Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum

Open since 2007, the Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum offers interactive exhibits allowing visitors to experience Oklahoma’s history through the lives of its people. Learn about how famous and everyday Oklahomans have impacted the past, present and future of the local community as well as around the world. Take a self-guided tour through the museum and discover how a collected effort of storytelling can shape our perspectives of Oklahoman culture.

A few of the famous Oklahomans that you can learn about in the exhibits include Reba McEntire, Wiley Post, Mat Hoffman, Shannon Lucid and many others. Together, all of these people tell the story of Oklahoma and you can even contribute your own part of history in the ONEOK Tell Your Story exhibit—enter the booth and use the touch-screen video prompts to share your memories or experiences. Then, email the recording that you made to yourself for a keepsake of your visit to the museum.

In the Bust Gallery, play an Oklahoma trivia game by trying to guess the names of each of the important people depicted. You’ll get a series of clues about their lives to help. Then, take a picture of your own head and create a virtual game of clue about yourself. Then, in the Oklahoma Hall of Fame Gallery learn about the many people who have had amazing accomplishments and contributions to Oklahoma’s culture and community. You can search the database of more than 600 inductees dating all the way back to 1928.

One of the special exhibits on display at the Gaylord-Pickens Museum is entitled: The Passionate Lenses of Yousef Khanfar—a celebration of thirty-years of Khanfar’s photography. Khanfar is an award-winning international author and photographer whom captured images from around the world that reflect places of peace and harmony as well as energy and turbulence. He grew up in Kuwait where he was exposed to images of war and violence—channeling that experience, photography gave him a voice as he chose to carry a camera rather than a gun to promote peace around the world. Today, Khanfar lives in Oklahoma and enjoys sharing his works with visitors to his state. In this special exhibit you’ll get the first look at his portrait of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and images from his newest series, the Jerusalem Collection.

Finally, in the museum bookstore you’ll find many books about the people of Oklahoma including legislators, philanthropists, actors and sports heroes as well as books about Oklahoma universities, landmarks, and historical events. Visit the museum website and follow on Facebook, Twitter or Myspace for information on special events, educational programs, new exhibits and a virtual tour of the museum.

- by Jennifer Pruett, Oklahoma City Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Jennifer Pruett

A self proclaimed “queen of everything," Jennifer is a writer, planner and passionate lover of making exciting events extra special. As a creative mother of two she loves art, music, family, friends, exotic cuisine and exploring new areas of self improvement. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal studies from the University of Oklahoma and has been writing restaurant and attraction reviews in the Phoenix Metro area since January, 2009.