their children’s chambers), the museum also hosts exhibits of the work of Oklahoma cartoonists and designers,
and a variety of multimedia presentations help to communicate the impact of the fantasy world and its corresponding accessories on our culture. (Although the most effective visual illustration for this is probably the superhero underwear display.)
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Oklahoma History Center
Oklahoma City, www.okhistory.org/historycenter, 405.522.5248
A division of the Oklahoma Historical Society, the Oklahoma History Center does a fabulous job at a daunting task; serializing and encapsulating the scope of our state’s rich and unique past. In addition to making the nuances of so many aspects of Oklahoma’s heritage accessible, the Center serves as a serious historical resource, to boot (the History Center is a Smithsonian affiliate and also houses the John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick Research Center – a wealth of genealogical and historical information is available to the public on its first floor). In addition to the five permanent galleries that showcase various facets of Oklahoma history, the Center also hosts rotating exhibits and offers a wide variety of educational programs for kids and adults. The learning isn’t limited to the indoors, either; outdoor sites provide a fresh air examination of everything from the flags that have flown over Oklahoma (14 of them – take that, Six Flags), to the topography of the Red River Valley, minimized in a quarter mile walking trail. A wonderful way to spend an afternoon, or an ongoing opportunity to flesh out your state knowledge through a membership. A true state treasure.
Pace Yourself: Oklahoma has over 500 museums
National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum
Oklahoma City, nationalcowboymuseum.org, 405.478.2250
A longtime staple for visitors to our state looking for insight into the Western landscape and mindset, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage museum is an ever-evolving collection of art, artifacts, exhibits, educational programs and events that are designed to preserve – and interpret – various touchstones of Western culture. Opportunities abound to both appreciate and interact, from viewing the state-of-the-art collection of sculpture and paintings to walking through Prosperity Junction, the detailed reproduction of a turn-of-the-20th-century cattle town. A fun way to share a part of our state’s heritage with visitors, or brush up on your own western history.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden
Oklahoma City, okczoo.com, 405.424.3344
It seems almost superfluous to name the Oklahoma City Zoo, given its status as a world-class zoological park and automatic year-round destination for Oklahoma families with kids, but it merits mentioning that even if you think you’ve seen it all, you may be missing out if your last trip was some time ago. In addition to new habitats developed within the last several years, the zoo offers a wealth of classes and programs designed to help you make the most of this wonderful resource. And don’t think for a minute that those offerings are limited to kids only; adults with animal-related interests can take behind-the-scenes tours and classes, also, and the natural beauty found in the landscaping (the zoo is also an accredited botanical garden) makes it a unique option for a day of thoughtful solitude, or a fantastic choice for a first date.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
American Banjo Museum
Oklahoma City, americanbanjomuseum.com, 405.604.2793
Synonymous with American folk music (and also, unfortunately, with jokes about the rural South), the banjo is often not given its due as a historically pivotal instrument. The American Banjo Museum seeks to rectify this with an explanation of the banjo’s background (the first floor display is a mini music history course that highlights the instrument’s first appearances and importance), and a collection of over 300 banjos – ranging from the humble to the incredibly ornate – that demonstrate its versatility and growth over time. There’s even a self-deprecating nod to the less-than-complimentary associations of the banjo with a visual exhibit that includes a clip from the movie “Deliverance;” a good-natured inclusion in the context of the rest of the museum’s tribute. The Bricktown location makes it an easy visit after a matinee or a great way to take an air-conditioned break if you’re downtown following other pursuits, but music lovers (in particular bluegrass or country fans) would consider it a great destination in its own right.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Oklahoma Territorial Museum
Guthrie, okterritorialmuseum.org, 405.282.1889
While the Oklahoma History Center wins points for its panoramic presentation of our state history, the Oklahoma Territorial Museum shines for the opposite reason; fleshing out a single era in time with exciting detail. Rather than relegating what could arguably be called our most interesting stage of development to a single chapter in a history book, or a section of a larger exhibit, the Territorial Museum explores elements of life in pre-state Oklahoma with artifacts, documents and exhibits designed to elaborate on the facts you might have learned in grade school and introduce you to some that you may not have known. I walked out a richer woman simply for having learned more about Kate Barnard. The three main galleries catalog life in Oklahoma from the time of the Louisiana Purchase up through statehood, and hold treasures like an ’89ers cabin, everyday items from the Victorian era and explanations of customs and manners of the time, along with a wealth of information about lawmen, outlaws, native tribes and the Land Runs that’s sure to appeal to the whole family. An incredibly helpful and knowledgeable staff rounds out the experience, which doesn’t have to end when you go home; the museum’s Facebook page is a stand-alone resource, regularly updated with new facts and finds.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Museum of Osteology
Oklahoma City, museumofosteology.org, 405.814.0006
If a museum devoted to skeletons sounds tedious and/or macabre, you aren’t envisioning the sort of imaginative interpretation that the Museum of Osteology gives to its subject matter. From the Explorer’s Corner, where kids can handle various animal skulls and challenge their newfound osteo-knowledge to try and identify them, to the multiple exhibits that catalog and explain skeletons ranging in size from a mouse to a humpback whale, the museum offers an in-depth look at the things we can learn from bones. A heads-up for parents trying to get by without buying souvenirs; the clever planning evident in the museum’s arrangement of its collections extends to the architectural design, which forces you to leave through the gift shop.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
Norman, snomnh.ou.edu, 405.325.4712
More than just a diversion for dinosaur lovers, the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History is a synthesis of archeology and state pride, a peek at the very earliest Oklahoma history and a valuable academic asset in several fields of research. (The SNOMNH is a functional research division of the University of Oklahoma). Several dioramas depicting world cultures, the ancient people of Oklahoma, and yes, dinosaurs, are bolstered by interactive opportunities like the Discovery Room, which houses drawers of collections and tabletop activities designed to make the museum experience a little more tactile for the smaller visitors. A wide range of classes and events for all ages – children to adults – set the SNOMNH apart as a leader for family and individual educational fun.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
The Chickasaw Cultural Center
Sulphur, chickasawculturalcenter.com, 580.622.7130
Oklahoma has one of the largest populations of Native Americans in the United States (second only to California), and Native American culture figures into our state’s history at every turn. While there are a number of museums that are dedicated to various Native nations (and most Oklahoma history-related museums include much of the Native narrative in their presentation), the Chickasaw Cultural Center offers a unique opportunity for those interested in learning about a singular Native American culture. In addition to exhibits and live demonstrations that educate visitors about Chickasaw culture, the Aaimpa’ Café offers traditional Chickasaw food (as well as mainstream fare), and the outdoor spaces (including a recreation of a traditional Chickasaw village) are populated with plants native to both Oklahoma and the original Chickasaw homelands in the southeast, making even a simple stroll through the grounds educational.
Children’s Museum Showdown
Jasmine vs. Leonardo’s vs. The Wondertorium
There Are a Few Different Choices Available For Oklahoma Parents Looking For an Enriching, Interactive Experience For Their Young Children. “Children’s museums” typically avoid mentioning specific age ranges (most strive to have a spectrum of appeal for the whole family), but are usually focused on interactive, hands-on activities that include elements of play. For younger kids who have learned to associate “don’t touch” with museum visits, this can be a welcome change of pace and a chance for parents to relax and let them explore.
There are several such museums throughout the state (with more cropping up all the time), and while all are worth visiting, there are three that continually top lists as favorites among those with younger children; the Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum, the Oklahoma Wondertorium and Leonardo’s Children’s Museum and Adventure Quest.
All three are located at a considerable driving distance from the metro, with Leonardo’s in Enid, Jasmine Moran’s in Seminole and the Oklahoma Wondertorium situated in Stillwater, but they vary a little as far as their merits in what many think of as the three big areas of evaluation for children’s museums: age range appeal, activity variety and exercise opportunity. (The last one may be puzzling for those who have never needed to physically exhaust a preschooler or toddler before or after a long drive, but it’s no accident that most of these places are equipped with playgrounds.)
Individual family preferences will vary, of course, and be sure to call ahead to confirm operating days and hours and check for any instances of exhibits that have been removed or are undergoing repairs. Any unexpected change in plans can be disappointing when visiting museums, but when children are involved, the consequences are often magnified.
2. Oklahoma Wondertorium // Stillwater | 3. Oklahoma Aquarium // Jenks | 4. Oklahoma Territorial Museum // Guthrie | 5. Oklahoma History Center // Oklahoma City | 6. Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden // Oklahoma CIty | 7. American Banjo Museum // Oklahoma City | 8. National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum // Oklahoma City | 9. Museum of Osteology // Oklahoma City | 10. Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art // Shawnee | 11. Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History // Norman | 12. Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum // Seminole | 13. Toy and Action Figure Museum // Pauls Valley | 14. The Chickasaw Cultural Center // Sulphur
Leonardo’s Children’s Museum and Adventure Quest
Enid, leonardos.org, 580.233.2787
Invoking the name of one of history’s most famous geniuses is a surefire way to appeal to parents looking for educational experiences for their children, and Leonardo’s certainly amps up expectations with their choice to name themselves after the original Renaissance Man. The medieval décor provides a quaint continuity for the theme and homage is paid to da Vinci’s inquisitiveness through the wide variety of activities available. From a real woodworking station, complete with saws, hammers and nails (sure to fire up kids’ creativity and keep parents on their toes) to an animal room with a staggering assortment of mammals, reptiles and aquatic life, Leonardo’s makes up for its few shortcomings (more bare space than other museums, exhibit descriptions printed on paper and stapled to walls) with diversity. While geared towards younger children, there’s an effort to engage the whole family, and older kids and adults will find a few things to enjoy while the younger set explores – including a surprisingly thorough display about nano science. But an area that truly shines is the outdoor play department and three-story Adventure Quest playground. This marvel boasts bridges, swings, mazes, a water table and more, providing a fantastic way for kids to expend energy. The playground was built with the help of 150,000 volunteer hours from the community.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Oklahoma Wondertorium
Stillwater, okwondertorium.org, 405.533.3333
The exterior of the Oklahoma Wondertorium is underwhelming at best, and if you’ve just driven an hour or so to get there, it may actually count as disappointing. The building looks like a repurposed (small) strip mall and the windows are painted, obscuring any peeks inside. Relocation and expansion plans are in the works. However, the unassuming outer appearance is a stark contrast to the bright, shiny interior, and the fantastically designed (on the inside) Wondertorium packs a huge fun wallop for the younger crowd. Opportunities to make art, poke around in a replica doctor’s office and even experience a few aspects of life long ago (by using a washboard and hand wringer) or far away (in the Japanese-themed Kameoka Kids’ corner) give this place an off-the-chart rating on the activity variety meter. Despite the lack of an outdoor playground, there are still lots of large motor exercise opportunities, with a miniature rock climbing wall and indoor play equipment. While the Wondertorium is probably best suited for younger kids, older siblings – even including patient teens – could be kept happy for a couple of hours with the impressive Keva plank room (complete with models and instruction booklets), or the Physics Fairway, and the Stillwater location means plenty of good eateries to choose from, to fuel up for the trip home.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum
Seminole, jasminemoran.com, 405.382.0950
A miniature world where kids can pretend to preside at a judge’s bench, buy or sell groceries in a market and sit in a scaled-down airplane cockpit, the Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum offers a multitude of opportunities to learn through exploration and play. Many of the activities, such as learning about the mechanics of movie film through hands-on art projects, have an age-spanning appeal, and the Water Works exhibit is a fascinating way for kids of all ages to construct systems to move water, change its speed and conduct rubber duck races. There’s a train ride and Castle Maze playground, which bumps up the outdoor appeal, but the genius of this particular establishment lies with the hands-on focus of its exhibits. One of the best offerings, in my opinion, is one that’s deceptively simple; a wheelchair next to a ramp, which has been enabled for access on one side, and left at curb height on the other. A few simple tries to get up the non-adjusted side, or drink from a standard water fountain while seated in the wheelchair, brings all of the intellectual arguments for equal accessibility into sharp focus, proving that activity can indeed be a powerful teaching tool, no matter what your age or size.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Chart Your Own Course
An Oklahoman Could Spend His or Her Lifetime Investigating All of The Places Where OurSstate Displays Art, Scientific Objects or Other Items of Cultural Value. “Oklahoma is so fortunate to have over 500 museums to enjoy,” says Brenda Granger, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Museums Association. “These museums offer so much for all ages throughout the year, and especially in summer. You can sign up for a yoga class at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, try Funday Sunday at the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa or research your family at a local historical society. No matter your age or interest, I promise there is an Oklahoma museum which will pique your interest, knowledge and creativity.”
Put together your own “Road Map” by searching through the list on the Oklahoma Museums Association website: okmuseums.org/oklahoma-museums (a handy tool which features downloadable lists of Oklahoma museums by area, name or city and a map to give you a visual on what’s located where).
Investing in memberships (often cheaper than paying individually for multiple visits) at your favorite places can often yield financial rewards beyond their own establishment; check for reciprocal admission to other museums nationwide, and look for deals like the $40 OMN affiliate upgrade, which gets five people into Leonardo’s Children’s Museum, The Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum, Science Museum Oklahoma, the Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium, and the Museum of the Great Plains when a family membership is purchased at any of the partner museums. (Upgrade must be purchased at the same time as a membership. Ask for details at any of the participating museums)
