Oklahoma City offers the traveler a lot to see and do. Whether outdoor spaces are your thing or you’d rather spend the day exploring interesting museums, you’ll never run out of things to do here. Whitewater Bay Water Park, Science Museum Omniplex, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City National Monument and Bricktown Canal are just some of the popular attractions in Oklahoma City.
Bricktown Canal is an old warehouse district in the center of downtown Oklahoma City that was revamped into a popular entertainment area. The Spaghetti Warehouse restaurant was the first to open here in the late 1980s and then more restaurants and stores began opening in the Bricktown Entertainment District. Outdoor cafes, night clubs, boutiques, sporting venues and condos can all be found down here. You can ride a water taxi in the canal, watch baseball in the AAA Stadium or see a film in the Harkins Theater.
The Oklahoma City National Monument remembers those bombed in the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on 19 April 1995. The Memorial includes parts of the Federal Building that were left after the bombing and it honors the 168 people killed as well as the survivors and rescuers. The site also contains the Oklahoma City National Memorial Center. The Center features a story with ten chapters that range from the day of the bombing to the present day and the impact the bombing has had on the community.
The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum founded by Chester A. Reynolds opened in 1955 and has over 28,000 pieces of art. The collection of American rodeo items such as trophies, photos and saddles is said to be the world’s largest. The displayed artworks include sculptures, portraits, landscapes and still life. The Museum has a Native American Gallery, an American Cowboy Gallery and other galleries such as the American Rodeo Gallery. The outside grounds are pleasantly-landscaped with sculptures and a plaza and fountain.
Oklahoma City’s Science Museum Omniples has a planetarium, OmniDome Theater, Photography Hall of Fame and museums such as the Oklahoma Air and Space Museum. There are many fun and educational things to see and do in this structure that is almost seven stories high. You can find hands-on exhibits and fun experiments for children, World War 11 aircraft, weather science, mathematics displays and much more.
Whitewater Bay Water Park has more than 30 water activities including pools, slides and rides. An area in the Park called the Bermuda Triangle features three slides in a structure that is seven stories tall. You can drift down Castaway Creek or jump off the Acapulco Cliff Dive. Oklahoma City’s Whitewater Bay Water Park also has a children’s play area.