The J.M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma, reopened this week after more than four months of renovations.
According to Fox23 in nearby Tulsa, the museum closed in November to undergo a conversion to an LED lighting system.
Executive director Wayne McCombs said they are excited about the new lighting system they were able to install thanks to a grant.
“We secured a grant through the Oklahoma Department of Commerce to have all new LED lighting throughout the 40,000 square feet here at the museum,” said McCombs. “It’s a huge project. It took us about two-and-a-half years to complete it from the start.”
He said they entire building has new lights, from the overhead lights to the display cases and closets.
“Well, the system is really neat because it helps us on our energy costs. It should pay for itself. I’ve been told in about four-and-a-half years, our monthly fees for electricity will be lower, and it also helps the artifacts,” said McCombs. “There’s no heat from the UV rays … so we have all sorts of things in the displays from metal and wood. So it will really help maintain the artifacts.”
The museum celebrated the reopening:
The museum contains more than 13,000 firearms, plus about 1,200 beer steins, 19th-century music boxes, Native American artifacts, swords, knives, antiques, boot jacks, cattle brands, horns and trophy heads.
Museum founder J.M. Davis first displayed a small gun collection in 1929 at the long-gone Mason Hotel along Route 66 in Claremore. His collection grew, and the museum to house it was opened in 1969, also along Route 66.
Davis died at age 78 in 1973. He and his wife are interred in the museum.
Though it’s remained a major tourist attraction in Claremore for decades, it’s not been without bumpy rides. Several years ago, it settled a 10-year breach-of-contract lawsuit with the state. An audit had found 125 guns, worth more than $1 million, went missing when the state was in charge of running the museum. The suit also accused the state of not maintaining the collection properly.
(Image of the J.M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma, via Facebook)