Must-see attractions in Oklahoma

  • A wild longhorn cow on the prairie in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.

    Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

    Oklahoma

    The 59,020-acre Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge protects bison, elk, longhorn cattle and a frenetic prairie dog town. Wildlife is abundant; observant…

  • The historic Tulsa Union Depot, an art deco landmark and former railway station, now houses the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame.

    Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame

    Oklahoma

    Tulsa's beautiful Union Station is filled with sound again, but now it's melodious as opposed to cacophonous. During the first half of the 20th century,…

  • The Cherokee National Museum lies on the grounds of the Cherokee Heritage Center, where the tribe's history, culture and arts are preserved and celebrated.

    Cherokee Heritage Center

    Oklahoma

    The excellent Cherokee Heritage Center features Native American–led tours through a re-creation of a pre-European-contact woodland village and 1890s…

  • Gilcrease Museum

    Gilcrease Museum

    Oklahoma

    Northwest of downtown, off Hwy 64, this superb museum sits on the manicured estate of Thomas Gilcrease of the Muscogee Creek Nation, who discovered oil on…

  • Price Tower

    Oklahoma

    You can tour the only Frank Lloyd Wright–designed skyscraper ever built, the 221ft Price Tower (1956). Inside and out it is like Architectural Digest…

  • Decopolis

    Oklahoma

    Part museum, part souvenir store, part bookstore, part candyland, this multifaceted place should be your first stop in downtown Tulsa. All things art deco…

  • Woody Guthrie Center

    Oklahoma

    Woody Guthrie gained fame for his 1930s folk ballads that told stories of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. His life and music are recalled in this…

  • Pony Bridge

    Oklahoma

    So named for the 38 'pony' trusses that comprise it, this landmark Route 66 bridge is 3944ft long and crosses the Canadian River and its flood plains…

  • Centennial Land Run Monument

    Oklahoma

    Four dozen huge bronze sculptures, spread across several hundred feet of open land near Bricktown, capture the chaos and drama of the 1889 land rush that…

  • Boston Avenue United Methodist Church

    Oklahoma

    This 1930 church, rising at the end of downtown, is an exceptional example of the city's art deco architecture. It's 15 stories tall and was designed by…

  • Paseo Arts District

    Oklahoma

    With its Spanish Revival architecture, lively bars and over 20 funky art galleries, this is Oklahoma City's most bohemian corner.

  • National Route 66 Museum

    Oklahoma

    Several museums in one, including old cars and photos, a re-created pioneer town and a farm museum.

  • Fort Gibson Historic Site

    Oklahoma

    Built as a frontier fort in 1824, Fort Gibson came to play an integral – and notorious – role in the Trail of Tears. It was home to the removal commission…

  • Hunter's Home

    Oklahoma

    This 1845 plantation home recreates pre-Civil War life in Oklahoma. George Murrell, who was of European descent, married Minerva Ross, a member of a…

  • Henry Overholser Mansion

    Oklahoma

    Fittingly, Henry Overholser, known as the 'Father of Oklahoma City,' lived with his wife Anna in what remains Oklahoma City's grandest mansion. This three…

  • Will Rogers Memorial Museum

    Oklahoma

    The hilltop Will Rogers Memorial Museum, 30 miles northeast of Tulsa off Route 66, is an engaging tribute to a hugely popular local entertainer from the…

  • Oxley Nature Center

    Oklahoma

    All that driving over the long distances of the Great Plains means you're probably ready to stretch your legs. This sprawling nature center on the…

  • Philbrook Museum of Art

    Oklahoma

    South of town, this oil magnate's converted Italianate villa, ringed by fabulous foliage, houses fine Native American works and classic international art…

  • Five Civilized Tribes Museum

    Oklahoma

    This museum is inside an 1875 Union Indian Agency house. It recalls the cultures of the Native Americans – the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek …

  • Route 66 Museum

    Oklahoma

    Engaging displays about the Mother Road organized by decade from its inception to its closure and eventual rebirth. The museum also highlights some of the…

  • Stockyards City

    Oklahoma

    You'll brush up against real cowboys in Stockyards City, southwest of downtown, either in the shops and restaurants that cater to them or at the Oklahoma…

  • Myriad Botanical Gardens

    Oklahoma

    Right in the city center, these 15 acres of gardens are home to thousands of plants and many elaborate landscapes. Water features abound and there are…

  • Philcade Building

    Oklahoma

    The Philcade Building – with its glorious T-shaped lobby – is an exceptional example of the city's art deco architecture. Inside, beneath gilt-encrusted…

  • Science Museum Oklahoma

    Oklahoma

    Science was never this much fun in school. Galleries filled with fascinating displays and gizmos engage visitors in the secrets of aviation, farming,…

  • Oklahoma History Center

    Oklahoma

    Near the capitol building, this museum makes people the focus as it tells the story of the Sooner State through interactive exhibits. There are good…

  • Philtower Building

    Oklahoma

    Finished in 1928, this 24-floor skyscraper combines art deco and neo-Gothic details. A landmark on the skyline, its name – and original financing –…

  • Meadow Gold Sign

    Oklahoma

    This enormous 1930s neon sign for the Meadow Gold brand of milk was a Route 66 landmark and a city icon. Now restored, it's surrounded by displays about…

  • Route 66 Interpretive Center

    Oklahoma

    Sixty miles southwest of Tulsa, this museum re-creates the experience of driving the Mother Road through the decades. It's housed in a magnificent 1936…

  • John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park

    Oklahoma

    This park tells the story of the 1921 race riots that killed scores of African Americans and destroyed the surrounding neighborhood of Greenwood.

  • Milk Bottle Grocery

    Oklahoma

    Route 66 took many different roads through Oklahoma City over the five decades when it was the transcontinental highway. For many years it passed by this…

  • Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame

    Oklahoma

    The highlight of this attraction in the ballpark complex is the museum dedicated to the athletic exploits of Jim Thorpe (Olympic gold medals plus…

  • Ninety Nines Museum Of Women Pilots

    Oklahoma

    Ninety nine female American pilots formed their own group in 1929, which is now based in Oklahoma City. This museum celebrates the contributions of women…

  • Skeletons: Museum of Osteology

    Oklahoma

    An army of flesh-eating beetles helps this touristy museum's curators prepare the bones of dead animals (many from zoos) for a new life on display. There…

  • Philbrook Downtown

    Oklahoma

    Tulsa's Philbrook museum has two locations and this secondary site is in the Brady Arts District. It displays contemporary art alongside a large…

  • State Capitol

    Oklahoma

    Built in 1917 (though it only got its dome in 2002), this Greco-Roman building has large murals, beautiful stained-glass windows, a tribal flag plaza and…

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