The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum: Changing Visions of the West

In June 1965, the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center, as it was then named, owned a mere handful of artifacts. In fact, the Oklahoma City institution was forced to borrow materials in order to mount exhibitions to support its inaugural events. From that modest beginning, the center, now known as the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, has grown into perhaps the world’s most respected repository for the study and understanding of the diverse cultures of the Ame...