3 minute read
Edmond Life and Leifure - June 12, 2025
Old West show to be celebrated on June 14
The Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum will celebrate Maj. Gordon W. “Pawnee Bill” Lillie, his wife May Lillie and their famous Wild West Shows with a celebration at the site on Saturday, June 14. Stagecoaches will roll amid thundering horse hooves while the lightning of gunfire explodes around Pawnee Bill, May and their cohorts as the talented performers thrill and amaze audiences. The theme for 2025 is “Pawnee Bill Honors Old Glory.” The show will feature reenactments of acts from the original Pawnee Bill’s Historic Wild West Show. The show’s producers and directors have combined stage and script with historical preservation to ensure this is one of the most historically accurate productions to date.
The museum and mansion will be open to the public from 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m. on the day of the show. Local food trucks will be available on-site. Visitors can enjoy historically accurate entertainment such as blacksmithing demonstrations, gunfighters and sharpshooters, a magician, medicine man shows and musicians on the ranch grounds from 2-6 p.m. The Pawnee Bill Original Wild West Show stagecoach will be available for photos in the arena from 2-6 p.m. Kevin Webb, an employee at the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum, will portray Pawnee Bill again this year. Alyce Webb will portray May Lillie. Pawnee Bill and May Lillie will be available for a meet-and-greet before the show. Kevin Webb is a long-time Wild West Show cast member, whip artist and chariot racer. This year’s Wild West Show takes place on Flag Day, so there will be a special 7 p.m. pre-show titled “Honoring the Flag.” The big show begins at 7:30 p.m. and will include horse races, mounted shooting, escaramuza charra performers and more.
Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors over 62, $5 for children ages 6-12 and free for children five and younger. All veteran and active-duty military will get in for free in honor of Flag Day, which is the day of the Wild West Show. Tickets are not sold in advance or online. They can only be purchased at the ranch entrance gate on the day of the event. For more information, please call 918-762-2513 or email pawneebill@history.ok.gov. The Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum is located at 1141 Pawnee Bill Rd. in Pawnee.
Pawnee Bill’s Original Wild West Show sponsors include the Grand River Dam Authority, the City of Pawnee, Great Plains Kubota, Pawnee Hillcrest Pharmacy, P&K Equipment, United Community Action Program, Inc., Pawnee Lumber and First Bank & Trust (Perry, Billings, Covington, Pawnee).
The Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit okhistory.org.
