The Cowboy Hall of Fame

Directions

The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum does have items pertaining to western heritage and cowboy stuff but is also the home of some great western art. It is located in Northeast Oklahoma City off Interstate 44. The original building is located on the top of Persimmon Hill which was part of an old trail used to drive cattle from Texas to the railroads in Kansas during the nineteenth century. It was begun in the 1960’s and has had numerous additions.

About the Collection

The permanent collection of approximately 22,000 objects contains something for just about everyone. Well known western artists Charles Russell and Frederic Remington are represented by many of their most famous works. W.R. Leigh, Nicholai Fechin and the original Taos artists are just a minute list of additional artists to be seen. The Prix de West is a well attended and financially successful invitational art show, learning experience and auction which is held annually in June. The grand prize is a purchase award by the museum. This has added many excellent contemporary works to the collection. A children’s museum, cowboy gallery, an Indian exhibit and a rodeo gallery are just a few of the additional collections. For people interested in the truly unique there is a barbed wire display which I found to be more interesting than it sounds.

The Sam Noble Event Center

Banquets, parties, fund raisers and large seminars are held in the Sam Noble Event Center. Even if you are not attending an event try to peek in this huge room to look at the enormous tryptichs on the walls. These breath taking western landscapes were painted by noted western artist Wilson Hurley.

End of the Trail

As you leave the museum by the front doors look over your shoulder for a last look at the magnificent sculpture of the dejected Indian on his horse, “The End of the Trail.” It was done by James Earle Fraser for an Exhibition in San Francisco at the beginning of the last century and left to withstand the wind and weather outside in a park in California. It was purchased for the museum and shipped to Oklahoma in several pieces. A smaller metal copy was donated to the park in California. If your group includes people of varied attention spans viewing art and objects there is a gift shop, book store and good restaurant on the premises all of which are worth some of your time.

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