Come celebrate the beginning of spring a little differently this year. On March 19 and 20 there will be a series of guided Vernal Equinox Walks at the Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center. Visitors can learn from an archaeologist about the significance of the equinox to the American Indian community that called Spiro home. Each day there will be three walks beginning at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., led by archaeologist and manager Dennis Peterson. Each walk will take about two hours and require a mile of easy walking. Peterson will tell about this unique, prehistoric American Indian mound site, the types of mounds, why they were created and why some of the mounds are lined up for the sunsets of the solstices and equinoxes. He will discuss the history of the excavations, American Indian ceremonies and stories, tales of the unusual happenings associated with the mounds and answer your questions. There is a small fee for this series of tours of $3 for adults and $2 for children in addition to the daily admission fee. No reservations are required except for large groups.

The center also will hold its 28th annual Family Kite Flite Day on Saturday, March 21. This event will include hundreds of people flying kites, kids making bubbles and digging in the sandbox and arts and crafts booths. There will be drawings throughout the day for donated kites. The Kite Flite Day runs from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and is a free admission day for the site.

The Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center is the only prehistoric American Indian site open to the public in Oklahoma and is administered by the Oklahoma Historical Society. The center is open Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon until 5 p.m. Daily admission is $4 for adults, $3 for seniors and $1 for children older than six. The center is located three miles east of Spiro, Okla., on Highway 9/271 and four miles north on Lock and Dam Road. For more information or to schedule a group or school tour, please call 918-962-2062 or email spiro@okhistory.org.

The Pioneer Woman Museum will host its first Girl Scout Spring Fling on Saturday, March 14, at 11 a.m. Events will include a visit from Oklahoma State University's Insect Adventure, games, crafts and sing-a-longs. This is the first event of its kind for the museum. "Girl Scouting has played a significant, positive role in my life and one of the first things I wanted to do when I got here was to incorporate Girl Scouts into the museum's programming," said Museum Director Robbin Davis.

The Insect Adventure, sponsored in part by Parker Pest Control Inc., is a live bug petting zoo and includes living arthropods. It is an opportunity to meet live insects and their relatives up close and personal.

Activities are free for scouts in uniform or a troop shirt and will take place on the museum's back lawn. Participants are encouraged to bring a sack lunch and lawn chairs or "sit-upons" and enjoy all the day has to offer. Tents are permitted. The day's events will run 11 a.m. through 3 p.m. and will continue rain or shine. "Girl Scouts hold a special place in my heart and I hope that this event will bring many Scouts to the museum to learn and have fun together," said Davis.

Troops need to preregister for the event and can do so through Friday, March 13. To make a troop reservation, call 580-765-6108 or email piown@okhistory.org. Individual scouts do not have to preregister.

The Oklahoma History Center invites you and your family to load up your little cowboys and cowgirls and join us for a rendezvous with adventure at the fifth annual Cowboy Round-up on Saturday, March 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cowboys and chuck wagons will bring the cattle drive era to life for visitors of all ages. Special activities include rope making, Dutch oven cooking, side shows, and more. Cowboy Round-up activities are featured throughout the Oklahoma History Center building and outdoor areas. Youth are encouraged to dress the part as cowboys and cowgirls. For more information on Cowboy Round-up please contact the History Center Education Department at education@okhistory.org or 405-522-3602.