Gilcrease Museum's grand reopening set for March 2027 amid $140M transformation

TULSA, Okla. — Gilcrease Museum will reopen to the public in March 2027, the Tulsa cultural institution announced Monday, following more than five years of construction on a $140.9 million transformation.

The museum has been closed since July 4, 2021, when it shut its doors for the demolition of its original facility and construction of a new building. The reopening will further integrate the museum, the Helmerich Center for American Research, the historic Thomas Gilcrease House and its surrounding natural landscape as a single destination for research, learning and public engagement.

The new facility features 14 permanent collection galleries designed for self-guided exploration, presenting interconnected stories through multiple cultural lenses, including Indigenous nations, the American West, Latin America and the many communities whose histories continue to shape understanding of the Americas. Visitors can also explore 460 acres of natural landscape connected by 14 miles of trails for hiking and biking.

Watch previous coverage: 14-mile Gilcrease trail would begin to address several issues found in Neighborhood Conditions Index findings

The museum's collection includes more than 300,000 items spanning 12,000 years of history across the Western Hemisphere, encompassing Anglo-American art and history, Indigenous art and history, and colonial Latin American materials represented across paintings and sculptures, prints and drawings, photographs, manuscripts and archives, rare books and material culture.

More than 75 years ago, Thomas Gilcrease, a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, established the museum in Tulsa to tell the stories of the Americas. The new museum is guided by the brand promise: UNPARALLELED – Bringing art, history and people together to understand the diverse heritage of the Americas.

"The reopening of Gilcrease marks an extraordinary moment not only for Tulsa, but for the entire nation," Brian Lee Whisenhunt, executive director and CEO of Gilcrease, said. "It is a celebration of the rich, diverse and complex stories of the Americas and an invitation for people from across the country to experience, explore and connect with the history that has shaped us all."

Watch previous coverage: A peek inside the new Gilcrease Museum

The University of Tulsa has stewarded Gilcrease for nearly two decades, caring for the collection and working to increase affinity and support. UTulsa faculty have made discoveries from within the archives and partnered with scholars from around the globe by facilitating access to documents, objects, works of art and other items.

"The City of Tulsa and The University of Tulsa relationship is an important public-private partnership for the future of Tulsa and our collective global reach," said Stacy Leeds, president of The University of Tulsa and a former Cherokee Nation Supreme Court justice. "While serious researchers have still been able to engage with the Gilcrease collection during the museum's closure, this new facility will open up the stories of the Americas for people of all ages and varied interests – from art and anthropology, to textiles and cartography."

Watch previous coverage: Gilcrease Museum shares design update plans while seeking community input

The new museum was designed by SmithGroup in collaboration with G&A. As the only museum in Oklahoma with a dedicated conservation department, Gilcrease is one of the country's leading centers for preservation, collections stewardship and scholarship. Through the Helmerich Center, the museum provides researchers, students and communities with access to extensive archives and scholarly resources.

Additional details about opening weekend festivities, exhibitions and visitor experiences will be announced in the coming months. For more information, to purchase a membership or to receive reopening updates, visit gilcrease.org/Join.

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