Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa (must see)

The Gilcrease Museum, located just northwest of downtown Tulsa, is one of the premier institutions in the United States for art and history of the American West. Founded on the collection of oil magnate and passionate art collector Thomas Gilcrease, the museum is home to the world’s most extensive collection dedicated to Western American art, as well as a growing body of Central and South American artifacts.

The museum holds more than 300,000 items, ranging from prehistoric archaeological finds to contemporary ethnographic materials. Its collection spans Native American, Hispanic, pre-Columbian, and Anglo-American traditions, covering a vast historical timeline-from the earliest European exploration of the Americas to present-day cultural expressions. Particularly notable are artifacts from the Mississippi Valley, the American Southwest, and ancient Mexico, including one of North America’s most significant collections of pre-Columbian projectile points.

Beyond its exhibits, Gilcrease serves as an active research center. The Kravis Discovery Center offers a hands-on experience with "touchable" items and open-access artifact displays supported by a digital catalog system, making it a valuable resource for scholars and curious visitors alike. The museum’s archives house over 100,000 books, maps, manuscripts, and documents dating as far back as 1494.

Adding another layer to the experience, the museum’s 460-acre grounds include 23 acres of themed gardens inspired by the historical periods represented in the collection-Pre-Columbian, Pioneer, Colonial, and Victorian eras. These living exhibits help bring the art and artifacts of the American West into an immersive, sensory context.

Whether you're interested in archaeology, fine art, or the layered histories of the Americas, Gilcrease Museum offers a rich and dynamic window into the past and present of a vast and diverse cultural landscape.