Oklahoma City has 9 major tourist attractions spanning history, science, culture, wildlife, and entertainment. These include the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Bricktown Entertainment District, the First Americans Museum, the Oklahoma City Zoo & Botanical Garden, and Science Museum Oklahoma.
For related reading, see Fun Things to Do in Oklahoma City for Families: 7 Kid-Friendly Attractions, Prices, and Age Guides.
What Are the Best Attractions in Oklahoma City?
Oklahoma City's top attractions fall into 4 categories: memorials and museums, cultural institutions, family destinations, and entertainment districts. The table below lists all 9 major OKC sights, with admission prices and addresses.
| Attraction | Admission (Adult) | Address |
|---|---|---|
| OKC National Memorial & Museum | $18 (outdoor free) | 620 N Harvey Ave |
| National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum | $20 | 1700 NE 63rd St |
| Bricktown Entertainment District | Free to enter | Downtown OKC |
| First Americans Museum | $15 | 659 First Americans Blvd |
| OKC Zoo & Botanical Garden | $20 | 2000 Remington Place |
| Science Museum Oklahoma | Varies | 2020 Remington Place |
| Myriad Botanical Gardens | Free | 301 W Reno Ave |
| Oklahoma City Museum of Art | $15 | 415 Couch Dr |
| Museum of Osteology | $10 | 10301 S Sunnylane Rd |
What Is the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum?
The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum is a living memorial and experiential museum located on the former site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. It honors the 168 people killed, the survivors, and the rescuers of the Oklahoma City bombing of April 19, 1995.
The site has 2 components:
- The Outdoor Symbolic Memorial: free, open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. National Park Service rangers are on-site daily from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
- The Memorial Museum: a 50,000 sq ft indoor museum with 10 permanent interactive exhibits guiding visitors chronologically through the events of April 19, 1995 and their aftermath.
What Are the Hours and Admission for the OKC National Memorial?
Museum hours are Monday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Sunday, 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The last ticket is sold one hour before closing. The museum is closed on Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.
Admission prices are $18 for adults, $16 for seniors aged 62 and older, $16 for military with ID, and $15 for students aged 6 through college. Children aged 5 and under enter free. Parking is free with museum admission at Memorial Garage.
The average visit lasts 1.5 hours. Bank of America cardholders receive free entry during Museums on Us weekends.
What Is the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum?
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is America's premier institution of Western history, art, and culture. It is located at 1700 NE 63rd Street in Oklahoma City and spans more than 200,000 square feet across Persimmon Hill.
Founded in 1955, the museum holds over 28,000 Western and Native American artworks and artifacts. Its collection includes works by Frederic Remington, Charles M. Russell, and sculptor James Earle Fraser. It also holds the world's most extensive collection of American rodeo photographs, barbed wire, saddlery, and early rodeo trophies.
What Will Visitors Find at the National Cowboy Museum?
Visitors find 4 major categories of exhibits inside the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
- Western art galleries: paintings and sculpture by Remington, Russell, and Fraser, including Fraser's monumental End of the Trail
- Prosperity Junction: a replica turn-of-the-century cattle town with a school, marshal's office, church, and general store visitors can walk through
- Native American galleries: extensive collections of Indigenous art, artifacts, and cultural history
- Find Your West: a 360-degree immersive exhibit featuring floor-to-ceiling projections of Western landscapes with surround sound
The museum also hosts the annual Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition and Sale each June, the nation's premier Western art exhibition and sale.
Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Sunday, 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Admission is $20 for adults, $12 for children aged 6 to 12, and free for children aged 5 and under. Parking is free. Plan for 3 to 4 hours minimum to see all galleries and outdoor exhibits. The museum has received more than 10 million visitors since opening.
What Is Bricktown Entertainment District?
Bricktown Entertainment District is downtown Oklahoma City's primary entertainment and dining hub. It is the city's original early-20th-century warehouse and distribution area, revitalized through Oklahoma City's Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS) initiative in the 1990s.
Bricktown is home to more than 45 restaurants, bars, and retail shops. It includes family-friendly attractions, public art, museums, galleries, the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, and the Bricktown Canal.
What Is There to Do in Bricktown Downtown Oklahoma City?
There are 5 main things to do in Bricktown.
- Bricktown Canal: A mile-long canal system through the heart of the district. Water taxi rides last 40 minutes and cost approximately $12 to $15 for adults. Canal boat tours are particularly popular at sunset.
- Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark: Home to the Oklahoma City Baseball Club (Triple-A). The ballpark sits directly on the canal.
- Dining and nightlife: Over 45 venues operate in the district. Restaurants are open roughly 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM on weekdays, with bars open until 2:00 AM.
- Public art: Murals and sculptures throughout the district, including the Cloud Embrace sculpture, a 24-foot-tall, 40-foot-wide LED installation completed in early 2026.
- American Banjo Museum: A quirky cultural institution dedicated to the history of the banjo, located within the Bricktown district.
Bricktown is free to enter and accessible 24 hours a day. It connects to other OKC neighborhoods via the downtown OKC Streetcar system.
What Is the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City?
The First Americans Museum (FAM) is a 175,000 sq ft cultural museum in Oklahoma City's Horizons District. It opened on September 18, 2021, and presents the collective histories of 39 distinctive First American Nations with ties to Oklahoma today.
FAM is located at 659 First Americans Blvd, alongside the Oklahoma River. It received the Engineering News-Record Award of Excellence for Best Public Facility in the United States.
What Exhibits and Programs Does the First Americans Museum Offer?
FAM has 4 permanent exhibitions and 3 featured facilities.
Permanent exhibitions include One Place, Many Nations; OKLA HOMMA; WINIKO: Life of an Object; and a Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian traveling collection. Visitors also access a FAMily Discovery Center with immersive activities for children, a multi-purpose theater, a full-service restaurant with Native-inspired cuisine, and a museum store featuring handmade items by First American artists.
Daily guided tours are available free with admission. Tours run at 11:30 AM (WINIKO tour, 30 capacity) and 1:00 PM (Outdoor Mound Tour, 30 capacity).
Museum hours are Monday and Wednesday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The museum is closed Tuesdays. Admission is $15 for adults, $5 for children aged 4 to 12, and free for children under 3. Parking is free. The museum attracted over 200,000 visitors in 2022.
What Is the Oklahoma City Zoo & Botanical Garden?
The Oklahoma City Zoo & Botanical Garden is one of Oklahoma's top family attractions, covering 130 acres in the Adventure District of northeast Oklahoma City. The zoo is home to more than 2,000 animals across more than 500 species and attracts over 1 million visitors annually.
The zoo opened in 1902 and is accredited by both the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the American Alliance of Museums (AAM).
What Animals and Exhibits Are at the OKC Zoo?
The OKC Zoo has 8 distinct habitat areas. These include Expedition Africa, Sanctuary Asia, Great EscApe, Cat Forest, Lion Overlook, Oklahoma Trails, the Herpetarium, and the Children's Zoo.
Expedition Africa is the zoo's largest-ever habitat expansion, covering 12 acres and opened in 2024. It features a state-of-the-art giraffe barn, a mixed-species savanna, and the renovated Love's Pachyderm Building. Sanctuary Asia covers 9.5 acres and is home to the zoo's herd of Asian elephants, with 3 outdoor yards, pools, and a waterfall viewable from a raised walkway.
The zoo is open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with last entry at 4:00 PM. It is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Admission is $20 for adults aged 12 to 64, $17 for children aged 3 to 11, $17 for seniors aged 65 and older, and free for children aged 2 and under. The average visit takes about 3 to 4 hours.
What Is Science Museum Oklahoma?
Science Museum Oklahoma is the state's only hands-on science museum and is located at 2020 Remington Place in Oklahoma City's Adventure District, directly adjacent to the OKC Zoo. The facility spans approximately 390,000 square feet, making it one of the largest science museums in the United States. It attracts over 600,000 visitors annually.
What Are the Key Exhibits at Science Museum Oklahoma?
Science Museum Oklahoma has 3 major permanent attractions alongside its interactive science floor.
- Love's Planetarium: One of the most advanced planetarium systems in the country. It features live expert-led shows and laser light presentations. Advance booking is recommended, as shows sell out regularly.
- International Gymnastics Hall of Fame: Dedicated to the history and athletes of competitive gymnastics.
- Interactive Science Floor: A large open space with exhibits covering physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering. Live science shows run throughout the day.
Museum hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Saturday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and Sunday 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Admission prices vary by age and ticket type. Science Museum Oklahoma is part of the ASTC Passport Program, meaning reciprocal memberships from other participating science centers may provide free or discounted entry.
What Other Sights Are There to See in Oklahoma City?
There are 3 additional sights to see in Oklahoma City worth including in any visit.
- Myriad Botanical Gardens: A free 15-acre urban park in downtown OKC featuring the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, a children's garden, Shakespeare in the Park performances in summer, and an ice skating rink in winter. Open daily.
- Oklahoma City Museum of Art: Located at 415 Couch Drive downtown. The museum holds European, American, Asian, Native American, and African art collections in an Italian-style villa surrounded by gardens. Admission is $15 for adults.
- Museum of Osteology (SKELETONS): Oklahoma City's natural history museum and the world's largest private collection of expertly prepared skeletal specimens. Located at 10301 S Sunnylane Road. Admission is $10 for adults.
Oklahoma City also sits along Historic Route 66, which passes through the city's Uptown 23rd District. The Uptown 23rd stretch contains several Route 66-related landmarks, murals, and restaurants.
What Is the Best Time to Visit Oklahoma City Attractions?
The best time to visit Oklahoma City attractions is during spring (March to May) and fall (September to November). Temperatures are mild, outdoor spaces are active, and crowds are smaller than during summer school holidays.
Major annual events include the Chuck Wagon Festival in May and the Oklahoma State Fair in September. Summer months of June, July, and August bring peak visitor numbers to family attractions like the OKC Zoo and Science Museum Oklahoma. Winter temperatures are mild by northern standards, making indoor attractions like FAM and the Cowboy Museum comfortable year-round options.
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