Midwest Road Trips

The Best Oklahoma City Weekend Itinerary

Walk through the Myriad Botanical Garden and enjoy a tropical oasis. Photo Credit: Catherine Parker

Oklahoma City is prime for a weekend getaway with its outdoor adventure, arts and cultural events, and professional sporting events. With a walkable downtown, visitors can stroll from venue to venue or take the Bricktown Water Taxi. Oklahoma City offers several of Oklahoma’s top museums, from several art museums to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum and the First Americans Museum. Here are the top things to do and an Oklahoma City Weekend Itinerary.

Top Thing to Do for Oklahoma City Weekend Itinerary

  • Go to a Game
  • Explore Brickopolis
  • Ride the Bricktown Water Taxi
  • National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum
  • First Americans Museum
  • Oklahoma Railway Museum
  • Science Museum Oklahoma
  • Oklahoma National Memorial and Museum 
  • Myriad Botanical Garden
  • Riversport Adventures
  • Have a Great Steak

Friday Night

Oklahoma City offers two professional sports games, so it is an excellent destination for those who like to watch sports. It is a must for an Oklahoma City Weekend Itinerary.

Paycom Center

From October to April, the Oklahoma Thunder NBA team dribbles across the court at the Paycom Center.

Located at 100 W. Reno Ave. Tickets required. 

Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark

As a Triple-A affiliate of the LA Dodgers, the Oklahoma City Dodgers play ball from April until September, t

Located at 2 South Mickey Mantle Dr. Tickets required.

Brickopolis 

With three stories of family-friendly entertainment, the Brickopolois in an indoor/outdoor venue. Visitors will find laser tag, an arcade, a climbing wall along with a buffet and bar. There’s also an 18-hole miniature golf course. 

Located at 111 S. Mickey Mantle Dr.  Open Sunday, Monday and Thursday from 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight. (closed Tuesday and Wednesday). Each activity is a separate price.

Bricktown Water Taxi 

Floating along the river canal in downtown Oklahoma City, the Bricktown Water Taxi is a narrated cruise. Visitors will learn more about OKC, like its history, in a covered,  open-air water taxi.

The Main Dock is located at 111 S. Mickey Mantle Dr. and is Open year-round with departures on the hour from the main dock. Adult roundtrip tickets are $13, kids (6 – 12) $10 and kids (5 and younger) are $4.

Top Things to Do in Oklahoma City
A trip to the National Cowboy Museum is a must. Photo Credit: Catherine Parker

Saturday 

Oklahoma City offers several museums to explore, many focusing on the region’s culture.  Visiting one of its museums is a must for an Oklahoma City Weekend Itinerary.

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum

As a museum dedicated to the art and culture of the cowboy,  visitors will find art galleries displaying sculpture and Western landscape art. Additionally, there are rodeo displays, like the cowboy boot display, along with snippets of a thousand different types of barbed wire. Visitors will find a graveyard with notable Oklahoma rodeo animal in the garden.  

Located at 1700 Northeast 63rd St. Open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Adult admission is $15, students are $10 and kids 6 to 12 are $5.

First Americans Museum

The First Americans Museum, opening in 2021, is dedicated to the 39 individual tribal nations in Oklahoma. Though only a few groups were indigenous to the area, many tribes were primarily relocated to Indian Territory. In 1907, Oklahoma became a state, and the name was derived from two Choctow words.

The facility guides visitors through the arts and culture of the 39 First American nations today. With traditionally made baskets and drums to interactive art and storytelling, the First Americans Museum curates the objects that tell the story of the individual groups that call Oklahoma home today.

Located at 659 First Americans Blvd. Open Monday, Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Tuesday). Adult admission (13+) is $15 and kids (4 -12)  are $5.

Oklahoma Railway Museum 

The railroad that crossed the continent developed many parts of the West. Visitors can see historic trains, such as a stream engine. They can also explore the Oakwood Depot, which has a collection of locomotives, passenger cars, and freight cars.

The Oklahoma Railway Museum offers train rides twice monthly on Saturdays from April to August. Adult train tickets $12, kids 3 to 12 $5. In November and December, it operates the Polar Express.

Located at 3400 NE Grand Blvd. Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free admission for everyone. 

Science Museum Oklahoma

This facility includes 350,000 square feet of hands-on exhibits focused on science and discovery. Highlights include the Segway park and the Kirkpatrick Planetarium. There is also a tinkering garage and art exhibits.

Located at 2020 Remington Place. Open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Adult admission in $20.95 and kids (3 to 12) are $15.95.

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Pay respects to those lost at the Oklahoma City Bombing Site. Photo Credit: Catherine Parker

Sunday

After exploring the arts and culture of Oklahoma, spend Sunday outdoors.

Oklahoma National Memorial and Museum 

On  April 19, 1995, a box truck filled with fertilizer exploded in front of the Authur P. Murrah Federal Building. In total, 168 people died, including children staying in the building’s daycare.  

Located at NW 6th and Harvey Ave, Outdoor Memorial is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is free to enter. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Timed entry tickets are available online. Adult admission is $18, and students (6 to 17) and college students are $15.

Myriad Botanical Garden

Visitors can enjoy a beautifully landscaped park that is popular with locals and visitors.The Myriad Botanical Garden features outdoor space with gardens with native Oklahoma plants, a lake, and a stair fountain with ducks. The gardens can be enjoyed at night with lots of decorative lighting, and there’s a free children’s garden with a playscape and water play areas. 

It also features an enclosed space dedicated to specialized gardens, Insomuch Foundation Crystal Bridges. This space offers water features, including a water fountain and topical plants.

301 Reno Ave. The outdoor grounds are open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and are free to enter. Crystal Bridges is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adult admission to Crystal Bridges is $10.50, students are $7, and kids (5 – 17) are $5.50.

The Boathouse District.
The Boathouse District offers an adventure course and a man-made whitewater course. Photo Credit: Catherine Parker

Riversport Adventures 

Located in the Boathouse District, Riversport Adventures offers whitewater rafting and tubing, an adventure course, and a pump track (for BMX riders). Visitors will also find a zip line, adventure courses, surfing, and indoor alpine skiing.

Located at 800 Riversport Dr. Open daily from Memorial Day weekend until mid-August from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Weekends only in mid-March to mid-May and mid-August until the first of October. Admission is based on activity. 

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Where to Eat in Oklahoma City

Cattlemen’s Steakhouse

When you walk into Cattlemen’s Steakhouse, you can ‘t help but imagine John Wayne sitting at a table. It’s the kind of place.

Since Oklahoma is cattle country, the go-to item is beef. It is served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Get a tender steak cooked to order in a variety of sizes. Sample the house-made rolls, and even the salad dressings are a signature item.

It’s open for breakfast, where diners can order steak and eggs or pancakes and omelettes. And don’t forget a cup of coffee in the Cattelemen’s mug.

Located at 1309 S. Agnew in the center of the historic stockyards of Oklahoma City. Open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse

Enjoy a fine dining experience across the street from the ball field. Find a chef-created menu focusing on beef, though make sure to catch the chef’s seafood appetizer for two featuring the best of the season.

Located at #7 Mickey Mantle Dr. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday (closed Sunday and Monday).

Tucker’s Onion Burgers

Sample an Oklahoma original, the onion burger at Tucker’s Onion Burgers. Back in the Depression, grill cooks needed to stretch the ground beef, so they started adding sliced onions to the patties and throwing them on the flat top. A legend was born, though the burgers can be cooked without the onions.

Located at 324 NW 23rd St. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Know Before You Go

Located in central Oklahoma, Oklahoma City is about 200 miles north of Dallas/Fort Worth. Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport is convenient to most attractions. However, most visitors will need a car to get around and ride sharing is available.

Where to Stay in Oklahoma City

Located at 411 E. Sheridan Ave. in Oklahoma City.

Disclosure

The writer went on a sponsored media trip.

Head to Oklahoma City in Central Oklahoma for a weekend getaway with a focus on sports and outdoors along with the arts scene in OKC. See a ball game. Tour a Cowboy Museum. Reflect at the Memorial. Find where to stay in OKC and where to find the best steaks in Oklahoma City. #OKC #OklahomaCity

Catherine Parker has a passion for travel and seen all 50 U.S. States. As a former flight attendant with one of the largest airlines, there isn't a North American airport that she hasn't landed in at least once. Since clipping her professional wings after 9/11, she combines her love of the open road with visiting architectural and cultural icons. She is based out of Central Texas dividing her time between writing and restoring a pair of 100-year-old houses. She shares her life with her three kids and her husband.

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