Route 66 Centennial and the National Cowboy Museum

Route 66 has long connected places, stories and generations across the country. In 2026, the iconic highway celebrates its 100th anniversary, giving families an especially timely reason to explore the history and culture shaped along the way.

That idea is at the heart of this series. As an Oklahoma City native and a mom of three kids spanning the tween and teen years, I’ve spent years dragging my family through museums, historic sites and roadside stops — often pausing to read every placard while my kids roll their eyes and ask how much longer. Over the years, I’ve learned which places actually hold their attention and spark conversation.

On Route 66 in Oklahoma City sits the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, one of my family’s favorite attractions. With two new exhibitions opened this year, The Cowboy offers fresh reasons to experience the story of the American West in a setting that is surprisingly kid-friendly.

Step Into the Story: A 360° Cowboy Experience

Opened in January 2026, The Cowboy: An Immersive Journey transforms a traditional gallery into a fully projected, 360-degree experience. Sweeping landscapes, cinematic sound, original music and narration guide visitors through the evolution of the cowboy, from cattle drives and railroads to rodeos and the modern West. Created by Lighthouse Immersive, the team behind Immersive Van Gogh and Immersive Disney Animation, it’s a first-of-its-kind installation for the museum.

Instead of walking past exhibits, the story literally unfolds around you, placing you in the middle of rumbling stampedes, thunderous rainstorms and everyday life on the trail. Even while seated, it feels like you’re moving through the film. My family loved the sweeping vistas across Oklahoma, Montana, Wyoming and Arizona, and the chapter-style structure made the story easy for the kids to follow. As much as I love reading placards, my kids connected more with this cinematic approach.

Following the show, check out a digitized 19th-century cowboy journal, an exhibit tracing the evolution of saddles and the “I Am a Cowboy” AI photo booth for a fun family keepsake.

Plan to spend about 45 minutes. The experience is best for older elementary kids and up, especially those interested in history, film or animation. For us, it sparked great conversations about what life in the West was like and how we preserve those stories today.

Photo courtesy National Cowboy Museum

Hit the Road: Route 66 Then and Now

Opened in February 2026, Route 66: From Trails to Truck Stops marks the highway’s 100th anniversary by tracing how Indigenous trade routes, wagon trails, railroads and early roads evolved into the Mother Road. The exhibit also explores how Route 66 shaped tourism, pop culture and identity across Oklahoma and the West. It blends artifacts, photographs, maps and multimedia to connect past and present.

The experience adds context to the diners, neon signs and roadside stops kids will recognize from around the state, helping them see the bigger story behind those landmarks and Oklahoma’s central role in Route 66.

Younger kids will gravitate toward the bold visuals and interactive maps, while older kids can dig into the history, linking the Dust Bowl, migration and the rise of car culture.

This is one of those rare exhibits that engages a wide variety of ages. I love that it’s both nostalgic and educational – and it definitely inspired family conversation about our next road trip.

Addie, Hutch and Weston in Prosperity Junction, an early 1900s walk-through cattle town with storefronts, a one-room schoolhouse and US Marshal’s office to explore.

Plan your visit

Plan to spend at least two to three hours total at The Cowboy, longer if you add the immersive experience and side galleries.

Don’t skip our family-favorite gallery, Prosperity Junction. This walk-through cattle town recreates the early 1900s with storefronts, a one-room schoolhouse and a U.S. Marshal’s office where kids can lock each other in a jail cell.

Outside, Liichokoshkomo’ brings Native cultures to life with life-size Puebloan cliff dwellings, a Kiowa tipi and a prairie sod house. Hands-on stations like a trading post and covered wagon let kids try STEAM activities and imagine life on the trail. Both areas are especially great for younger visitors.

Outdoor experience at Liichokoshkomo’ at The Cowboy gives families the chance to discover traditional Native dwellings, including a Kiowa tipi, and try hands-on activities. Photo provided by The Cowboy.

The Cowboy: An Immersive Journey runs through May 2026, then returns August through December. Route 66: From Trails to Truck Stops is open through May 4, 2026.

Museum admission is $25 for adults and $15 for kids ages 6 to 17. Immersive tickets are $45 for adults and $30 for kids and include general admission. The museum is open daily. Learn more at nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Make It a Full Day

The Cowboy is located within OKC’s Adventure District, making it easy to turn your museum visit into a full day of hands-on fun, quirky stops and a relaxed family meal, each just minutes away.

The Oklahoma City Zoo is consistently rated one of the best in the country. This spring adds even more wow factor with the opening of Dinosaur Expedition, featuring 60 life-size animatronic dinosaurs, dig pits and hands-on activities. Tickets are $9 and up and also require the purchase of Zoo admission. okczoo.org

Delightfully quirky and totally memorable, the American Pigeon Museum encapsulates the spirit of Route 66. See (and pet!) fancy pigeons while learning about the sport of pigeon racing and how homing pigeons carried messages during the World Wars. This free, interactive museum is open Fridays and Saturdays. theamericanpigeonmuseum.org

Addie gets an up close introduction to a feathered friend at the American Pigeon Museum, a wonderfully quirky stop where visitors can learn about and even pet fancy pigeons.

When everyone’s hungry, Carletti’s offers relaxed Italian comfort food in a beautifully restored historic space. Enjoy pasta and pizza with a kid-friendly vibe. Don’t miss the dessert flight! carlettis.com

Route 66 Fun Fact

The Cowboy sits directly on historic Route 66, a key reason Oklahoma City was selected as the home of the original Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1955.

Erin Page is a mom of three, writer and longtime parenting media leader based in Oklahoma City. For two decades, she’s been telling stories parents care about, from favorite family hangouts to the people and places shaping strong communities for kids.