Arts and Culture

Oklahoma City's arts scene may surprise you. We're proud to be the home of The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, America’s premier institution of Western history, art and culture. But did you know we're also home to the world's largest collection of Chihuly glass at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art? From dozens of independent galleries showcasing local artists, to the Oklahoma City Civic Center showcasing ballets, Broadway hits and orchesteral concerts, Oklahoma City offers an array of eclectic and approachable cultural experiences. Below are just a few examples.

FESTIVALS
Festival of the Arts: Held every spring, this festival transforms downtown Oklahoma City into an Arts District. More than 150 locally and nationally known artisans join numerous tasty food vendors and musicians for this annual event.

Paseo Arts Festival: During Memorial Day weekend artists and musicians fill the streets of the Paseo Arts District, a charming neighborhood offering studios, boutiques and restaurants.

DeadCENTER Film Festival: Oklahoma City’s biggest film festival, attracts filmmakers from across the globe. deadCENTER screens more than a hundred independent films over a five day period in June in seven premiere downtown Oklahoma City locations. Beyond screening world class films, deadCENTER Film Festival hosts a professional panel series and a screenwriting competition for the avid film fanatic.

MUSEUMS
Oklahoma City Museum of Art: Accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art serves more than 135,000 visitors annually from all 50 states and more than 30 foreign countries and hosts special exhibitions drawn from throughout the world. The Museum’s collection covers a period of five centuries with strengths in American and European art of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and includes a comprehensive collection of glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly.

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum: More than 10 million visitors from around the world have sought out this museum to gain a better understanding of the West. Featuring one of the most comprehensive collections of Western art in the world, this is a can’t miss stop when in Oklahoma City.

Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum: Through high-tech, interactive exhibits, meet the famous and everyday Oklahomans who have shaped the history of our state, country and world.

Oklahoma History Center: Located across from the State Capitol, this affiliate of the Smithsonian offers a chance to explore Oklahoma’s unique story through interactive exhibits covering geology, transportation, commerce, culture, aviation, heritage and more.

Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum: Experience this peaceful monument that pays tribute to those who were killed by the April 19, 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The interactive memorial learning museum offers visitors from around the world comfort and hope. The museum and outdoor memorial with its reflecting pool give pause to all who visit and provide important insights through special exhibits.

PERFORMING ARTS
Civic Center Music Hall: Experience the performing arts in the splendor of the renovated Art Deco concert hall in downtown Oklahoma City’s Civic Center Music Hall. Featuring a multi-tiered auditorium with three balconies, 2,500 private seats, a hydraulic orchestra pit and virtually perfect acoustics, the Civic Center is home to Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra, Oklahoma City Ballet, Canterbury Choral Society, BLAC, and Lyric Theatre – named one of the “10 great places to see the lights way off Broadway” by USA Today. The Civic Center also plays host to touring Broadway musicals and an annual series of national artists.

Learn more about the arts in Oklahoma City.