The Outsiders House Museum Mentioned In Smithsonian Magazine

Nearly 40 years after the movie’s release, The Outsiders is back in the spotlight thanks to recognition from the Smithsonian Magazine.

Lisa Fumarolo and her mom are big fans of The Outsiders book and movie.

Instead of going through Kansas for their road trip, they decided to take a detour and head to Tulsa to see the museum.

"It was like it was meant to be. I'm passing through and was able to stop here. It was so close, so I had to come and check it out,” said Fumarolo, who is from Chicago. “I didn't even know I was going to be able to come in. I thought I was just going to drive by and take pictures from the outside!"

The article on the front page of the Smithsonian Magazine is titled “S.E. Hinton is Tired of Talking About the Outsiders. No One Else Is.”

Danny Boy O’Connor, the Executive Director of The Outsiders House Museum, said it’s his passion to keep the movie’s legacy alive.

"I know that she's grown tired of talking about it. I can only imagine the same subject since you're 15-and-a-half, but the good news is we have a museum and we will gladly tell you all about her, her legacy, The Outsiders," said O’Connor.

He said what has made the book and movie live on, is how it’s still relatable to kids after all these years.

"It's something that I think will long outlive this museum, us being here, I think generation after generation will continually fall in love with the story," said O’Connor.

O’Connor said he’s glad the magazine decided to feature The Outsiders and hopes the story will continue to inspire people.

"It's important that we don't forget the importance of the 15-and-a-half-year-old girl that wrote this story,” said O’Connor. “She was failing English, got a D plus in creative writing. That's hope for kids who may not test well or who may not feel they are smart when they indeed are not only smart but talented."

Fumarolo said she still remembers how much her class connected with the book, when they read it 20 years ago.

"It's a big part of history. It's a big part of what they teach in schools. I know sometimes there are some changes with it, they're not always reading it. But we read it, and I feel like the whole class loved it," said Fumarolo.