Hunter's Home

10/14/2026

10/12/2026

If it's two months away from The Night Before Christmas - Live, then it's also two months away from the Fort Gibson Candlelight Tours!

Tickets go on sale October 27th for the December 12th event. Be sure to check out the Fort Gibson Historic Site page or the Oklahoma Historical Society website for more information and how to get tickets!

10/11/2026

Today marks two months until the Night Before Christmas - Live!

It's time to start a new holiday tradition this year! We would love to see you December 11th as we reenact the poem Twas The Night Before Christmas using Hunter's Home as the stage. Actors inside the house bring the poem to life while the rooms provide the stage. As the poem progresses, the audience walks from room to room. The evening finishes in the kitchen where 1850s Christmas treats are laid out for sampling and everyone goes home with a little present to remember the evening.

We hope you can join us December 11th for our second annual Night Before Christmas - Live! Reservations are required. You can make reservations by calling 918-456-2751. Cost is $20 for adults and $10 for children (6-18). Since the house will be dimly lit by candles during the event, individuals with visual impairments may experience difficulty navigating. Flashlights, including those on a phone are not permitted. Also, please be aware there will be walking and going up and down stairs during the event.

10/10/2026

Sometimes you need to make things worse before they can be made better.

While the improvements at Hunter's Home are not scheduled to begin until 2027, we have started some preliminary work. Here's another sneak peek! By looking at the walls, ceiling, floors and window locations, we can get a better picture of how the house was originally configured which then helps us better restore the house. Our goal has always been and will continue to be the accurate preservation of the house and grounds.

Keep following for more!

10/09/2026

People often ask us what we do on rainy days when we can't work outside. The answer - read!

As historians we are constantly reading and learning. History isn't stagnant, it is continually evolving as we learn more. Reading is important to better understand the times we talk about and our interpretation changes as we learn new things. It's one of the things that makes this occupation so interesting.

Below are just a few of the books the staff is reading right now.

10/08/2026

Were you aware that doves and pigeons were among the first animals to be domesticated by humans?

The ancient civilizations of Egypt, Babylon, and Greece all kept these birds, which provided a valuable source of meat, eggs, feathers, and fertilizer. Additionally, they were utilized for racing and display purposes. Historically, nearly every plantation featured a dovecote, although few have survived into the 21st century. The remaining structures showcase diverse architectural styles and materials, ranging from brick to wood. Eventually, we hope to add a dovecote to Hunter's Home.

The dovecote pictured is located at the Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock.

10/06/2026

We hope that everyone is enjoying the cooler temperatures we are having lately!

This is a great time to come out and visit Hunter's Home. We are open 9:00 - 4:30 Tuesday through Saturday and are located at 19479 E. Murrell Home Rd., Park Hill, OK.

10/05/2026

The Doaksville Candlelight Tours are this weekend!

The annual Doaksville Candlelight Tours are scheduled for Friday, October 9, and Saturday, October 10, from 7 to 9:30 p.m., at the Doaksville Archaeological Site in Fort Towson. This annual event is a unique opportunity to experience the past through reenactor-led tours of the area’s history, which this year will delve into Dr. Eli S. Penwell's legacy. This walking tour moves through lantern-lit vignette scenes with several interpreters providing historical context along the way.

Tours will depart from the Fort Towson cemetery at 30-minute intervals. Participants will cross the WPA wall to enter the historic town and commence a guided walking tour lasting approximately one hour. The event operates on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to advanced ticket holders. Attendees are advised that the terrain is rugged. For additional information, please call 580-873-2634 or email [email protected].

Below are pictures from last year's event. We hope to see you this year!