We had read this was a fabulous museum and so we were determined to visit. Because it is a little off the beaten path and took us longer to get there than I thought, we got there just at closing time on our way north through Oklahoma. Nonetheless, the staff took time to tell us where we might look for signs of the Chisholm Trail in Duncan. And, of course, they invited us back when we were on our way through Duncan again.
On our way back south, we decided again to try and make it and arrived 30 minutes before closing. (We were driving between Houston and Michigan, so our timing was affected by long miles, two kids and a dog!) We choose to go in and see what we could see and enjoy it for what we could in the 30 minutes we had. When I told the staff I would be need to be checking on our dog who we were going to leave in our car with the car and A/C running (100+ degrees outside), the wonderful ladies invited us to bring our dog inside and let him stay in an office where he would be safe and cool.
Next, with calm and grace, the staff invited us to participate in viewing both of the museum's fantastic theater productions, which were so professionally done and provided such a wide scope but also fascinating details of the meaning of the Chisholm Trail, that we could have left feeling satisfied by those experiences alone, especially because by then, it was after 5:00, closing time. Instead, we were invited to stay as long as we wanted in order to enjoy the interactive side of the museum and were told about each of the sections and what they held in store for us!
The exhibits are varied, thoughtful, and FUN. In some cases, the exhibits underscore key points made during the theater productions, which is an understanding worth underscoring. But in other cases, the exhibits came at us from really very different angles that wonderfully deepened the meaning of the Trail, what it meant to ride it, and our understanding of its importance in the development of the West. My 12 and 14-year old boys were hooked. They participated in every aspect of the museum. Their playfulness was encouraged, and their curiosity was engaged. I have heard them tell their friends since being home about "the best museum". Maybe that quote is all I should have written here to credit this museum with the praise it deserves.
Thanks to both the designers of the museum and particularly the staff for making our detour through Duncan, Oklahoma a journey that, like the Chisholm Trail, has left a lasting impression on this family's lives.