Gilcrease Museum

The Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is one of the world's most important institutions for the art and history of the American West. It was founded in 1943 by businessman Thomas Gilcrease, who made his fortune in the oil industry and, through his roots in the Muscogee Nation, had a special connection to the region. Inspired by European museums, he spent decades building an extensive archive of artifacts, documents, and artworks. After financial difficulties, the city of Tulsa took over the founder's debts in 1954, and he turned the collection, and later the grounds as well, over to the municipality. Today the museum is run as a public-private partnership with the University of Tulsa.

Visitors will find a vast collection of more than 350,000 objects representing cultures from North, Central, and South America. Particularly noteworthy are the ethnographic and archaeological holdings from the Mississippi Valley, the U.S. Southwest, and ancient Mexico. The art collection features masterworks by Albert Bierstadt, Frederic Remington, and Charles M. Russell, depicting life on the frontier. Historical documents, such as letters from Thomas Jefferson and copies of the Declaration of Independence, are also part of the archives. The grounds also include Gilcrease's historic home and the Helmerich Center for American Research, while a modern new building is planned to expand the exhibition space.