Chisholm Trail Heritage Center
The historic Chisholm Trail led cattle from south Texas to northern states. It played a significant role in the development of the American West, driving millions of cattle through Oklahoma between 1867 to 1877. Named after trader Jesse Chisholm, you can learn all about the iconic trail at the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center in Duncan, Oklahoma. Take a trip back in time with interactive exhibits created for all ages and interests. Professional tour guides get you started on your adventure throughout the museum. The 4D Experience Theater offers a multi-sensory adventure “on the trail,” where you can smell the wildflowers of the Oklahoma prairie in the springtime and watch a stampede in a thunderstorm. A visit to the Campfire Theater will have you eavesdropping on Jesse Chisholm and Cowboy Tex. Visitors can rope a longhorn steer, ride a bronco or create their own brand at the Branding Station.
The Garis Gallery of the American West is located at the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center and is considered one of the finest Western and Indian art galleries in the state. Home to one of the finest Western Art collections west of the Mississippi, in the Garis Gallery of the American West, you can enjoy an incredible collection of paintings and sculptures. Works by renowned artists including Frederick Remington, George Catlin, Charles Russell, Allan Houser and regional and local artists of note are on display in the permanent collection.
Be sure to visit the outdoor sculpture, 'On the Chisholm Trail,' bronze by Oklahoma artist Paul Moore. It is the largest bronze dedicated to the Chisholm Trail in the world and is great for a photo opportunity! It is a Top Western Museum as named by True West Magazine and on the TW Ultimate Western Destination list. Awarded the National Day of the Cowboy's "Cowboy Keeper" in 2016 and the Oklahoma Travel Industry Association Redbud Merit for Outstanding Attraction.
In 2018, the museum in its Chisholm Trail 150th Partnership (Chisholm Trail Heritage Center in Duncan, Visit Enid and the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in Enid, and the Oklahoma Historical Society) was awarded three of the state’s highest honors given in the Oklahoma tourism industry. The partnership won the RedBud Outstanding Media Coverage Award and Merit Awards (category runner-up) for Best Partnership and Best Tri-Fold or Single Sheet Brochure or Publication. And in 2013, the Heritage Center was voted Best Museum in Chickasaw Country.
