Gilcrease: The Museum of the Americas

In downtown Tulsa, there is a veritable treasure trove of history and art housed in the  Gilcrease Museum.  Also known as the The Museum of the Americas, it houses the world’s most comprehensive (and largest) collection of items, art and artifacts from the American West, and a growing collection of pieces from Central and South Americas.

Themed gardens have been developed on 23 of the museum’s 460 acres, and guided education and inspirational tours are available, as well as private tours by appointment. 

The Museum opened in 1943 in Thomas Gilcrease’s oil company headquarters in San Antonio, TX, but he moved the collection to his estate in hometown Tulsa, and opened it to the public in 1949.

The Museum encourages visitors by allowing free entrance to students on field trips (as well as their chaperones and teachers), and also free entrance to all visitors the first Tuesday of the month. 

Have you been to the Museum? What’s your favorite exhibit?