Tulsa Historical Society and Museum

Tulsa Historical Society and Museum’s, (THSM) mission is to Illuminate the Past, Enrich the Present, and Inspire Future Generations by Collecting, Preserving, and Presenting Tulsa’s History.

Tulsa Historical Society and Museum history

Established in 1963, the Tulsa Historical Society & Museum holds an extensive collection of resources on the city’s rich past. The collection contains nearly 200,000 still photographs, books, maps, documents, textiles, architectural elements, building furnishings, and personal artefacts. From 1985 until 1998, THSM had its headquarters in the Thomas Gilcrease house on the grounds of Gilcrease Museum.

Tulsa was entering its “Golden Age” as the Oil Capital of the World when brothers David and Sam Travis constructed complementary mansions on South Peoria in 1919. The Travis brothers, who had made their fortunes in the oil business, hired Noble Flemming to design their residences in what was then considered far south Tulsa. Flemming executed two designs in Italianate Revival style, set at the crest of a broad lawn rising to the east from Peoria. The two homes instantly became Tulsa landmarks.

In December of 1997, with funds made available through the Tulsa Tribune Foundation, THSM purchased the historic Sam Travis Mansion off Peoria Avenue, just south of the Tulsa Garden Center. The mansion’s 11,000 square feet was extensively renovated in 2007 and matched with new construction to create a public space for Tulsans and visitors to the city for decades to come.

Tulsa Historical Society and Museum today

The collection includes more than 250,000 still photographs, books, maps, documents, textiles and architectural elements, as well as fine and decorative arts. There are also featured exhibitions, including one addressing the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

Visitors can also experience the museum gardens and five moons, featuring historical objects.

Getting to Tulsa Historical Society and Museum

The museum is located in the historic Travis Mansion at 2445 S. Peoria Ave just south of the Tulsa Garden Centre and Woodward Park. The museum entrance and car park are on the northeast side of the building.