OKLAHOMA CITY – State officials held a ceremonial groundbreaking Dec. 19 for the 45th Division National Guard Arch and Park on the State Capitol Grounds.
Authorized by House Bill 4012 during the 2024 legislative session, the monument is intended to honor the bravery and sacrifice of Oklahoma’s National Guard service members and provide a space of remembrance for visitors of the People’s House.
In addition, preparations for replacement of the 45th Infantry Division Museum are progressing, with plans for a larger building housing additional exhibits about Oklahoma’s National Guard.
The arch on the Capitol grounds “will stand as a powerful symbol, reminding us of the battles fought, the lives given, and the enduring spirit of those who wear the uniform,” said Gov. Kevin Stitt. “It will chronicle the legacy of the Oklahoma National Guard and inspire future generations to reflect on the price service members pay and the call to serve.”
Standing 30 feet tall and 60 feet wide, the limestone and granite arch will be constructed just south of the Capitol visitors’ parking lot. The monument will feature carvings of the American flag, the Oklahoma state seal and the Thunderbird emblem, a salute to the legendary Thunderbirds of the 45th Infantry Division. Additional engravings slated for the arch include notable years for the Oklahoma National Guard and the Oklahoma Air National Guard, along with engagements and deployments that have shaped their storied history.
The surrounding area will be transformed into a small park, featuring an amphitheater for military and public events. Plans also include new walking paths and dedicated spaces for statues and other monuments recognizing service members and veterans. Once complete, the arch and park will serve as a gathering place for reflection, education and community engagement.
The project was made possible by Sen. Brenda Stanley (R-Midwest City) and former Rep. Mark McBride (R-Moore), who authored HB 4012, which was signed into law by Stitt. The bill allocated $4.3 million from the Legacy Capital Financing Fund for the construction of the arch and park and established a revolving fund for ongoing maintenance.
“Freedom is not free, and we must never take it for granted,” Stanley said. “By building this arch and creating this space, we’re ensuring the sacrifices of our National Guard members and their families are never forgotten. With its unique design, this arch will distinguish our Capitol from any other in the country. Together with the recent renovations and upgrades to [the Capitol Building], the addition of the arch and park will create a space that reflects the pride and values of our great state.”
“To recognize [the Oklahoma National Guard's] unwavering service to the state and this nation,” McBride said, “from their formation in 1890, their involvement in the Rough Riders, their service [at] the border during the Mexican- American War and their critical role in this country’s conflict since then, it’s only fitting and proper that we honor their legacy.”
Arch was part of State Capitol design The concept of the arch dates back to 1919 when renowned landscape architect George Kessler envisioned it as part of the original design for the Capitol grounds. Though sidelined at the time due to funding constraints, the vision for the arch was revived following completion of the seven-year Capitol Restoration Project in 2022. Now, more than a century later, it will become a reality that represents a legacy as enduring as the Capitol itself.
“Every time a soldier gazes upon this arch, they will be reminded they are part of something far greater than themselves,” Rep. Ty Burns (R-Pawnee) said, “and it is a legacy built on sacrifice, loyalty and the unyielding spirit of the Oklahoman soldier and airman.”
Construction of the 45th Division National Guard Arch and Park will be overseen by the Office of Management and Enterprise Services’ Capital Assets Management team. The project will be executed by QUAD Construction, a trusted partner currently renovating the historic Jim Thorpe Office Building nearby, headquarters of the state Corporation Commission, and is slated for completion within 12 months once construction begins.
New Guard Museum under construction As for the new Oklahoma National Guard Museum, “We have a lot of stories to tell, starting with the Territorial Militia through the ongoing global War on Terror,” said Dr. Denise Neil, executive director of the museum.
The existing museum, in Oklahoma City, focuses largely on the 45th Infantry Division and its historic role in World War II. The new museum will encompass much more – “because the Guard’s history is as colorful as the State of Oklahoma’s.”
Right now “we don’t cover much of what the Guard does in the state or region,” Neil said. Those topics include the Guard’s recovery efforts after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995; the Guard’s COVID-19 response – “the largest call-out since World War II” – and relief efforts in the wake of tornadoes and hurricanes, Neil said.
“We will include the Air National Guard and their history,” she said, starting about 1947 when the Air Force was established as a separate branch of the U.S. armed forces. Oklahoma’s Air Guard activities have ranged from flying missions during the Vietnam War to “dropping hay bales in a drought, to help farms and ranchers.”
The Oklahoma Guard “did a little bit of everything” during the coronavirus pandemic, “especially during the early days,” Neil recalled. “They went into nursing homes to perform disinfections, assisted medical personnel at COVID testing sites, delivered and administered vaccines when called upon, and provided security at vaccination sites.”
They’ve even “helped pull people out of ditches,” she noted.
The 45th Infantry Museum is located on Northeast 36th Street just east of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. The new National Guard Museum will be located several hundred feet southeast of there off Grand Avenue near the National Guard Joint Force Headquarters on Northeast Military Circle. The new National Guard Museum also will still be in close proximity to the Oklahoma Railway Museum, the Oklahoma Science Museum, and the Oklahoma City Zoo and Amphitheatre.
The existing museum has approximately 20,000 square feet of space. The new museum will encompass 38,757 square feet, and an event/education center will have an additional 10,000 square feet of floor space, Neil told Southwest Ledger.
Construction of the new museum started in August; “the foundation has been poured and the exterior walls are going up soon,” she told the Ledger on Dec. 23. The facility is expected to open in May 2026, Neil confirmed.
The new facility will be financed from the sale of bonds the Legislature approved in 2021. That legislation authorized the Oklahoma Capitol Improvement Authority to issue bonds in an amount sufficient to generate $45 million in funds for construction of a new National Guard Museum.
Those bonds will mature in 25 years, in 2047, according to a deputy state treasurer for debt management. The bonds were graded “AA-” by both Fitch and Standard & Poor’s.
The nonprofit Oklahoma National Guard Museum Foundation “will be raising money in support of the museum project and the museum’s future financial needs, to supplement state and federal money we receive to operate the museum,” Neil said.
Attendance this year at the museum numbered “about 16,000” through November, and was “close to 18,000” last year, she said.
The existing 45th Infantry Museum building, which was constructed in 1936 by the Works Progress Administration during the tenure of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, will be maintained by the Oklahoma Military Department/ Oklahoma National Guard, Neil said.