Teachers & Schools
Welcome, educators! We can’t wait to help your students discover The Cowboy!
What is the American West? If you’re looking to extend learning beyond the classroom, we provide several programs that bring that history to life, from the cowboy era to Native American cultures and Western art.
With hands-on activities and interactive displays, students will gain a deeper understanding of historical events, cultural traditions and artistic achievements.
Find the perfect tour, program, or event for your classroom and let your students find their place in the West!
School Tours & Field Trips
Animal Tales
Foster imagination and critical thinking through animal folklore! Engage with tall tales, fables, legends and stories that impart lessons, values, insights and creative explanations for nature.
(60-minute tour)
American Cowboy
Trace the heart of cowboy culture from its vibrant origin story to the adrenaline-pumping world of modern rodeo. Compete in a cattle drive challenge and identify the tools and technology on which survival depends. Leave with an understanding and deep appreciation for what the cowboy represents
(60-minute tour)
➤Teacher Guide: American Cowboy
First Peoples
This land is the ancestral home to many First American nations. The arrival of immigrants introduced new trade items and materials for daily use, however it also brought about the loss of land and lifeways. Explore these defining challenges and the perseverance of Native people and culture.
(60-minute tour)
People on the Move
Discover the forces that expanded a nation through the dreams, challenges and motivations that sparked westward movement and settlement. The results transformed America’s landscape, added to its complex history and continue to impact our society.
(60-minute tour)
➤Teacher Guide: People on the Move
Geo-Detectives
Explore vast and diverse environments using the Five Themes of Geography to grasp a clearer understanding of each concept within the context of the American West, its lands and cultures, past and present
(60-minute tour)
Go West, Young Artist
Explore the impact of significant artwork of the American West by examining how the elements of composition are used by artists to reveal the uniqueness of the land and its people. Students will develop their skills of art criticism through this active discovery of the Museum’s featured pieces.
(60 minute tour)
Art of the American West
Study the artists who defined Western art and the contemporary visionaries shaping its future. Dive into the techniques and stories behind these great works.
(60-minute tour)
Oklahoma History
Journey through time to examine three significant eras in the development of the state, with specific focus to Indigenous cultures, the legacy of military presence, and the economic growth of early boomtowns prior to statehood. Meet people through stories and artifacts that shaped Oklahoma’s unique heritage.
(60-minute tour)
➤Teacher Guide: Oklahoma History
Origin of the Cowboy
Trace the beginnings of the cattle ranching industry, life on the trails and the evolution of the working cowboy into an entertainment icon, modern rodeo athlete and a national symbol.
(60-minute tour)
Self-Guided Tours
Teacher-directed tours are welcome anytime. Think about the Museum as an extension of your classroom. Create your own lessons, scavenger hunts and self-guided field experiences or utilize one of the Museum’s gallery guides to explore. When you schedule your visit, our staff can provide suggestions. Also, be sure to reserve a date (see link below) to receive the discounted school group rate.
➤Prosperity Junction Challenge (Grades 2-5)
FAQ
This addresses common questions related to School Tour Reservations, Admission Rates, Making Payment, Lunch Facilities, Rules for Schools and more.
Educational Resources
NEW! Professional Development Opportunities
The Museum invites districts, schools and teachers to enjoy a partnership in education by providing interactive and engaging training sessions led by experienced educators and curriculum leaders. Contact us to schedule our free in-services, offered on-site or via remote learning. (Appropriate for Grades 3-12.)
pmerrill@nationalcowboymuseum.org
Seeing is Believing, Investigations of Imagery, Art, and Artifacts
Exploring Inquiry: The 5-E Lesson Design Model
The Dickinson Research Center
The Dickinson Research Center (DRC) is a specialized library and archive dedicated to preserving and providing access to an extensive collection of materials related to the American West. It includes significant documents, books, periodicals, films, photograph, oral histories and more. The DRC offers public access to its collections, as well as assistance in academic research, to engage and inform guests about the significance of the American West in national and global contexts.
Digital Discovery
This dynamic collection of video content is built upon the Museum’s art, artifacts and exhibitions. Each piece of content is crafted to complement and enhance your educational objectives, making history resonate with today’s tech-savvy learners. With Digital Discovery, you’re connecting students to the experts and history makers that define Western heritage!
Traveling Trunks
Whether setting the stage for a Museum visit or enhancing your curriculum, Traveling Trunks are the perfect resource. They include artifacts, tools, clothing, images of artwork from the Museum’s collection, primary source activities, assessment suggestions, and story books to share with students. Best of all? They’re yours to borrow – free of charge! Simply pick them up and return them when you’re done. Don’t miss this opportunity to bring history to life in your classroom!
Library Outreach
Reading Round- Up: Invite Cookie to Your Library
Bring the West to your local library, featuring “Cookie the Chuckwagon Cook” reading from two of his favorite books. Hear the tales and exciting adventures about the people, animals and places of the American West! Each session features a big-screen digital story, a second tale, a themed make-and-take craft and a Western activity/game. Content for the program imparts character-building reflections from the Code of the West.
Ages 4-11
Max Number of Participants: Up to 40 children per session
Dates: Monday-Friday, June and July 2026
Books Available
Grandmother Spider Brings the Sun
Pricing: $225 per one-hour program ($125 each additional program) All crafts and games supplies included. Mileage: $1.03/Mile will be applied for programs exceeding 100 miles roundtrip.
For more information, call: (405) 839-7796
Reading Rodeo
Children’s groups, daycares, church summer programs, homeschools and more are invited to our summer programs at the Museum. Select your preferred weekday June 1- August 14th to join us for a roaring good time, hearing adventurous tale about the West. Take a “trail ride” through the galleries with “Cookie, our Chuckwagon Cook,” and create your own western souvenir. Children will learn about the Code of the West and how everyday heroes are found in all of us.
Target audience is PK-Grade 5 (ages 4-11).
Reservations are required.
For more information, call: (405) 839-7796
Cowboy Camp (Recommended Ages: 4-8)
Ride off to Cowboy Camp with Avery, a boy who feels that he doesn’t fit in. When a bully threatens the camp, Avery outsmarts him, proving that a cowboy’s bravery comes in many forms.
Wishful Watoosi (Recommended Ages: 4-8)
An odd-looking horse feels embarrassed about his looks, but comes to discover that being unique means being special. Join Wishful Watoosi on an adventure that taught him a valuable lesson of self-confidence and pride in one’s self.
Grandmother Spider Brings the Sun (Recommended Ages: 5-11)
Enjoy a timeless Native American folk tale featuring woodland animals working together to steal a piece of sun. However, it is the older and wiser Grandmother Spider who succeeds in bringing light to the animals on her side of the world.
Shooting for the Moon: The Amazing Life and Times of Annie Oakley (Recommended Ages: 8-11)
Annie Oakley is a rootin’ tootin’ star! As a sharpshooter and trick rider, she is nothing short of a world-class Wild West entertainer! Hear the many tales about Annie’s amazing life, from her rise to fame to becoming a role model for others.
Jackson Sundown, Native American Bronco Buster (Recommended Ages: 8-11)
Discover how Sundown fulfilled his dream of becoming a bronc-riding champion. Follow Jackson Sundown on his journey from trick-riding at rodeos to the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. His courageous story will inspire children to overcome obstacles on the way to their dream!
