10 Best Things to Do in Oklahoma City

Last updated: January 20th, 2025 | Originally published: January 20, 2025
Fun Things to see and do in OKC Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City is a large metropolis in the middle of the country that doesn’t get a lot of attention due to its geographic location. Perhaps it’s time for that to change. OKC has a lot to offer! In this article we’re going to discuss all the fun things to see and do in Oklahoma City.

Sadly, before spending time here on business in early 2025, my only impression of Oklahoma City was the horrific bombing of the federal building in 1995. I’ve never been able to shake those images and I wonder for how many others that holds true.

This tragic and surreal event lives in the consciousness of Oklahoma City residents — it rocked their world and brought them together as a city-wide family in ways the rest of us will never understand. Thankfully, we can experience a tiny bit of this shocking event at the OKC memorial in the heart of downtown. It is an exceptional thing to do in Oklahoma City.

Fun Things to see and do in OKC Oklahoma City

While Oklahoma City is more about family and Friday Night Lights than most modern municipalities, it is a city on the upswing. The hipsters are doing their hipster thing in the neighborhoods, and the residents have approved tax increases to build exciting parks around the city.

As people are pouring out of the increasingly dangerous metropolises around the United States, Oklahoma City is collecting them and housing them in the surrounding suburbs. This is second fastest growing city over 500K population in the country, outdone only by Austin, Texas.

Before we get into what we found to be the 10 Best Things to do in Oklahoma City, we’ll answer just a couple of worthwhile questions.

Fun Things to see and do in OKC Oklahoma City
things to do and see in OKC

How Long Do I Need in Oklahoma City?

Three days should be sufficient. Four days would be best, and you could get by with two.

What is near Oklahoma City?

Not much. This is part of why so few people spend time here. Tulsa is 100 miles northeast. Dallas is 200 miles south. Amarillo is 260 miles due west. And Kansas City is 350 miles north. FWIW, Kansas City is an awesome city to visit! Check out this article if you’re interested.

Is Oklahoma City Worth Visiting?

Absolutely, in the way that all big cities are worth visiting. The OKC Memorial is worth the trip by itself, and there are a handful of worthwhile things to do in in Oklahoma City otherwise.

Fun Things to see and do in OKC Oklahoma City

At the end of this article we share our Honest Conclusion, which is like saving the best for last. So please be sure to read to the end, or just skip there if you get bored.

With that we will commence with the best things to do in Oklahoma City. We hope you enjoy the article!

Must Do: Fun Things to See and Do in Oklahoma City

Must-Do attractions are typically the reason we’ve decided to visit.

1. Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum

Fun Things to see and do in OKC Oklahoma City

For those of us old enough at the time, the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995 was seared forever in our memories as a dark and tragic day. And the monster of the story, Timothy McVeigh, made for the most unforgettable villain.

In the footprint of the former Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building is a heartbreaking memorial that celebrates each life that was lost that day. And across from a beautiful reflection pond is one of the best museums you’ll find in the United States of America, where you’ll be taken minute by minute, hour by hour, and day by day, through one of the most horrifying events in our nation’s history.

Should Do: Fun Things to See and Do in Oklahoma City

Should-Do attractions receive a strong recommend.

2. Myriad Botanica

Fun Things to see and do in OKC Oklahoma City

Other cities around the US have climate-controlled domes within their botanical gardens, but we’ve never seen one shaped like a Hostess Ho-Ho. In some ways the structure outshines the plants. It doesn’t matter what time of year you visit, you’ll find myriad blooms throughout the creative arrangements.

Related Article: 20 Best Things to Do in Kansas

3. Bricktown

Fun Things to see and do in OKC Oklahoma City

If you’re looking for a place to spend your evening in Oklahoma City, Bricktown would be an obvious choice. This scenic hangout is packed with bars and restaurants, entertainment options, and a minor-league baseball stadium, all within a historic district just east of downtown. The highlight of Bricktown is a “riverwalk” setting with boat tours amidst the attractive buildings.

4. Scissortail Park

Fun Things to see and do in OKC Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City did right by their citizens when they built this attractive park with cityscape views on the south-side of downtown. In addition to a large children’s playground, there are a handful of unusual features to inspect as you perambulate the paths of the park, the primary highlight being scissortail bridge.

5. Plaza District

Fun Things to see and do in OKC Oklahoma City
fun things to see and do in OKC Oklahoma City

This is the hidden gem in Oklahoma City, a funky little neighborhood with an abundance of painted murals on the walls. If you like to take photographs, this is one of the most photogenic places you’ll find in town. In addition to the artwork, there are a galaxy of cool shops to peruse.

If you love to travel, we have something we would like to give you. It is our professionally designed e-book and it is FREE of charge. We think it’s pretty great, and we’re hopeful you’ll like it, too. It’s called, “Cultivating a Lifetime of Travel”. Click HERE. and we’ll send it on over!

6. Onion Burgers

Fun Things to see and do in OKC Oklahoma City

If Oklahoma City is famous for any particular food item, it is the onion burger. The story says that during the great depression the beef had to be stretched to keep prices down. Naturally, filling the bun was an affordable way to bulk up the burger, and the onion burger was born.

There are dozens of places around town serving the classic onion burger. Check out our article, The Best Onion Burger in Oklahoma City.

Could Do: Fun Things to See and Do in Oklahoma City

Could-Do attractions are worthwhile, but come without a strong recommend.

7. Factory Obscura: Mix Tape

Fun Things to see and do in OKC Oklahoma City

If you are familiar with the art collective known as Meow Wolf, then you are familiar with what is happening at Factory Obscura: Mix Tape. Over 30 local artists have come together to design a 6,000 sq.ft. immersive experience to “awaken wonder and make the world a better place.”

Think of this as the kids menu of Meow Wolf. They have created something wonderful, but there isn’t enough of it to justify the $25 admission. The level of detail in some of the rooms is remarkable, especially in the miniature scenes hiding throughout the facility.

Worth Mentioning: This would make an excellent hang-out for 15-year-old girls. Conversely, it was somewhat awkward for a 49-year-old man in a polo-shirt to have entered with his camera.

8. Oklahoma City Museum of Art

Fun Things to see and do in OKC Oklahoma City

The OKC Museum of Art is found in an attractive building just west of downtown. The first thing you’ll notice is the Chihuly tower in the foyer, which is arguably the most impressive thing they own.

We’ve visited the Art Museums in Omaha, Chicago, Cleveland, Kansas City, and Saint Louis, each of which is more impressive than the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. There are some nice pieces here, but not nearly enough of them. It took less than one hour to walk the galleries.

9. Automobile Alley

Fun Things to see and do in OKC Oklahoma City
fun things to see and do in OKC Oklahoma City

Just north of Downtown Oklahoma City on Broadway is the historic district known as Automobile Alley. In the 1920’s, it was reported that 52 of Oklahoma City’s first 76 auto dealerships were located along Broadway, most of them between 4th and 13th avenue.

The area went into decline in the 1970’s and nowadays there are no dealerships, but the buildings remain. And while this hasn’t always been a nice part of town, the area has been overhauled into an art district with an abundance of galleries and restaurants.

Related Article: 30 Best Things to do in Missouri

10. Stockyards City

Scissortail Park; Factory Obscura; Bricktown; Myriad Botanica

The Stockyards in Oklahoma City are the largest public cattle auction in the United States. However, if you visit in January you’ll find empty pens and little else.

Nearby Stockyards City is a small gathering of shops and restaurants with a western flair. Anyone looking for a new cowboy hat, a steak, or a whiskey will have their needs promptly met in Stockyards City.

Other Things to Do in Oklahoma City

Scissortail Park; Factory Obscura; Bricktown; Myriad Botanica
fun things to see and do in OKC Oklahoma City

We plan to do all of these things when we visit again this spring.

Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark: Los Angeles Dodgers AAA farm team plays in a fantastic stadium.

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum: A museum all about cowboys.

Museum of Osteology: A museum all about skeletons.

First Americans Museum: Honors the ancestors who lived here before it was Oklahoma.

An Honest Conclusion: Things to do in OKC

Scissortail Park; Factory Obscura; Bricktown; Myriad Botanica

The Oklahoma City Memorial is one of the best museum/historic sites we’ve experienced in our USA travels. It is beautiful, powerful, and emotionally devastating. Even if you’re just passing through town you should stop here for a couple of hours.

The rest of the entertainment — not counting sporting events, which are very important to Oklahomans — is merely decent. This is a raise-your-kids-on-the-ballfield sort of town, so forgive them if their points of interest aren’t calibrated to dazzle.

Downtown is mostly clean and undercrowded in the wintertime. On a weekday you might find yourself wondering if you missed the zombie apocalypse and are the last person on earth. We respond well to an abundance of parking and sidewalks to ourselves, so this was definitely a positive.

Scissortail Park; Factory Obscura; Bricktown; Myriad Botanica
fun things to see and do in OKC Oklahoma City

As far as negatives go…

The homelessness problem persists throughout the city on seemingly every street. Never did we feel comfortable leaving valuables in our car. A few times we were unnerved by the indigent — carrying an expensive camera can sharpen one’s paranoia around drug abusers. Other mid-west cities have not made us feel this way, so this is an absolute negative.

On the other end of the spectrum, the working citizens of Oklahoma City made us feel right at home. Every business we entered was staffed with friendly, smiling faces. Random strangers stopped us to chat on multiple occasions, which always leaves a good impression.

We wanted to love Oklahoma City a little bit more than we did, so we can’t strongly recommend it for your travels. Still, it’s a nice enough place and a three-day weekend could keep you busy with excursions and onion burgers.

Thank you for stopping by our website! We are the Hoffmann family, a full-time RV family that has split residence in Seattle, Washington and San Antonio, Texas. We have special needs children that we homeschool, and work travel assignments for the Veteran Affairs Hospital. If you would like to learn more about us, check out our Start Here and Biography pages. In the meantime, God bless and travel happy!

Scissortail Park; Factory Obscura; Bricktown; Myriad Botanica

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