National Cowboy Museum expected to generate $313 million for Oklahoma and OKC this decade

In 1955, Oklahoma City was picked over Dodge City, Kansas, and Colorado Springs, Colorado, as the site for what was then called the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Museum .

Almost 70 years later, OKC’s selection as the home of what’s now called the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is literally paying off.

The venerable museum is expected to generate a total economic impact of $313 million on the state of Oklahoma and the OKC metropolitan area in this decade, according to a recent economic impact study conducted by the local research firm RegionTrack .

“The cultural impact of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is known throughout our state, nation and world. This study confirms that we are an economic powerhouse as well," said museum President and CEO Pat Fitzgerald in a statement.

“The Cowboy will continue to invest in transformational projects that bring visitors from down the street and around the globe into our world-class institution to learn the culture and values of the West ."

The $313 million total economic impact the museum is projected to have on the state and metro area between 2019 and 2028 includes $170 million in direct economic benefits, with an additional $143 million from indirect spending, spotlighting the institution’s extensive reach across various sectors of the economy.

In looking at the National Cowboy Museum’s economic impact between 2019 and 2028, the study also found:

• The museum is expected to contribute about $18.8 million in state and local taxes, reinforcing its role in funding public services and infrastructure.
• Plus, the museum is projected to generate $167 million in labor income, providing essential support for families and workers across the state.

“You don't always think about museums through this lens. … We already know the significant cultural stories they tell and that they're anchored in that. But I don't think we really think about museums from the economic impact perspective, so I thought this latest study was really smart on their part — and the numbers were, to me, pretty staggering,” Lindsay Vidrine , senior vice president of destination marketing for Visit OKC , told The Oklahoman.

“One of the takeaways I had was that it's growing. They're really projecting some strong growth between now … and 2028 in their numbers. So, that was exciting to me.”

How many people are visiting OKC’s National Cowboy Museum each year?

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum attracted 119,224 guests in 2023, averaging nearly 10,000 visitors a month.

The study found that 59% of the museum’s visitors live outside OKC, with 4% coming from foreign countries. Those numbers affirm the museum’s status as a major tourist attraction that also contributes significantly to the local economy through visitor spending on accommodations, dining and entertainment.

State and local tax payments from these activities are projected to reach at least $1.75 million in 2026.

“The cowboy museum is certainly what we would consider an anchor attraction for Oklahoma City,” Vidrine said. “At Visit OKC, we do economic impact studies annually as well, and (see the) same kind of stats, whether it's looking at jobs and total employment or visitation or economic spending: All of that is trending up, and it's because we have anchor attractions like this — plus all the new things that are coming — and all of that helps carry that momentum for Oklahoma.”

The RegionTrack study also delved into the National Cowboy Museum’s economic impact on the OKC metro area and its projected growth over the next few years.

In 2023, the museum's total economic impact in the OKC metro generated $20.3 million in economic output. That is expected to grow to $26 million in 2026, boosting cumulative market labor income from $12.1 million in 2023 to $15.6 million in 2026.

That results in an increase of supporting 194 jobs in the region in 2023 to 248 jobs in 2026.

“People don't always think about tourism being a big job driver for Oklahoma City. Our economic impact numbers show that hospitality employs one in 20 locals,” Vidrine said. “That projection of how they want to grow over the next few years in adding more jobs, that's really exciting to me, too.”

How is the National Cowboy Museum’s ongoing $40 million capital campaign expected to impact its growth?

The National Cowboy Museum’s leadership commissioned the economic impact study earlier this year in light of its ongoing $40 million capital campaign , said Seth Spillman, the museum’s chief marketing officer .

Launched in 2023, the three-year "Live the Code" campaign is devised to modernize, enhance and continue the legacy of the almost 60-year-old institution.

“We recognize that this is one of the most significant periods within the museum's history, since our expansion in the ‘90s,” Spillman said. “This was our opportunity to measure that and to quantify that and to communicate that to people — and to let them know that we're not just a cultural attraction, a driver within the community as far as tourism … There's also a direct economic impact to an institution like ours taking on a project like this.”

Visitors already have seen some changes come to the museum due to the campaign: The cutting-edge "The Code of the West" interactive , wide-screen exhibit debuted last November in the East Hallway, while the floor-to-ceiling, projection-mapped installation "Find Your West,” a high-tech digital immersive art experience, opened earlier this year in the West Hallway.

Work also has begun on the parking, grounds and vault improvements that are part of the campaign, Spillman said.

“It goes back to investing in the kind of experience that will continue to draw people from outside of the market,” he said. “We have to acknowledge that it’s not enough just to be a museum in this city, that we have to continue to elevate that experience, elevate our storytelling.”

The study found that projected outcomes from the “Live the Code” campaign include generating $62.2 million in economic output and $24.8 million in labor income, along with supporting 469 jobs statewide that pay an average wage of $52,880.

Tax revenue from labor income will contribute about $2.8 million in state and local taxes.

About 71% of the campaign expenditures are expected to benefit the Oklahoma market directly. Wyatt McCrea , the museum’s board chairman, pointed out that nearly a third of the funds raised by the campaign have come from outside the state.

“The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s international reach promotes the culture, history and values of the West,” said McCrea in a statement. “This love of the Western spirit drives investment in the museum from around the United States.”

The improvements funded by the capital campaign will be showcased as the museum marks the 70th anniversary of its founding and 60th anniversary of its 1965 opening in 2025. The museum also is located on Route 66, which will mark its centennial in 2026.

“The Cowboy is an attraction that any community would be proud to have. For the longest time, it was our foundation; it was the one thing we had,” said OKC Mayor David Holt in a statement.

“Though we have added so many other amenities to our city over the last quarter-century, the Cowboy is still second to none as a draw for visitors and a unique differentiator for our city. I'm excited for the new vision and investments and know they will secure the Cowboy's continued place in OKC's culture and visitor economy.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: National Cowboy Museum expected to generate $313 million for Oklahoma and OKC this decade