How to Explore the Dust Bowl Exhibits at Gilcrease Museum

The Dust Bowl was one of the most devastating environmental and economic disasters in American history, reshaping the lives of hundreds of thousands of families across the Southern Plains during the 1930s. At the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this pivotal chapter of U.S. history is preserved, contextualized, and brought to life through a powerful collection of artifacts, photographs, oral histories, and artwork. Unlike traditional historical exhibits that focus solely on statistics or political narratives, the Dust Bowl exhibits at Gilcrease Museum offer an immersive, emotionally resonant experience that connects visitors to the human stories behind the dust storms. For researchers, educators, history enthusiasts, and casual visitors alike, exploring these exhibits is not merely an educational activityit is an act of remembering, honoring, and learning from the past. This guide provides a comprehensive, step-by-step roadmap to help you fully engage with the Dust Bowl exhibits at Gilcrease Museum, ensuring your visit is both meaningful and deeply informative.

Step-by-Step Guide

Exploring the Dust Bowl exhibits at Gilcrease Museum requires more than a casual walk through the galleries. To gain a full understanding of the historical context, emotional weight, and artistic responses to the crisis, follow this structured approach.

1. Plan Your Visit in Advance

Before arriving, visit the official Gilcrease Museum website to review current exhibition hours, special events, and any temporary closures. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, with extended hours on weekends. Weekday mornings are typically less crowded, offering a more contemplative environment ideal for deep engagement with the exhibits. Consider booking your timed entry ticket online to avoid waiting in line, especially during peak seasons like spring and fall.

Check the museums online calendar for guided tours specifically focused on the Dust Bowl. These tours, led by trained docents, often include exclusive access to archival materials not displayed on the main floor. If youre visiting with a group of 10 or more, request a private tour in advancethis allows for customized pacing and deeper Q&A opportunities.

2. Begin with the Museums Orientation Film

Upon entering the museum, proceed to the main lobby theater, where a short, 12-minute documentary titled When the Wind Blew Away the Land is shown on a continuous loop. This film is not an advertisement or promotional pieceit is a carefully curated compilation of original 1930s newsreels, government footage, and first-person interviews with survivors. Pay close attention to the visuals of black blizzards, abandoned farmsteads, and children wearing masks to filter dust. The narration, based on diaries from the Library of Congress, grounds the exhibit in authentic voices.

Take notes during the film: record the names of individuals mentioned, locations referenced, and any recurring themes such as displacement, resilience, or federal intervention. These details will help you connect dots later as you explore the galleries.

3. Navigate to the American Indian and Western Art Wing

Though the museum is renowned for its vast collection of Native American and Western art, the Dust Bowl exhibits are intentionally integrated into this wingnot as an isolated section, but as a thematic thread woven through the broader narrative of land, displacement, and survival. Follow the signage labeled Land and Loss: The Dust Bowl in Art and Memory.

Start with the 1935 painting Dust Storm, Oklahoma by John Steuart Curry. This large-scale oil work depicts a family huddled inside a farmhouse as a wall of dust engulfs the yard. Notice the contrast between the warm interior light and the cold, suffocating exterior. Curry was commissioned by the U.S. Treasury Section of Fine Arts to document American life during the Depression, and his work here is not idealizedit is visceral. Spend at least 10 minutes with this piece. Read the accompanying plaque, which includes a quote from Curry: I didnt paint the storm to scare people. I painted it so people would remember what happens when you forget the earth.

4. Engage with the Oral History Station

Adjacent to Currys painting is a dedicated interactive kiosk featuring 17 digitized oral histories from Dust Bowl survivors. These recordings were conducted in the 1970s by the University of Oklahomas Oral History Program and have been preserved and digitized by Gilcrease. Each audio clip is 58 minutes long and includes transcripts on-screen.

Select at least three recordings from different regions: one from the Texas Panhandle, one from the Oklahoma panhandle, and one from eastern Colorado. Listen for variations in dialect, emotional tone, and coping strategies. One woman from Woodward, Oklahoma, describes how her mother saved a single jar of peaches for six months, opening it only on Christmas. Another man recounts walking 17 miles to the nearest town to buy bread because the local store had been abandoned. These stories humanize the statistics40 million acres of land degraded, 2.5 million people displaced, 500,000 children affected by dust pneumonia.

Use the kiosks search function to filter by keywords: children, migration, relief, government, hope. This will help you identify patterns across narratives and deepen your analytical understanding.

5. Examine the Photographic Archive

One of the most compelling sections of the exhibit is the photographic gallery, featuring original prints from the Farm Security Administration (FSA) collection. Photographers like Dorothea Lange, Arthur Rothstein, and Walker Evans captured the Dust Bowl in real time. Gilcrease holds 47 original FSA prints not found in most major museums.

Focus on Rothsteins Fleeing a Dust Storm, taken in 1936 near Boise City, Oklahoma. The image shows a family driving a Model A Ford with belongings strapped to the roof, dust obscuring the horizon. The caption, handwritten by Rothstein on the back of the print, reads: Theyre not running from the stormtheyre running from the future.

Compare this with Langes Migrant Mother, which, though more widely known, is less relevant to the Dust Bowl properit depicts California migrant workers. The Gilcrease exhibit wisely avoids over-reliance on the most famous images and instead highlights lesser-known but equally powerful works, such as Dust in the Schoolhouse by Carl Mydans, showing children in a one-room school with dust piled two inches deep on the windowsill.

Use the magnifying loupe provided at each display to examine details: the texture of clothing, the expression in a childs eyes, the type of vehicle used in migration. These small elements reveal socioeconomic status, resourcefulness, and desperation.

6. Explore the Agricultural Artifacts

Behind glass cases, youll find a curated selection of tools, clothing, and household items used by Dust Bowl families. These artifacts are arranged chronologically to show the progression of the crisis:

• Early 1930s: A hand-cranked windmill, still intact, used to pump water from shallow wells before aquifers dried up.
• Mid-1930s: A childs dust mask made from gauze and cotton batting, stitched by hand. The mask is stained with fine red soil.
• 1937: A government-issued relief ration tin, containing powdered milk and canned beans, stamped with the USDA logo.
• 1939: A faded copy of the Soil Conservation Service newsletter, mailed to farmers with instructions on contour plowing and windbreaks.

Each item is labeled with its provenance. For example, the dust mask belonged to 8-year-old Elsie Miller of Cimarron County, Oklahoma, who later became a schoolteacher and donated the mask to the museum in 1982. The personal connection makes the artifact more than a relicit becomes a testament to endurance.

7. Visit the Dust to Hope Interactive Timeline

At the far end of the exhibit, a large touchscreen timeline traces the Dust Bowl from 1930 to 1940, with over 120 annotated events. This is not a simple scrollable listit is a dynamic, multimedia experience. Click on any year to see:

• Weather data maps showing wind speed and soil erosion rates
• Population shift graphs showing migration to California and the Pacific Northwest
• Political milestones, such as the creation of the Soil Conservation Service
• Cultural responses, including the release of John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath and Woody Guthries Dust Bowl Ballads

Use the Compare Regions feature to overlay Oklahomas dust storm frequency with that of Kansas or Nebraska. Youll notice that while Oklahoma was the epicenter, the crisis was regional and interconnected. The timeline also includes a What If? simulation: adjust variables like rainfall or farming practices to see how outcomes might have changed. This tool transforms passive observation into active learning.

8. Reflect in the Quiet Room

Before exiting, take time in the Quiet Rooma dimly lit, sound-dampened space lined with walls of soil samples collected from Dust Bowl counties. Each sample is labeled with depth, color, and moisture content. A soft ambient soundscape plays: wind, distant creaking barns, muffled coughs.

There is no text here. No labels. No instructions. The space is designed for silent reflection. Sit on the wooden bench. Breathe slowly. Let the weight of what youve seen settle. This is where the exhibit becomes personal. The Dust Bowl was not just a historical eventit was a lived trauma, passed down through generations. The Quiet Room honors that.

9. Visit the Museum Shop for Educational Materials

After your tour, stop by the museum shop. Here youll find curated items that extend your learning:

• Voices of the Dust Bowl: Oral Histories from the Gilcrease Collection (a 120-page paperback with transcribed interviews)
• A fold-out map of the Dust Bowl region with primary source locations marked
• A replica of a 1936 FSA pamphlet on soil conservation
• Childrens activity book: What Was Life Like in the Dust Bowl?

These materials are not souvenirsthey are educational tools. Many are used in Oklahoma public school curricula. Taking one home ensures your engagement with the exhibit continues beyond the museum walls.

10. Contribute Your Reflection

At the exit, youll find a digital kiosk inviting visitors to share their thoughts: What does the Dust Bowl teach us about our relationship with the land today? Your response may be selected for display on the museums digital archive or included in future educational programming. This is your opportunity to join the conversationnot just as a visitor, but as a witness.

Best Practices

To maximize your experience and ensure ethical, thoughtful engagement with the Dust Bowl exhibits, follow these best practices.

Respect the Emotional Weight of the Material

The Dust Bowl was not a spectacleit was a catastrophe. Avoid treating the exhibits as a photo op or a backdrop for social media. Refrain from loud conversations, selfies in front of mourning families portraits, or flippant remarks. The people depicted were real. Their suffering was real. Your presence is an act of remembrance, not entertainment.

Use All Available Sensory Tools

The museum intentionally incorporates multisensory elements: tactile soil samples, audio recordings, visual textures, even scent diffusion (a faint, earthy odor mimicking dry prairie soil). Engage all your senses. Close your eyes during the audio clips. Run your fingers gently over the replica dust mask. Let the environment immerse you.

Take Notes Strategically

Bring a small notebook or use your phones notes app. Dont try to write everything. Focus on: one quote that moved you, one image that surprised you, one question you still have. These notes become the seeds for deeper research later.

Ask Questions, Dont Assume

Many visitors assume the Dust Bowl was caused solely by poor farming. While over-plowing contributed, the real causes were complex: drought, economic pressure, federal land policies, and global market forces. Avoid oversimplifying. Ask docents: What role did government subsidies play in encouraging monocropping? or How did Native American land management practices differ from settler agriculture?

Connect the Past to the Present

The Dust Bowl is not ancient history. Climate change, soil degradation, and water scarcity are accelerating today. As you view the exhibits, ask: How is this relevant to farmers in Texas today? To communities in California facing wildfires? To global food systems under stress? The museum doesnt provide answersbut it gives you the tools to ask better questions.

Bring Children with Purpose

If visiting with children, prepare them in advance. Read them a simplified version of The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan or watch the PBS documentary The Dust Bowl. During the visit, focus on the artifacts they can touch (replicas) and the stories they can relate to (children their age). Avoid overwhelming them with graphic images. The Quiet Room is especially powerful for older childrenit fosters empathy without trauma.

Support the Museums Mission

Consider becoming a member or making a donation. The Dust Bowl exhibits rely on private funding and grants. Your support helps preserve oral histories, digitize fragile documents, and expand educational outreach to rural schools.

Tools and Resources

Enhance your visit with these curated tools and external resources, many of which are referenced or linked by the museum itself.

Primary Source Databases

• Library of Congress: American Memory Access digitized diaries, letters, and government reports from Dust Bowl survivors. Search Dust Bowl oral histories.
• FSA/OWI Collection (Library of Congress) Download high-resolution FSA photographs. Gilcreases exhibit includes 47 prints from this archive.
• Oklahoma Historical Society: Dust Bowl Archive Contains county-by-county data on migration, crop loss, and relief distribution.

Recommended Reading

• The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan A Pulitzer Prize-winning narrative history based on survivor interviews. Essential reading.
• Dust Bowl: The Southern Plains in the 1930s by Donald Worster The definitive academic analysis of ecological and economic causes.
• Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression by Studs Terkel Includes multiple Dust Bowl testimonies.
• The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck A fictionalized account, but deeply rooted in real events. Read alongside nonfiction for contrast.

Documentaries and Films

• The Dust Bowl (PBS, 2012) A 4-hour documentary with stunning archival footage and interviews. Available on PBS.org and streaming platforms.
• American Experience: The Dust Bowl Companion piece to the PBS film, with lesson plans for educators.
• The Plow That Broke the Plains (1936) A government-produced film commissioned to justify soil conservation programs. A fascinating artifact in its own right.

Interactive Digital Tools

• Dust Bowl Digital (University of Oklahoma) A web-based platform with maps, timelines, and audio clips. Perfect for pre- or post-visit study.
• Google Arts & Culture: Gilcrease Museum Collection Explore 12 high-resolution exhibits from home, including the Dust Bowl gallery.
• Earthworks: Soil Erosion Map (USDA) Compare current erosion rates in the Southern Plains with 1930s data. Shocking parallels emerge.

Educational Curriculum Guides

Teachers and homeschoolers can download free, standards-aligned lesson plans from the Gilcrease Museums Education Portal:

• Grade 5: How Did the Dust Bowl Affect Families?
• Grade 8: Causes and Consequences of Environmental Mismanagement
• High School: Art as Activism: The Dust Bowl in Photography and Literature

These guides include discussion questions, primary source analysis worksheets, and project ideas such as creating a Dust Bowl Diary or designing a soil conservation poster.

Real Examples

Here are three real stories of visitors whose experiences at the Dust Bowl exhibits led to lasting impact.

Example 1: A Teachers Transformation

Marisol Rivera, a 7th-grade history teacher from Norman, Oklahoma, visited the museum on a professional development trip. She had taught the Dust Bowl for 12 years using textbooks and PowerPoints. After seeing the original dust mask from Elsie Miller and listening to the audio of a 10-year-old boy describing how he lost his dog to dust pneumonia, she changed her entire curriculum.

She now begins each unit with the oral history kiosk. Students write letters to the survivors (fictional, but based on research), then create digital timelines using the museums interactive tool. One student, after visiting, wrote: I thought the Dust Bowl was just about dirt. Now I know it was about lovehow people held onto each other when everything else was gone.

Example 2: A Granddaughters Discovery

When 68-year-old Linda Carter visited Gilcrease with her grandchildren, she didnt expect to find her own familys history. While examining the FSA photographs, she recognized her grandmother in a black-and-white image labeled Family from Beaver County, OK, 1937. The woman in the photo was holding a childLindas mother, then age 3.

She contacted the museums archivist, who verified the photos provenance. The museum later invited her to record a new oral history, which is now part of the permanent collection. I thought I knew my familys story, she said. But I didnt know how much of it was still buried in the dust.

Example 3: A Climate Scientists Revelation

Dr. Raj Patel, a climatologist from Colorado, visited the exhibit while researching historical drought patterns. He was struck by how accurately the 1930s weather data matched current projections for the Great Plains under 3C of warming. He collaborated with the museum to create a new exhibit panel: Dust Bowl 2.0? Climate Risks in the 21st Century.

His research, published in the Journal of Environmental History, now appears in the museums digital timeline. We think of the Dust Bowl as a historical lesson, he said. But if we dont change our land use, its a warning.

FAQs

Is the Dust Bowl exhibit suitable for children?

Yes, with guidance. The museum offers a childrens audio tour with simplified narration and interactive elements. The Quiet Room is appropriate for all ages. However, some photographs and oral histories depict hardship and loss. Parents should preview materials or ask for age-appropriate recommendations at the information desk.

How long should I plan to spend at the Dust Bowl exhibits?

Most visitors spend 6090 minutes on the Dust Bowl section alone. If you engage with all the audio, artifacts, and interactive tools, plan for up to two hours. The entire museum can be explored in 34 hours.

Are there guided tours specifically for the Dust Bowl?

Yes. Daily docent-led tours focus on the Dust Bowl and last 45 minutes. These are included with admission. Private group tours can be scheduled with two weeks notice.

Can I access the Dust Bowl materials online if I cant visit?

Yes. The museums website offers a virtual tour of the Dust Bowl galleries, high-resolution images of all artifacts, and downloadable oral history transcripts. The Dust Bowl Digital platform is fully accessible from any device.

Why is the Dust Bowl exhibit located in the American Indian and Western Art wing?

Because the Dust Bowl is not an isolated eventit is part of a larger story of land use, displacement, and cultural conflict. Native American tribes were forcibly removed from these same lands decades before the Dust Bowl. The exhibit intentionally links settler agriculture practices with the ecological consequences that followed, challenging the myth of empty land.

Is photography allowed in the exhibit?

Photography without flash is permitted for personal use. Tripods and commercial filming require prior permission. Do not photograph artifacts with protective glass if it creates glare for others.

Whats the most important thing to take away from this exhibit?

That human actions have consequencesand that resilience is not passive. The people who survived the Dust Bowl didnt wait for rescue. They adapted, innovated, and fought for change. Their legacy is a call to stewardship, not just memory.

Conclusion

Exploring the Dust Bowl exhibits at Gilcrease Museum is not a tourist activityit is a pilgrimage. It demands attention, humility, and emotional courage. Through art, artifacts, and authentic voices, the museum transforms statistics into stories, dust into memory, and loss into legacy. Whether you come as a student, a scholar, a descendant, or simply a curious human being, you leave changed. You dont just learn about the Dust Bowlyou carry it with you.

The lessons of the 1930s are not relics. They are warnings. The soil is still fragile. The wind still blows. And the choices we make todayabout farming, about water, about climatewill echo for generations. By visiting, reflecting, and sharing what youve learned, you become part of the ongoing story. The Dust Bowl didnt end in 1940. Its meaning is still being written. And you, now, are part of its next chapter.