National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City

Founded in 1955, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum contextualizes America's Frontier and explores its place in the country's history. Through art and artifacts, museum-goers learn about Native American culture, life as a cowboy, and the buffalo-studded terrain of the West.

• Size: 12 galleries, with focuses ranging from rodeo history to fine firearms.

• Exhibition Openings:

• February 5–May 8: Contemporary Native American Bolo Ties: Vintage and Contemporary Artistry, Riding the Whirlwind: Weather in the West, and The Cowboy Returns: Photographs by Bank and John Langmore.

• February 19–May 8: Phillip R. Goodwin: America's Sporting & Wildlife Artist, A Private Collection

• Eye Catcher: James Earle Fraser's plaster sculpture, The End of the Trail. It depicts a Native American warrior slumped forward on his horse and has spawned myriad bronze replicas.

• Permanent Exhibits: An eclectic mix of vintage firearms, Native American art, interactive historical exhibits, and more.

• Don't Miss: The Children’s Cowboy Corral. There, kids can dress up in chaps and spurs, ride imaginary horses, and listen to cowboy songs such as "My Hat, My Horse, and My Horse's Hat."