Oklahoma City Oklahoma
Bricktown in downtown Oklahoma City on the canal
Illuminated SkyDance Bridge for pedestrians
Downtown Oklahoma City at dusk
Reflecting on symbolism at the Oklahoma City National Memorial
Lobby of the Oklahoma State Capitol building
Lighthouse at sunset on Lake Hefner
Water flowing through the historic Lake Overholser Dam
Admiring cowboy boots at the Stockyard City Boot Merchant
- Major Airports:
- Will Rogers (OKC)
- States:
- Oklahoma
The state capital with a cowboy heart
Cowboy Culture
Oklahoma City may be a big Midwestern city, but you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in an Old West cowboy town. For example, at the Stockyards City auction house you can see live cattle auctions, then enjoy a hearty steak dinner at Cattleman's Steakhouse before heading to the Rodeo Opry. Oklahoma City is also known as the "Horse Show Capital of the World," and competitions can be seen at State Fair Park. If you want to dress the part, pick up some western attire at Langston's Western Wear, Joe's Boots or the Outlet Shoppes at Oklahoma City.
Monuments and Museums
One of the most popular – and unusual – museums in Oklahoma City is the Museum of Osteology, which houses over 300 human and animal skeletons. Other unlikely but intriguing museums include the American Pigeon Museum and the Oklahoma State Firefighters Museum. Art buffs love the permanent and rotating exhibits at Oklahoma City Museum of Art and Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center. To learn about famous Oklahomans such as singers Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton, head to the Oklahoma Hall of Fame at the Gaylord-Pickens Museum. To delve into OKC’s Western heritage and pioneer roots, spend an afternoon at the American Banjo Museum, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum or the Land Run Monument. And you cannot visit the city without paying your respects at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, which honors the victims, survivors and rescuers of the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, in which 168 people lost their lives.
Cruises, Kids and Culture
To see this land-locked city from a different point of view, peer down at it from the 24-meter-high SandRidge Sky Trail, or take a water taxi tour of the Bricktown Entertainment District on the Bricktown Canal. Then hop off the boat and head to the Paseo Arts District, which is home to 22 art galleries, or catch a performance of the Oklahoma City Ballet. Kids will never be bored with attractions like the OKC Zoo, Science Museum Oklahoma or the 213-meter zip line across the Oklahoma River.
Fun Fact
Oklahoma City was settled during the great Land Rush of 1889, when 10,000 people arrived and claimed land in a single day on April 22.