City: Tulsa, OK

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (918) 596-2700

Address: 1400 N. Gilcrease Museum Rd.

Description: Oilman/art collector William Thomas Gilcrease, son of a Creek mother and non-Indian father, was a millionaire by the time he was out of his teens. The land allotment he received from the Dawes Commission in 1899 sat on land that concealed one of the nation’s richest oil deposits.He began collecting art at an early age and was particularly interested in Native American materials. His collection included not only art but artifacts and rare books. In spite of his wealth, Gilcrease found himself in a financial bind by the early 1950s. His new private museum had been open only a short time. Upon learning that the collection was to be put up for sale, the mayor rallied the citizens of Tulsa to pass a bond issue that enabled the museum and collection to remain in Tulsa—where it remains one of the city’s greatest points of pride.Artists depicting western subjects are an important part of the museum’s collection—artists like Albert Bierstadt, George Catlin, Thomas Moran, Frederic Remington, and Charles Russell. Other artists’ works include those of Thomas Eakins, Charles Willson Peale, James McNeill Whistler, John Singer Sargent, Winslow Homer, John James Audubon, and N. C. Wyeth.Rare documents include the oldest existing letter from the New World, a 1512 missive from Diego Columbus, and a letter from Thomas Jefferson dated July 1 and 2, 1776. Other treasures include the only known existing handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence, with the signatures of Silas Deane and Benjamin Franklin., and a first edition of John Smith’s The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England and the Summer Isles, printed in 1624. Due to their fragile nature, these documents spend most of their time in light- and temperature-controlled storage; however, they are put on display occasionally for special exhibits.The design of the original portion of the museum—where the main entrance is—was based on an Indian longhouse. The signature sculpture on the grounds stands in front of the main doors—Sacred Rain Arrow—a bronze work by Allan Houser.Today, the museum’s holdings comprise Meso-American and pre-Columbian art, American and Indian art, and anthropological materials from North, Central, and South America. The archival collection, including many rare and precious documents and artifacts, is extensive. The museum is managed by the University of Tulsa for the city.Of the museum’s 440-acres, 23 have been made into historic theme gardens: