The Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture, aka OKPOP, attained its $18 million fundraising goal a few days ago, activating $18 million in matching funds from the state government so the Tulsa facility can finish interior exhibits and construction.
The museum has now set a goal for a grand opening celebration for the spring of 2028. It’s slated to be built across the street from the iconic Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa’s downtown.
The museum will spotlight Oklahomans who have affected the worlds of music, movies, television, radio, comics, animation, literature and more. The museum has been in the planning stages for at least a decade.
According to the museum’s website:
Design development begins this winter. Our architect and design firms will begin space planning considering initial visitor flow, major exhibit themes and layouts.
Then they will create detailed designs of exhibits, interactive elements, graphics, and casework. Next year will be the fun work of refining materials, technologies, and user experience. In addition to the buildout we’ll be continuing with archival interviews and acquiring all artifacts, multimedia content, and physical items needed for the exhibits so they’re ready for integration into the design. […]
Development and testing of all specialized technology for exhibits (AV systems, interactive hardware, software), creation of prototypes for complex elements to ensure functionality and user experience will happen in 2027.
We will also begin exhibit fabrication, media production for digital content and interactive experiences. We will be manufacturing exhibit components, casework, displays, and structural elements. Installation will officially begin in 2027.
Creation of all digital media content continues in 2027 (films, audio experiences, interactive programs, animations, digital labels) and we will start (and hopefully finish) integrating and installing all media and content into the exhibits.
Here’s more about OKPOP:
Tulsa has become quite the destination for a significant number of music fans in recent years. In addition to Cain’s and the forthcoming OKPOP, it contains the Woody Guthrie Center, the Bob Dylan Center and Church Studio.
(Artist’s rendering of the future OKPOP museum coming to Tulsa)