VIP guests at Oklahoma’s cowboy museum

In July many VIP guests visited the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, most notably H.S.H. Prince Albert of Monaco. Actress Bo Derek also toured the Museum in July, as well as country singer Vince Gill, the female vocal group EnVogue, the Minister of Defense of Sweden, Chief of the Military of Taiwan and several other political dignitaries.

Formerly known as the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, this museum has tripled in size since 1995. It features art from Prix de West Award winners, the finest contemporary artists in the nation, as well as significant works by master artists Charles Russell, Frederic Remington, and Albert Bierstadt, among others.

Outside, the stunning landscape boasts both botanical and natural gardens. Of the numerous heroic-sized works on display, visitors are awed by James Earle Fraser's famous 18-foot sculpture, The End of the Trail; Colorado sculptor, Gerald Balciar's 16,000-pound white marble cougar, aptly named Canyon Princess; and Windows to the West, five breathtaking Western landscapes by Albuquerque artist Wilson Hurley.

The complex also contains Prosperity Junction, a 14,000 square foot turn-of-the-century Western town, and such major exhibition galleries as The American Cowboy Gallery, The American Rodeo Gallery, and The Western Performers Gallery. The Joe Grandee Museum of the Frontier West Gallery features displays on the contributions of the Buffalo Soldier and the development of the West. Also on site is a unique children's building, museum store and restaurant.

The National Day of the American Cowboy held special significance this year for the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum as it celebrated the 100th birthday of the most enduring film star of all-time, with an unveiling of a heroic-size bronze of John Wayne. On July 28 the public were invited to view the larger-than-life figure of the man who has captured the hearts of people worldwide. The work adds dimension to the Museum’s current collection of memorabilia depicting the life of this beloved movie cowboy icon and great American patriot.

For further information about the National Cowboy Museum and Western Heritage Centre visit: NationalCowboyMuseum.org

For Kansas tourist information, visit TravelKs.com or TravelOk.com.