The Stuart A. Roosa Exhibit

In 1971, astronaut Stuart Roosa carried hundreds of seeds into space aboard Apollo 14 — seeds that would later grow into the famous “Moon Trees,” living reminders of exploration planted across the world.

Before he ever reached orbit, Roosa’s story began in Claremore, Oklahoma, where he was born in 1933. He grew up with a fascination for flight and a drive to serve — first as a smokejumper fighting forest fires, then as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, and eventually as one of NASA’s Apollo astronauts.

As the Command Module Pilot of Apollo 14, Roosa spent more than 33 hours alone, orbiting the Moon while his crewmates walked its surface below. He kept their connection to Earth alive — a vital link in one of humanity’s greatest journeys.

When he returned home, the seeds he carried were planted around the nation — including right here in Claremore, where one of the original Moon Trees grows today in Gazebo Park at the Claremore Museum of History.

Today, the museum celebrates stories like Stuart Roosa’s — stories of Oklahomans who dared to dream beyond the horizon, and whose roots remain firmly planted in the red soil of their home state.