Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum

The Pawnee Bill Ranch was once the showplace of the world-renowned Wild West Show entertainer Gordon W. “Pawnee Bill” Lillie. Visitors can tour Pawnee Bill and his wife May’s fourteen-room mansion, fully furnished with their original belongings. Their dream home, completed in 1910, is filled with Lillie family memorabilia, photographs, original artwork, and more. The ranch property also houses a museum with exhibits related to Pawnee Bill, Wild West Shows, and the Pawnee tribe. The 500-acre grounds include the original ranch blacksmith shop, a 1903 log cabin, a large barn built in 1926, and an Indian Flower Shrine—all available to the public.

A herd of bison, longhorn, and several draft horses call the Pawnee Bill Ranch home and can often be found grazing in the drive-through exhibit pasture. The ranch is also a day-use facility and several outdoor amenities can be reserved for private functions. The ranch has covered picnic shelters, tipi-covered picnic tables, fishing ponds, a playground, and a meeting room. The Big Barn, shelter, meeting rooms, porches, and lawns can be rented for weddings, reunions, meetings, and more. The Pawnee Bill Ranch also proudly re-creates Pawnee Bill’s Original Wild West Show each year.

Exhibits

Let’s Talk About It: The Log of a Cowboy: A Narrative of the Old Trail Days (1903) by Andy Adams
September 17, 6:30 p.m.–8 p.m.

Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum in Pawnee has partnered with Oklahoma Humanities (OH) to host OH’s book discussion series “Let’s Talk About It.” The book club meetings will take place as monthly in-person and online gatherings at the museum on Blue Hawk Peak and will feature a different book title each month from July to November.

All five of the books in the program have the overarching theme of the historical cowboy—the hired man on horseback who rode the ranges and trails of the post–Civil War West. The readings for this program may help to explain the primacy of the cowboy over all other western types from the 19th century. Each month, a scholar will give a 45-minute synopsis on the chosen book. After the synopsis, the scholar will lead an open forum discussion with the participants.

All of the events in the book discussion series will begin at 6:30 p.m. on the following dates:

· September 17: The Log of a Cowboy: A Narrative of the Old Trail Days (1903) by Andy Adams

This program is free to the public. The museum will provide all the books, refreshments and the venue. All participants need to bring is the desire to add to the discussion. Anyone can participate and may check out the books at the museum beginning in May. The Pawnee Bill Ranch will have copies for purchase if participants wish to keep a copy of the books in the series. For more information, call 918-762-2513 or come by the museum to sign up for the program and take home the latest book in the “Let’s Talk About It” series. The Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum is located at 1141 Pawnee Bill Road in Pawnee.

Funding for this program is provided in part by a grant from Oklahoma Humanities (OH) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of OH or NEH.

Participation in Museum Day is open to any tax-exempt or governmental museum or cultural venue on a voluntary basis. Smithsonian magazine encourages museum visitation, but is not responsible for and does not endorse the content of the participating museums and cultural venues, and does not subsidize museums that participate.