National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

Don't leave OKC without visiting the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum! This place offers something for everyone, with engaging multi-media displays (including films) and an incredible wealth of artifacts including clothing and personal items from historical figures, famous western performers, and even ancient and traditional items representative of indigenous people groups. I loved the breathtaking outdoor exhibits and the reverence and enthusiasm with which every conceivable aspect of the Old West is preserved and presented. Affordable, accessible, and highly enjoyable!

The ticket price is so cheap considering the sheer amount of artwork, sculptures, clothing, etc that this museum has to offer. Every time I turned a corner there would be something amazing to see and learn about. Great for kids as well. The staff is very friendly and attentive and I loved learning about the artwork. I felt like I could spend all day there. Please don’t skip a visit to this place, you won’t regret it!

If you love the old West, Cowboys & Indians you have to go to this museum. It had some of the most beautiful paintings and sculptures of the old and new West. Truly an amazing place to see. The people that worked there were fantastic and were very familiar with the history of everything on display. Having them dress as Cowboys and cowgirls was a nice touch. The Remington paintings and colt gun collections were my favorite. You have to see it to believe it. I highly recommend you take time out of your trip if you’re in the area to visit this wonderful museum.

The Cowboy & Western History Museum easily takes the top spot for best museum in OKC. It's absolutely massive and filled with extensive information about cowboy culture and the American West. Roughly half of the museum is beautiful western/indigenous art and the rest of the museum comprised of engaging exhibits, historical documents, and interesting artifacts. Couldn't recommend spending an afternoon here enough, especially if you're a Western fan!

Seriously one of the most unique museums I’ve ever been to! Been to a lot about native America but not necessarily focused on western America. I enjoyed the couple hours I spent being taking back into time. Fitting to have this place in Oklahoma too!

Highly recommend!! What an incredible museum. My husband and I spent over 5 hours just looking at all the beautiful art and countless exhibits. The gift shop also has all sorts of things like Indian jewelry, clothing and gifts at very reasonable prices. If you get hungry, make sure you stop by Hanks BBQ down the road for some amazing food!

A wonderful visit, several times for me but the first time for my out of state life long friend. We spent some 5 hours looking at the wonderful items. Well done, well organized and the Docents were very informative! World class! Highly recommend! 😎

This is a wonderful museum, especially for kids. The outdoor play and explore areas are amazing!!! The indoor western town is our favorite!!!! Lots of helpers to answer questions. Tickets are a little high, so make sure to spend all day there. Tepes and huts to explore, cattle to wrangle, water falls, and throwing people in jail! It's a BLAST!

$30/pp for adults. Code of the West, carriage for pics, Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan statue is on the East Wing and snack bar. Not much else. The cowboy, Indian, rodeo and bulk of the exhibits are on the West Wing. Some very interesting exhibits and photos and items from the west. Quite a few items that caught my eyes.

I had not been here in the longest time. It was a perineal favorite of mine growing up. It has tripled in size and the new artwork as well as the old is amazing. I suggested it to my sister that we go here, and we were happy we did. The only thing missing was Porter Wagner and Dolly Parton. There are saddles, boots and all things cowboy. There was some amazing native American artwork as well. It's a don't miss in Oklahoma City.

We had a great time! We had a lovely tour guide named Lorie that talked to us about history and the meanings behind horse painting symbols. The kids loved it and what a lovely place to look at original history!

There is a lot of parking in the front of the museum. This museum is much bigger than I expected. There are some amazing art pieces and some cool and creative exhibits. You can explore the business of a western street, learn more about the rodeo, check out some of the famous movie stars from the Westerns and more. There is an outdoor area to explore as well (it was cold and windy) so we will come back to check out the outside area. There is a museum store (of course there is) and a cafe in the west wing.

The cowboy heritage is wonderful attraction just a bit off from Historic Route 66. It is an attraction worth the money and more things to see. It great educational tool for school and adults. The visit needs 3 hours to finish. It start at the west wing and work your self to outside display and east wing. The west wing is the major display. It start with Indian history. There is map of each territory of Indian. I finally realized the Apache only occupied a small area. I also notice the movie killer of the flower moon talk about the Osage tribe. This tribe occupied a big area. You also learn the Indian participation in world war. At the museum you will learn how people travel through Well Fargo coach to the west. Then later you learn cowboy ranch system. The use of hot press for identification of their livestock. The cowboy lasso to catch and tame the cow. The out side garden you can practice the lasso to go on top of the fade bull. There are many photo opportunities at the outside.

During the holiday season, my family and I visited Oklahoma City for approximately 5 days. During our stay, we decided to visit the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum on a Monday after visiting the Osteology Museum in Oklahoma City. This is a must-go-to museum if you're local or visiting in Oklahoma City. This museum provides a tribute to the history of the American West. The museum was established in 1955 and has a vast collection of art, artifacts, and exhibits that celebrate the cowboy and Western way of life. The exhibits range from cowboy and rodeo memorabilia, Western art, firearms, and pioneer history. There is an impressive American Cowboy gallery as well where you can explore the cowboy culture, ranching, and challenges faced by pioneers as they ventured into the territories of the west. The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum also offers various events, educational programs, and temporary exhibits throughout the year. My family and I were in awe at the stunning architecture and design of the museum. As soon as you walk in, you're surrounded by the glass and structure of a cowboy, overlooking a water exhibit. There is also a garden exhibit, outside playground, and walking paths as well! It was winter when we had gone and a little chilly outside, so we didn't stay too long in the outdoor exhibits. There is also a replica turn-of-the-twentieth century cattle town. You'll be able to visit the shops, offices of prominent local businesses, and civic leaders. You'll see a blacksmith, schoolhouse, and even a doctor's home! We were provided a sheet at the beginning museum after purchasing tickets to complete. When we completed the questionnaire, there was a goody prize at the end. For the holiday season, they had a special event where the museum had hidden, somewhere, 2 elves on the shelves. We find the two hidden elves on the shelves somewhere in the exhibits. The team members also move them on a weekly basis. Unfortunately, after spending pretty much all day at the museum, we were unable to find the elves!! We spent all day here! It was quite educational, and the team members at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum are amazing! We talked to several members, and they're extremely informative about all the different exhibits and history! Tickets range from the following Adults: $15.00 Students with valid ID: $10.00 Children: Ages 6-12, $5.00 5 and under, Free Current Hours: Monday - Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sunday Noon - 5:00 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day There was a restaurant inside the museum as well, but we didn't get a chance to eat at it! The gift shop at the end was fun! We bought a few ornaments and shirts before leaving the museum. This was a wonderful experience, and I'd highly recommend visiting!

I was pleasantly surprised at how great of an experience this museum turned out to be! Brought my parents here because I thought it'd be just a fun activity for them, and I'm glad we did. The place was filled with so much history and so many different things you could learn about Western history. My parents particularly loved the one about Western films, which I absolutely had no idea they loved that much - so that was genuinely so nice to see! There's gardens to walk around, little activities you could do, and a bunch of native history, which I loved learning about, too. Place is super well kept, and also a wonder for anyone who loves art pieces as well. Definitely a nice little place to bring guests, especially if you have people visiting from out of state.

One of the most awe-inspiring, well-maintained museums in the country. The curators are knowledgeable and friendly. Make sure to visit if you are in OKC.

Very informative and interesting museum. Beautiful art depicting the history of the west fills several rooms. There are also sections on things like cowboys in movies and the creation and people of the rodeo. Weapons and tools used by cowboys were interesting. I also enjoyed learning about the influence of Mexico, the diversity of 'the West', and the impact on the indigenous people of the West. I especially appreciated the sections on women in the West. Now those women were tough! We were greeted so warmly by the staff. We were escorted to the start of the exhibit and given a quick overview and suggestion of how to explore. In the recreated town exhibit, it looked like they were set up for a dinner event. That would be a cool place to host an event. It was a bit too chilly to check out the outdoors so maybe next time. I'm so glad we visited. Great visit!

There is a lot too see! We didn't make enough time to see it all and the museum has so many exhibits that are really interesting! If you decide to go while in Oklahoma, and I suggest you do, schedule enough time! It may be a better idea to schedule a tour.

This is an expansive, well-laid out museum. It's exactly what you'd think it would be. I'm giving it four stars for the breadth of material and the poignant First Americans statue. On other things, it scores less than four, but Yelp!/Trip Advisor doesn't allow for that. Anyone interested in the west, cowboys, and/or stars of western films, this is your place. When I went, one large exhibit was dedicated to modern western art, which could be purchased. It was literally part "art museum." There are also sections on rodeo, hunting, the civil war, western stars such as John Wayne. They have an impressive collection of artifacts, including personal possessions of celebrities, antique firearms, and authentic western clothing/gear/saddles etc. And again, the rescued plaster sculpture of the First Americans person is one of the saddest and most moving things I've ever seen. That being said, I'm off-put by the fact that the museum barely even skids over what has been done to the American indigenous people. In addition, black cowboys, native cowboys, cowgirls, and anyone not a white man were mostly shoved into one single room toward the end of the museum, with a small blurb. Things take time to change, but haven't y'all had enough time to start to address some of these issues? The museum dedicates more space and effort to a library of barbed wire (not kidding) than non-white, non-male cowboys/girls. Pretty sure my ticket was 15 dollars. Worth it to see some of the art and the sculpture. There are docents who give guided tours, and hopefully they would add more nuance. Worth a visit, but keep in mind this history is whitewashed.

Pros: So many wonderful exhibits - I don't normally like this kind of stuff, so was pleasantly surprised about their vast collection The space is large (over 20k square feet), so it could take more than a day to go through everything Wonderful, knowledgeable staff Easy parking Cons: None! Pro tip: Visit the barbed wire exhibit. Who knew there are so many types!

I highly recommend this. Great for the family. Kids loved it. If you've ever traveled abroad to learn culture and see ancient ruins, you'll love learning about the culture right here. We were impressed with the Prix de West art collection. And we're not art connoisseurs. The kids loved Prosperity Junction which immersed us in another era. Definitely try the sarsaparilla at the saloon and learn about the cowboy job. Outside, tour the different types of indigenous Indian homes. You'll spend about 2-3 hrs here and take about 20 pictures.

I'm not from OKC or Oklahoma for that matter but it was very cool learning about the history of OKC and Oklahoma but definitely ask for Steve burner was a nice fella

This is a great museum! I had read to give this museum 3 hours but that is without the guided tour. The guided tour was supposed to last 1.5 hours and it actually lasted 2. Baillie was great and passionate about the history and artifacts at the museum. You can tell he loves to share his knowledge. So I'd say give 4-5 hours minimum for this museum if you want to see everything. There is a lot of history about cowboys, rodeos, native Americans and more. There is a lot of artwork as well. I liked the museum and felt it was worth the money to see it.

Went with my wife and month ago and we loved it! Had a wide variety of paintings and we enjoyed seeing the various historical artifacts from the different cultures. Very informative and I'd highly recommend for those visiting OKC.

Seen this place on a previous business trip to OK, so wanted to finally enjoy it. Was about to buy a ticket when they said I had to put my drink in a locker and that I could only drink in the foyer. I'm not about to spend hours walking around and have to come back to the entrance every time I get thirsty. Dumb rules piss me off. Said thanks but no thanks, turned around and walked out. Time to go check out the zoo and science museum!

This place is AMAZING!! We learned so much in our stay. They offer a guided tour at 1pm most days. They also offer a kids scavenger hunt for kids. Super fun! Each room/area has a person who can tell you details of the rooms they are in. Definitely will go back when family comes to visit!!

Wonderful material, wonderful artifacts, but completely confusing & disorienting configuration/layout of the museum. When we finished at the museum, we realized we had missed some of the most interesting exhibits because each section had sub-sections & at least three entrances/exits in each room, as there was no direct flow pattern. There was also no mention of one of the most interesting subjects, and that was outlaws of the Old West. I hope that by the time I once again get back to OKC, the configuration of this wonderful museum is more user-friendly.

July 27th, celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary with my visiting sister and brother-in-law, by going to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. So much to see and so little time. Some newer exhibits and village additions since our last visit in 2020. Staff was friendly and helpful. Security was obvious and plentiful.

This review is based on an experience for a wedding reception and it's banquet halls. I recently attended a wedding in OKC and saw that the reception was being held here. Come to find out, it is a popular spot to do these sort of events in our community. It was way more grand and elegant than I expected. They hold these events after business hours and all the attention is on your party. The staff was super friendly and everything seemed so organized. I would love to come back and check out the beautiful property and check out the museum part of this establishment.

If you were only able to do one thing while in Oklahoma City, this is where you should go. The history and culture you can learn about while here is incredibly fascinating! When I first saw the name of the museum, I pretty much disregarded visiting because it initially didn't sound interesting. But after seeing a vlog of somebody's trip here, I knew I had to add it to my itinerary!! This place is gigantic, and has all kinds of art, outfits and replicas to explore. It takes a deep dive into Western, cowboy and Native American culture. I was also pretty surprised at how inexpensive the tickets were for how much there was to see. Since we visited during Memorial Weekend, we were able to visit while they hosted the Chuck Wagon festival, which was a pretty awesome experience in itself.

Great museum. Went here to kill some hours before my flight and I wish I had more time there. Such a great collection of artwork and artifacts. Definitely a must see

Beautiful collection of history, art and culture. Definitely worth a visit, we enjoyed it very much.

Interesting collection of cowboy and western artwork, gear, and memorabilia. There was a small theatre with a short movie narrated by Tom Selleck and it was lovely. There were plenty of artifacts to browse and the art gallery had some really beautiful paintings. Since we went at 3 pm last week, we had most of the museum to ourselves. We checked out the exterior and there was a teepee, a replica of the cliff dwellings, some water ponds/features, and an old western town front. At 4:40 the security guards in cowboy hats started letting us know the museum closed at 5 pm. We were told at least five times in the next ten minutes by different guards. Price of admission for our family of four was around $45, and the parking was free. I would like to come back next time they have an event to see what it's like.

I wont repeat what everyone said, so ill just give a few things I didn't read on the reviews. Expect to spend a minimum of 2 1/2 hours if you are adults. There is a lot for children to see and do. If you have preteens, add another hour. There is so much to see inside and outside, you can spend a good 5 hours here. There is a place inside where you can get premade salads and other lunch items. There was only one person working there and I really felt bad for him. If you have an RV of any size, there is plenty of room to park. I recommend staying at the Twin Fountains RV resort just a few minutes away. There is many restaurants, Whole Foods and a Trader Joe's just a couple of minutes past the museum also.

Interesting and unique museum! It was fun to learn so much history I was unaware of, and do so in an entertaining manner. It was one of the highlights of Oklahoma!

Interesting museum. Tons and tons of great art. They also have a town that you can walk through and see artifacts and things that people used in the pioneer days. The outside area is incredible there are huts in teepees from several different tribes, a cool park to play and climb on and the grounds are just beautiful

Much larger than we originally thought. Chocked full of awesome western lore. Highly recommended for an affordable and informative good time.

I was told we should plan for a three hour visit but even after five hours, we hadn't seen everything. This place is HUGE with so much to see and learn from inside and outside. Excellent docents make the experience even better. Definitely worth visiting. You won't get bored as there is a great variety of exhibits.

So much information on the cowboy from real-time life history to the movie and television stars that brought it to life for so many. The memorabilia items to the fine art and all of the historical artifacts are spectacularly displayed. You will spend all day enjoying the treasures found within. There is so much for all ages to enjoy. Don't miss it!

We went to the National Cowboy Museum over the weekend and had such a great time! There's a lot of see and, in our opinion, the exhibits actually get better and better as you walk through so make sure to pace yourself well and try not to get too hung up on the early exhibits! Bonus tip, the first full weekend of every month is "Bank of America Weekend" and all Bank of America account holders get free admissions!

This museum is a national treasure and the pride of Oklahoma. Their exhibits are always top notch, their national reach with the recent "Thanks, Tim" marketing campaign is awe-inspiring, and you can always find treasures in their gift shop. PLUS, the annual Chuck Wagon Festival is one of the greatest summer events you'll ever attend. A MUST visit.

LOVED my visit to this museum while visiting OKC earlier this month! Unfortunately, they do not offer a discount to military veterans or active duty military. However, the museum admission rate for adults is reasonable. The weekend I visited, they had an event going on and I believe it was Native American. I absolutely LOVED the huge statue (Native American straddling a horse) in the main lobby. What a sight of beauty! The customer service rep who rang up my ticket purchase was so friendly and I loved that she had a glowing smile on her face. So great to see someone with a friendly and upbeat attitude who actually enjoys their job! She was also very helpful with explaining the various museum exhibits and the event taking place that weekend. Plan to spend at least a half day here. There is so much to see here! They have a cafe on site that serves cold beverages and typical cafe food. I didn't eat here on this day but from what I could tell from looking at various patrons' food, it looked okay. There is a nice outdoor area for browsing various statues and Native American dwellings. I enjoyed the various Native American dwellings. They also have a small outdoor amphitheater for performances as well as an indoor theater. I caught a glimpse of a Native American male wearing a traditional outfit on the day I visited. He was most likely a part of an indoor theater performance on this day. This museum is such an important place to visit as it is a part of American history. I recommend visiting this museum and the First Americans Museum if you're planning a trip to OKC. So important to get different perspectives on history. I will definitely return here when I'm in OKC again!

This whole museum in one word: Wow! It is ginormous so make sure you have plenty of time. It keeps going and going with all sorts of ways to absorb a crowd. Just an awesome way to get a well emerged in an important part of Americana:

Excellent displays and so much to read and learn. A 5 star visit even though we only had 2 hours after driving from Texas.

If you love history or like western shows or movies this is a must stop. You can spend hours walking through the museum and enjoying a huge part of American history. They even have a replica of a small western town inside. I loved how they had a history of western hollywood movies and actors, this went back to the early 1900s. They also had american rodeo history and of course American Indian history. This is a must stop if your driving through Oklahoma City.

This place is awesome and if you are in OKC it is well worth a visit. I spent three hours roaming around and got to meet Charlie Smith, one of the hosts here who answers questions about the displays. He was a dental technician for the Air Force and we swapped stories. We also discussed so many things associated with the cowboy heritage, he is a walking encyclopedia!!!

Absolutely great experience. If you are in OKC and you want to learn about cowboys and American History, go! I can't say enough about the volunteers, the docents. They were in each exhibit and were engaging and shared stories and information so that you did not miss anything. This museum is a win for cowboys and the Oklahoma. So happy I was able to spend my day there.

Plan to spend the day; there is something here for everyone. The museum is arranged well, separate wings and areas for native artifacts, cowboy artifacts, Hollywood cowboys & the West, Western art by modern artists and old American masters, etc. The museum almost defies description. I was told that "you just have to see it," and I have to echo that sentiment. My husband kept prodding me to move faster in essence of time but there is just so much to see, arranged beautifully. Every corner brings a surprise. They even have a recreation of an old Western Street. Be sure to visit the different theaters, the short, informative films are worth your time, not boring, you'll learn a lot and want to go home and do a bit more research on the topics they cover. If your hungry, don't hesitate to grab lunch here! The food is fresh, tasty, and quite a good value. My husband's sandwich was large, loaded with meat, cheese, fresh lettuce. As hard as I tried, I couldn't finish my salad, tasty dressing, lots of toppings, and tender grilled chicken.

A neat place to visit, especially during Wine Down Wednesday! This particular day included free admission to the museum and a western movie with free popcorn - can't beat that! There's a lot to see than it appears on the outside, and the pretend town is neat!

Celebrating a birthday lunch and wanted to have lunch with friends. Menu looked good and ordered the soup which was spicy and delicious . Friends ordered sandwiches and salad. Generous servings of food and it was great! Brownie was excellent!!! Only complaint was "where's the decorations like they use to have and decorated theme tables?" Cowboy boots with sunflowers and bandanas? Come on and get with it! Tourists love the Cowboy theme!!!

My favorite stop when I come to Oklahoma City. Always interested in revisiting the permanent exhibit and enjoy seeing the temporary ones as well. I especially like the entertainment section of the museum. The entire campus is of high quality exhibits. Do yourself a favor and stop here while in Oklahoma City you won't regret it.

Met some friends here with our toddlers here a few weeks ago for lunch and a museum tour. I have to admit I was more than impressed When my friend suggested meeting here on a Saturday, I thought what the heck is wrong with her?! Their café is pleasant! Order the bbq sandwich it is huge though enough to share with chips most definitely! They offer a kid menu and have great selection as well. Deli workers were quick and got everything accurate. This museum has an entire kid section designed for on hand kid activities - I never knew this! So if the zoo is crazy busy or it's 100 degree heat out in July - bring them here! They had a little cabin where you could "make" your own fire outside, an entire village town that had everything from the Piedmont church to the jail cell kids could get "locked up" in! It was so darling! The museum itself for adults is really cool you learn lots of valuable history and see amazing sculptures, paintings, etc.

Had an odd encounter with a guard here but I'll start with the good! Great museum with a large impressive collection. You could spend hours here and I enjoyed the Spiro exhibit of Mississippian artifacts. But my recent experience with a guard here left me unhappy. I was with family and went to catch up with my sister and found her listening to a guard talk about Osage history. But this guy clearly had his own opinions about Native American history and origins and began talking about native DNA. Went out his way to claim Comaches originate in Mexico and to point out that natives were already killing each other before Europeans arrived.(Seemed like he felt Comanches had no credible connection to the land.) At this point, I've heard this kind of thing before and I know this goes with a racial and political agenda that I've heard from people on the far right of politics. I was really starting to get annoyed and he kind of dashed off at that point after telling me what they teach in schools is all wrong. I've contacted the museum, and got a prompt reply which I appreciated.

Much better than expected. The place was huge. The art was great and the history was amazing. Maybe even a little too much to see. Half a day was not enough.

we celebrated our granddaughter's birthday by taking her today and we had a great time beautiful scenery and paintings and the grill was very tasty!

We were very impressed with this museum! Huge variety of paintings, sculptures, fashion and many other facets of Western and Native culture. We were blown away with how many exhibits there were, and the details that were included. Would definitely recommend to anyone, especially those with small kids! Lots for them to do. Gift shop is great too, filled with Native American and Western jewelry, books, clothes and knick knacks.

I'm not sure what I expected when I found this place, but what was in my mind was definitely smaller than the massive building and sprawling complex that actually comprises this impressive museum. My wife and I made this our first stop after arriving in Oklahoma City since it was on the opposite end of town from where we were staying and we figured we'd knock it out early. The building towers over the surrounding area, with two massive wings. One side seems more administrative, with a huge event space, a board room, offices, and a cafe. Along the back is a pavilion type area in honor of the Western States, complete with flags representing each state flying high in unison. The map indicated trails out into the greenery, but with the freezing temperatures we elected not to explore that area. The back right side has a children's museum that we similarly skipped before going into the right wing of the museum. They had a Westerner Hall of Fame, exhibits on cowboys from different lands, Westerns in theater and film, the history and business of rodeo, exhibits on accessories and weaponry, Native American history, Native American art, and more. If you're looking for something to do in OKC, I highly recommend this place. I haven't seen anything like it anywhere else in the country.