The Chisholm Trail Heritage Center has many new and exciting exhibits planned for 2019. It just completed its 20th anniversary year in 2018. Interactive exhibits were added into its permanent feature of the Duncan General Store, which increase the fun factor and learning experience for all ages.
We encourage you to walk the Oklahoma Centennial Chisholm Trail path out front and see the "On the Chisholm Trail" bronze monument, by Oklahoma sculptor Paul Moore. This life-size tribute to the cowboy was recognized in 2014, as one of the Top 20 Objects that Shape Oklahoma. Installed in 1998, it was the largest tribute of its kind, just over 35-feet.
Exhibits scheduled for this year include a traveling Bison exhibit for the summer, a dog portrait artist, the annual youth art month show in March, and a nature/landscape photographer's work coming in the fall. National Day of the Cowboy celebration happens the fourth Saturday in July, and continues to be the Heritage Center's top family-fun event, with free admission for the day, games for children, live music, demonstrations and Oklahoma authors.
Chisholm Trail Heritage Center continues to be a top Oklahoma attraction. It was recently named an Official Best of Oklahoma – Best Heritage Attraction site; and continues its status as a True West Magazine Top 10 Western Museum and travel destination, The Chisholm Trail Heritage Center is the place to have fun and explore history! Put on a cowboy hat, swing a rope, lasso a lost steer and feel the rumble of the stampede.
The Garis Gallery of the American West at the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center is one of the finest Western and Indian art galleries in the state. The museum offers an interactive experience for all ages and interests. All guests are shown the 'lay of the land' by one of the friendly professional tour guides. Toss a rope around a Longhorn steer; ride a bucking bronco; create your own brand or sit a spell near the campfire and listen to Jesse Chisholm as he offers advice to a young cowboy on his first cattle drive. In the multi-sensory Experience Theater, smell the wildflowers of a springtime Oklahoma prairie, listen to the thundering hooves of a cattle stampede, and feel the wind and rain on your face as a storm rages.
Home to one of the finest Western Art collections west of the Mississippi, in the Garis Gallery of the American West, you can enjoy an incredible collection of paintings and sculptures, and learn the stories of some of the artists. Walking through the gallery is like a trip through a small maze, with each turn providing a surprise of art, both contemporary and historical. Works by Frederick Remington, George Catlin, Charles Russell, Allan Houser and regional and local artists of note are on display in the permanent collection. Be sure to visit the outdoor sculpture, 'On the Chisholm Trail' bronze by Oklahoma artist Paul Moore. It is the largest bronze dedicated to the Chisholm Trail in the world.
Additionally, a private parking lot on-site at the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center offers space for RV, buses and large vehicle parking. Don’t be surprised if you see school buses during the week! More than 10,000 students visited during the academic school year 2017-18, for structured-learning class field trips. There are several lovely spots for picnics or to stretch your legs on one of their nature walks. Also, check out the website for information regarding special events. Or, for the most up-to-date information, visit the Facebook page.
We're a Top Ten Western Museum as named by True West Magazine, and on the TW Ultimate Western Destination list. Awarded the National Day of the Cowboy's "Cowboy Keeper" in 2016 and the Oklahoma Travel Industry Association Redbud Merit for Outstanding Attraction. In 2018, the museum in its Chisholm Trail 150th Partnership (Chisholm Trail Heritage Center in Duncan, Visit Enid and the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in Enid, and the Oklahoma Historical Society) was awarded three of the state’s highest honors given in the Oklahoma tourism industry. The partnership won the RedBud Award for Outstanding Media Coverage and earned Merit Awards (category runner-up) for Best Partnership and Best Tri-Fold or Single Sheet Brochure or Publication. And in 2013, the Heritage Center was voted Best Museum in Chickasaw Country.
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