Gilcrease Museum Coaster

The Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art in northwest Tulsa houses a comprehensive collection of the art, culture and history of North America. Thomas Gilcrease, a citizen of the Muscogee Creek Nation, established Gilcrease Museum in 1949. Today the interdisciplinary collection contains more than 350,000 items. The museum represents hundreds of Indigenous cultures from across North and South America, with material culture and archaeology ranging from 12,000 BCE to the 21st century. The collection includes more than 350 years of American paintings, sculptures and works on paper, including the largest public holdings of art of the American West.

Beautiful gardens and grounds extend beyond the Gilcrease collections and exhibitions. Themed gardens are developed on 23 of the museum’s 460 acres, often using the Gilcrease collections as a guide. One element of the outdoor exhibitions features this sculpture, The Sacred Rain Arrow Statue by artist Allan Houser, which was depicted on the Oklahoma license plate from 2009-2016.