Must-SeeOklahoma City National Memorial
Two bronze gates mark 9:01 and 9:03, with 168 empty chairs in a field for the victims of the 1995 bombing. A museum tells the story.
Oklahoma City
A prairie capital with a deeply moving memorial, a cowboy museum and a canal-side nightlife district, on Route 66.
The 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building killed 168 people, and the memorial on its site is among the most affecting in America. OKC also has a real Western spirit, plus a boom in new museums.
Native American history here is told in the First Americans Museum, and Route 66's Milk Bottle Grocery is nearby.
- Best Time
- April to June, September and October
- Time Needed
- 2 days
- Cost Level
- $$$$
- Open
- Year-round
- Getting There
- Will Rogers World Airport is 20 minutes from downtown. Amtrak's Heartland Flyer runs to Fort Worth.
The Short List
10 sights, 5 of them free. Tick off what you've seen and rise from Sailor to Captain of Oklahoma City.
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Must-See
Must-See
Must-SeeNational Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
America's premier Western museum, with Remingtons, a recreated frontier town, rodeo halls of fame and John Wayne's collection.
Worth a Detour
First Americans Museum
A striking museum on the Oklahoma River, telling the stories of the 39 tribal nations in the state today and of the Trail of Tears.
Worth a DetourBricktown
Old warehouses turned restaurants and bars along a canal with water taxis, near the ballpark and the Land Run Monument.
Stockyards City
One of the world's largest cattle markets, with Western wear stores and Cattlemen's, the state's oldest steakhouse, from 1910.
If You're Nearby
If You're NearbyThunder at Paycom Center
The 2025 NBA champions pack the loud downtown arena, a rare chance to see a small-market team on top.
If You're NearbyMyriad Botanical Gardens
A free garden in the heart of downtown, with a glass tube conservatory, ice skating and a children's garden.
If You're NearbyOklahoma State Capitol
One of few state capitols with oil wells on its grounds, a domed building that had no dome until 2002.
If You're NearbyOklahoma City Museum of Art
Has one of the largest Dale Chihuly glass collections in the world, in a downtown theater building.
Oklahoma City Zoo
A large zoo with elephants, great apes and a big cat forest, on the edge of the Adventure District.
Neighborhoods
- BricktownCanal, nightlife and baseball.
- Automobile AlleyOld car dealerships turned restaurants.
- Plaza DistrictArty shops and murals.
- Paseo Arts DistrictA Spanish-style row of galleries.
- Asian DistrictPho and Vietnamese shops.
Getting Around
The OKC Streetcar links downtown, Bricktown and Midtown, and Spokies bikes are also available. For the Cowboy Museum, First Americans Museum and Stockyards you'll need a car or rideshare. The city is big and traffic is light.
Plan Your Visit
- Day 1: the National Memorial, Bricktown and the Myriad Gardens. Day 2: the Cowboy Museum, First Americans Museum and Stockyards City.
Know Before You Go
- The city is spread out, but a free-to-ride streetcar connects downtown.
- Tornado season runs April to June.
Where to Stay
Stay in Bricktown or downtown.
What to Eat
- Cattlemen's SteakhouseThe state's oldest, in Stockyards City. Try the steak and maybe the lamb fries.
- Onion burgerAn Oklahoma invention: thin patties smashed with onions, at Tucker's or Nic's Grill.
- Asian DistrictA large Vietnamese community with outstanding pho on Classen Boulevard.
- Chicken-fried steak and piePie Junkie and the Museum Cafe, among others.
Where to Eat
Our picks are on the way.
Editor's picks. Nobody paid to be on this list.
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Traveler Reviews
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Go Next
Worth a DetourRoute 66
Illinois to California
The old Chicago-to-Los Angeles highway; its best-kept stretch of diners and neon runs across Arizona.
Full Guide
If You're NearbyDallas
Texas
The JFK story at Dealey Plaza, a large downtown arts district and Tex-Mex, with Fort Worth next door.
Full Guide
If You're NearbyTulsa
Oklahoma
An oil-rich Art Deco city, and the site of the 1921 massacre of 'Black Wall Street', with a Bob Dylan Center and America's best new park.
Full Guide
Last checked 2026-11-01. Part of the Southwest list.