June 11, 2015

Pawnee Bill's Original Wild West Show

June 12 and 13, 2015

Pawnee Bill Ranch | Pawnee, OK

The historic Pawnee Bill Ranch will host Pawnee Bill's Original Wild West Show on June 12 and 13 at 7:30 p.m. Stagecoaches will roll amid thundering horse hooves while the lightning of gunfire explodes around Pawnee Bill and his cohorts as the talented cast thrill and amaze audiences at the 2015 Wild West Show. The show will feature acts from the original Pawnee Bill's Wild West Shows. Producers and directors have combined stage and script with historical preservation to ensure that the Wild West Show is one of the most historically accurate productions to date. Kevin Webb portrays Pawnee Bill for the seventh time. Webb, a long-time Wild West Show cast member and Pawnee Bill Ranch employee, is also a whip artist and chariot racer.

The museum and mansion will be open to the public on show days from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. In addition there will be historically accurate entertainment, such as blacksmithing, gunfighters and sharp shooters, a medicine man show, and musicians, all free and held continuously on the ranch grounds from 2-7 p.m. The cast will be available for a meet and greet with the audience on the museum grounds from 5-6:30 p.m. The Friends of the Pawnee Bill Ranch Association will serve a barbecue meal in the big barn starting at 5 p.m.

Ticket prices in advance are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (over age sixty-five), $8 for children ages ten and under, and ages three and under are free. A group rate of $10 per ticket is available for groups of ten or more people. On the day of the show ticket prices are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors (over age sixty-five), $10 for children ages ten and under, and ages three and under are free. Special price package bundles are available for reserved seating and that information can be found at www.pawneebillranch.com or by calling 918-762-2513. For more information or to purchase tickets, please call 918-762-2513. Online tickets are not available for this show.

Grand Opening of New Visitor Center

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Fort Towson | Fort Towson, OK

On Saturday, June 13, Fort Towson will host the grand opening of a brand-new, 6,000-square-foot visitor center. Construction of the new building was funded, in part, with grant funds from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation through the Transportation Enhancement Program. Exhibit development was made possible by a generous donation from the Kirkpatrick Foundation and a National Park Service grant through the Maritime Heritage Grant Program. The Fort Towson Visitor Center grand opening coincides with the annual Fort Town Homecoming Celebration. Community activities on Saturday, June 13, include a parade downtown at 10 a.m. Opening ceremonies at Fort Towson Historic Site take place at 11:30 a.m. and will commence with Union officers accepting Stand Watie's formal surrender as the last Confederate general to lay down arms. The surrender document will be read prior to the signing, thus marking the end of the sesquicentennial commemorations. Following a welcome and recognition of dignitaries will be the formal ribbon cutting. Barbecue vendors will be available at the fort and a Pony Express Race begins at 1:30 p.m. Please call 580-873-2634 for more information.

Summer Solstice Guided Walking Tour

Saturday and Sunday, June 20 and 21, 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 7 p.m.

Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center | Spiro, OK

Families can start the summer with a trip to the Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center for a special guided tour on the summer solstice. There will be three walks led by archaeologist Dennis Peterson starting at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 20 and Sunday, June 21. Each walk will take one mile of easy walking and last about two hours. There is a $3 per adult and $2 per child fee for this event in addition to the daily admission fee.

Peterson will talk about the history of the mound site and the American Indians who built it more than 1,000 years ago. He also will discuss the reasons for the mounds and the alignment of the some of the mounds to track the movement of the sun throughout the year. Peterson will tell the history of the excavations of the site by both archaeologists and looters. The 7 p.m. walks will allow the observation of the sunset, which is the most important part of the event, and the twilight wildlife.

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 regularly open Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon until 5 p.m. The center does close for state holidays. 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 during the solstice walks or some other time, please call 918-962-2062 or email spiro@okhistory.org.