The Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, known as Gilcrease Museum, 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 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 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.
Adjacent to the museum, the Helmerich Center for American Research houses the Gilcrease Library and Archive. The collection is comprised of manuscripts, photographs, maps, rare books, print portfolios and broadsides related to the history of the North American continent from the 15th – 20th centuries.
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.
The museum is owned by the City of Tulsa, which has partnered with The University of Tulsa to steward the museum.
The grounds are free and open daily from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. For more information, please call 918-596-2700.
Gilcrease Museum Mission Statement
Gilcrease Museum, through its collections, is dedicated to bringing art, history, and people together to research, discover, enjoy and understand the diverse heritage of the Americas.
Gilcrease Museum Marketing & Communications
For media inquiries, please contact Maddy Witt at 918-596-2714.
Click here to download the Gilcrease Museum Graphic Style Guidelines.