The Gene Autry Oklahoma Museum is once again opening its doors up to the public.
Today will mark the first time in over a year it has opened with hours set from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Friday and Saturday. Hours will remain limited at the current time as a reorganized board seeks to build its volunteer workforce.
“We are pretty excited to get it back open to the public,” board member Glenn Smith said. “It has been closed off and on for about two years. This last time, it has not been open since March 1, 2024.”
Smith said getting the board reorganized as a hurdle that had to be cleared. The previous board was unable to hold together and due to bylaws, a new board had to be reassembled.
“We are back to our five-person board,” he said. “We are opening two days a week at first, Friday and Saturday. We will see how the volunteer work goes and see if we can open up more.”
Smith said the museum will be dependent on volunteer labor, which can be difficult, but the board has been working hard on it. Current volunteers are as close as Gene Autry Road and as far as one gentleman who will be coming from Frisco, Texas.
For now, Smith said the museum is starting off with baby steps to see where it goes. Future plans include bringing back the popular rendezvous, which was a staple of the museum over a decade ago. For now, the biggest thing is volunteer help from people who are interested in the museum and success. There is also a focus on generating visits from the public.
“We hope to get enough people to come in and remind themselves what is in the museum and how things our museum is,” he said.
Smith said the museum is much more than just Gene Autry. Exhibits have items from many of the movie stars back in that era. As the museum opens, Smith said the board has asked the state to remove the closed marker on the I-35 museum sign.
“We are slowing getting there,” he said. “This is a big step for us this weekend and we are hoping to have a lot of response. The radio stations are plugins us and there is social media. We don’t know what to expect really. It is a learning experience for everybody.”
The museum is located at 45 Prairie Street in Gene Autry.
