Sometimes you hear of a place, and you file it away in your memory banks as a “must do” someday…..added to your bucket list, so to speak. The Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma was such a place for Ron, and we finally had the opportunity to visit it this month.
The large modern facility is filled with statues, memorabilia from all the westerns movie and television stars, and historical artifacts.
Several galleries make up the museum, such as Native American, Western Performers, American Cowboy, American Rodeo, etc. Then there’s Prosperity Junction, where you feel as if you’ve stepped into a 1900 western cattle town at twilight.
Although the art galleries did not permit photography, most areas did, as long as you did not use a flash. Here are a few of our favorite photos.
From the Native American Gallery:
In the Western Performers Gallery, there was a small area set up as a theatre where we watched a documentary on the first westerns.
There were several displays of items from such memorable stars as Roy Rogers and Gene Autry.
The American Cowboy Gallery covered the history of the cowboy, including the first Spanish and Mexican cowpunchers, along with the role cowgirls played
.
When you stepped into the American Rodeo Gallery, you felt as if you had left the building and entered the rodeo grounds.
Even more of an illusion was Prosperity Junction, as you walked the streets of the town and peered into the windows at dusk.
Outside, hoofprints in the concrete guided you among the beautiful gardens.
Although there were many areas of the museum we didn’t cover, we thoroughly enjoyed the hours we spent there and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good western movie.
