closed the unveiling ceremonies. History since dedication The area surrounding the statue has been designated as Pioneer Woman State Park. In 2002 the Pioneer Woman statue underwent renovations, including the repair of a 4-inch crack in the heel of the boy's left boot. "This is the first professional restoration of the statue since the artist himself directed a cleaning a few years after it was erected," said Kathy Dickson, Historical Society museums director. "Where the mortar is still in place, damage is being caused by the type of mortar. Where it is missing, water is accelerating damage - especially in winter as water penetrates the cracks and expands when temperatures dip below freezing." Pledges of $75,000 were made by private foundations, individual donors, the Northern Oklahoma Development Authority, the city of Ponca City and Conoco to pay for repairs, lighting and landscaping around the statue. The Pioneer Woman Museum On September 16, 1958, the 65th anniversary of the opening of the Cherokee Outlet which included the land of Ponca City, the state opened the Pioneer Woman Museum, on land adjacent to the monument. An image of the Pioneer Woman statue serves as the de facto logo of the museum. On April 23, 2016, the Oklahoma Historical Society and the Friends of the Pioneer Woman Statue and Museum celebrated the opening of the new entrance and lobby at the Pioneer Woman Museum. Access and attributes Location and visiting The statue resides on a park. Physical characteristics The bronze statue itself stands tall and weighs . It stands on a pyramidal stepped base of granite blocks which brings the total height of the monument to . The statue faces to the southwest, symbolising that the majority of the settlers had come from the northeast. There is a plaque on the first step beneath the statue which reads: Depictions The image of the Pioneer Woman has long been a symbol of Ponca City. In 1941 as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations the General Federation of Women's Clubs presented gold and bronze medals with a bas-relief of the Pioneer Woman to prominent and long-standing members. The statue is also the official emblem of the four-state Ozark Frontier Trail. When the State Quarter for Oklahoma was to be issued in 2008, there was a statewide call for proposals to be sent to the Mint for final design work. From the thousands of designs received,