By Bailey Coyle, FOX23.com News Staff
CLAREMORE, Okla. — The Will Rogers Memorial Museum is preparing for its largest expansion since the museum opened in 1938, adding a new 20,000-square-foot building designed to preserve Will Rogers’ legacy and create new opportunities for visitors.
Museum leaders say the three-story addition will be built on the northeast corner of the property. It will include a state-of-the-art collection storage area, new office space and an event center on the top floor with views overlooking Claremore.
“This is the largest expansion since the museum was built in 1938,” said Tad Jones, executive director of the Will Rogers Memorial Museum. “It’s a huge undertaking, and we’re very excited to get that started.”
The project will also bring changes to the existing museum, including a new entryway and larger gift shop. Accessibility improvements will also be made throughout the museum to address Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
Jones says one of the biggest needs is improved space to protect the museum’s collection.
“We desperately, desperately need the new collections area,” Jones said. “The two vaults we have just are not near good enough.”
The new collection area will provide improved environmental controls and modern preservation standards for the museum’s artifacts. Jones says protecting the collection is especially important because the Will Rogers ranch in California was destroyed by fire.
“We really want to protect what we have here,” Jones said. “So we’re going to be able to do that in this new building because there’ll be a state-of-the-art collection area.”
The expansion will also create more room for the museum to tell Will Rogers’ story in new ways. A traveling exhibit area will allow the museum to bring in larger exhibits and expand on Rogers’ legacy beyond Claremore.
The museum recently added two new exhibits highlighting different parts of Rogers’ life, including his love of polo and an interactive experience that allows visitors to have a conversation with Will Rogers.
Jones says the new building will also create additional opportunities to host weddings, receptions, business events and reunions. The event center will seat about 220 people and offer views of Claremore.
The project is being funded through support from the Oklahoma Legislature and donors from Oklahoma, Texas and across the country.
“There’s just been a lot of passion from people that want to help support the project,” Jones said.
Museum leaders say the investment could also have an impact beyond the museum, bringing more visitors to Claremore and Rogers County.
“For Claremore, being able to bring people in from all over the country and the world … I think it’s going to have a great impact on Claremore and Rogers County,” Jones said.
The museum has only had one major upgrade since 1938, with an office wing, library and theater added in 1982. Jones says the latest project is about ensuring the museum can continue sharing Rogers’ story for generations.
“It’s just going to continue Will Rogers’ legacy for generations to come,” Jones said.
Construction is expected to be completed by the end of November 2027. The museum will remain open to visitors during construction.
