National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum

[Dob Hooligan]

I heard they are not building the parking garage at this time. When they resurface an existing parking lot, they take the removed asphalt and place it on the lower lots on the east side. Using it for overflow parking on what used to be their Chuck Wagon area. Also helps keep water runoff on property.

[Richard at Remax]

So the newly added rock was for the chuck wagon festival to prevent dirt from going everywhere. Also serving as a overflow lot to the museum as the west half of the existing parking lot is getting worked on.

trees have been cleared on that hill because for some Route 66 event they are going to have, there is going to be some kind of light show broadcasted on that hill.

as for the parking garage, I think it has been suspended from the current plans.

[Pete]

Plans have been filed for a new outdoor event space.

See the press release below that also mentions the parking structure that just started work.

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Groundbreaking Begins Newest Phase of Development at The Cowboy
Thursday, July 15, 2021

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – In a sunny Tuesday morning ceremony, National Cowboy Museum president, board members and supporters broke ground on the newest phase of Museum expansions, the Meinders Event Lawn & Garden and additional parking structures.

“Phase II of our Capital Campaign has required a lot of hard work and coordination by many, many partners,” said National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum President and CEO Natalie Shirley at the ceremony. “First and foremost, we have to thank Herman and LaDonna Meinders for their support. Without it we would not be able to create this wonderful garden that will soon grace the front of the Museum. What you see now is asphalt, but in just a few short months, you are going to see something lush, green and beautiful.”

In addition to the new garden and event lawn, Phase II of the expansion plan includes a parking garage and terraced, uncovered parking spaces on Museum grounds, as well as a refresh of the Sam Noble Special Events Center.

“We have had a dream of solving several issues to bring this museum to a higher level,” said Larry Nichols, Museum Board Member and Chairman of the Capital Campaign, in a speech at the ceremony. “We need more parking, we need covered parking, we need a better entrance, and we need additional spaces for people to gather.”

The Meinders Event Lawn & Garden, made possible by a generous donation from Herman and LaDonna Meinders, will include walking paths, an event lawn and a butterfly garden.

Construction on the garden and additional parking is the second phase in a three-phase plan to beautify and improve the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. The first phase of expansions produced Liichokoshkomo’, the Museum’s 100,000 square foot outdoor play-based learning addition including native dwellings and STEAM learning opportunities.

Another weird thing: They seem to have scrapped the plans for this garden and merely reworked the existing parking lot:

[jn1780]

Seems like the Event Lawn and Garden space was driving the need for the parking garage. Maybe demand for this went down or there is just a lot of competition out there. I would think the main dining hall with the artwork would be their main selling point.