Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum marks 25 years since opening with free admission February 19
Free entry day highlights milestone for downtown Oklahoma City institution
The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum is marking the 25th anniversary of the Memorial Museum’s opening with a free-admission day on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. The date aligns with the museum’s original public opening and dedication on Feb. 19, 2001.
The Memorial’s Outdoor Symbolic Memorial remains free to access year-round, while the indoor Memorial Museum typically requires a timed-entry ticket. The museum is located at 620 N. Harvey Ave. in downtown Oklahoma City.
What visitors can expect on Feb. 19
For the anniversary observance, museum admission is being underwritten through a community-day sponsorship, allowing the public to visit without paying the standard ticket price. Free tickets are expected to be reservable in advance to manage capacity and timed entry.
In addition to free entry, the museum is planning special “Connect with Collections” programming that will feature selected artifacts from the Memorial Archives. The programming is designed to provide added context on the museum’s holdings and the way physical objects, documents, and preserved materials are used to interpret the events of April 19, 1995 and the aftermath.
Date: Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026
Location: 620 N. Harvey Ave., Oklahoma City
Admission: Free for the day (timed ticketing still applies)
Programming: “Connect with Collections” featuring selected archival artifacts
Why the 25-year milestone matters
The Memorial Museum presents a chronological, self-guided experience focused on the Oklahoma City bombing of April 19, 1995, the victims and survivors, and the community response that followed. The museum is part of the broader Oklahoma City National Memorial, which includes the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial dedicated on April 19, 2000.
The memorial site and museum operate as a privately run nonprofit organization and are designated as an affiliate site of the National Park System. The outdoor memorial is open continuously, serving as a public space for remembrance, while the museum functions as the primary interpretive and educational component of the site.
The anniversary date reflects the museum’s opening on Feb. 19, 2001, when the Memorial Museum was formally dedicated and opened to visitors.
Hours and access considerations
Museum hours generally run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, with closures on select holidays. On high-demand days—especially during commemorations—timed entry and advance reservations can help reduce wait times and manage crowding.
The anniversary observance comes as Oklahoma City continues to maintain the site’s dual role: a place for quiet reflection outdoors and a museum experience indoors aimed at education, documentation, and long-term preservation of the historical record.