Oklahoma · best-of list
21 Top Things to Do in Oklahoma
All 21 things to do our route editors picked in Oklahoma, across 5 destinations, gathered in one list. 20 come with an insider tip, and 14 cost nothing to visit.
Our curated picks
21 things to do in Oklahoma, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Downtown OKC & Bricktown 5 picks
Bricktown Canal
Downtown OKC & Bricktown · On our Oklahoma City New Year's Eve route
A mile-long canal through the old brick warehouse district, lined with restaurants and bars.
Tip: Bricktown's bars are the busiest spot downtown after midnight.
Photo: OKJaguar · CC BY-SA 4.0NYE Party in the Park at Scissortail Park
Downtown OKC & Bricktown · On our Oklahoma City New Year's Eve route
The city's free countdown on the park's main lawn, with a live band, food trucks and a drone show just before midnight.
Tip: The drone show started at 11:52 pm in 2025; find a spot on the lawn by 11:30.
Oklahoma City National Memorial
Downtown OKC & Bricktown · On our Oklahoma City New Year's Eve route
The outdoor memorial to the 1995 bombing, with its reflecting pool and 168 lit chairs, open around the clock.
Tip: Visit after dark on Dec 30, when the chairs are lit.
Photo: Another Believer · CC BY-SA 4.0
Skydance Bridge
Downtown OKC & Bricktown · On our Oklahoma City New Year's Eve route
A pedestrian bridge over I-40 shaped like the state bird, the scissor-tailed flycatcher, lit after dark.
Tip: Good skyline view of Devon Tower before or after the countdown.
Photo: TheDoctorWho · CC BY-SA 4.0
Thunder New Year's Eve game
Downtown OKC & Bricktown · On our Oklahoma City New Year's Eve route
The Thunder traditionally host a Dec 31 home game at Paycom Center, a five-minute walk from Scissortail Park.
Tip: Tipoff was 7 pm in 2024 and 2025, so you are out before 10.
Photo: Steve Morgan · CC BY-SA 4.0
Oklahoma City 5 picks
Milk Bottle Grocery
Oklahoma City · On our Oklahoma Route 66 route
Tiny 1930 building topped with a giant milk bottle on Route 66.
Tip: Quick photo stop on Classen Blvd.
Photo: Joel Bradshaw · CC0
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
Oklahoma City · On our Oklahoma Route 66 route
Large museum of Western art, rodeo history and a recreated frontier town.
Tip: Prosperity Junction town is a highlight; allow 3 hours.
Photo: Mkcowboy · CC BY-SA 4.0
Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum
Oklahoma City · On our Oklahoma Route 66 route
Outdoor memorial and museum for the 1995 bombing victims.
Tip: The outdoor memorial is free and open 24 hours; it's moving at night.
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
POPS 66
Oklahoma City · On our Oklahoma Route 66 route
Route 66 soda stop with a 66-foot neon bottle and hundreds of soda flavors.
Tip: Come at dusk when the bottle lights up.
Photo: Skyring · CC BY-SA 3.0
Tower Theatre
Oklahoma City · On our Oklahoma Route 66 route
Restored 1937 movie house with a neon marquee on Route 66's 23rd Street.
Tip: Check the calendar for concerts and film nights.
Photo: Tower Theatre · Google
Tulsa 5 picks
Bob Dylan Center
Tulsa · On our Oklahoma Route 66 route
Museum of Dylan's notebooks, recordings and manuscripts, opened in 2022.
Tip: Combo tickets with the Woody Guthrie Center save money.
Photo: G. Edward Johnson · CC BY 4.0
Boston Avenue United Methodist Church
Tulsa · On our Oklahoma Route 66 route
1929 Art Deco church with a 255-foot tower, the city's signature Deco landmark.
Tip: Free docent tours are offered on Sundays after services.
Photo: David Brossard · CC BY-SA 2.0
Philbrook Museum of Art
Tulsa · On our Oklahoma Route 66 route
Art museum in a 1920s Italianate villa with 25 acres of gardens.
Tip: Closed Mondays; leave time for the gardens.
Photo: Landry76 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Route 66 Historical Village
Tulsa · On our Oklahoma Route 66 route
Oil derrick, Frisco steam locomotive and 1920s railcars on old Route 66.
Tip: Free and open around the clock; quick photo stop.
Photo: Route 66 Historical Village · Google
Woody Guthrie Center
Tulsa · On our Oklahoma Route 66 route
Archive and museum on the Oklahoma folk singer, in the Tulsa Arts District.
Tip: Pair with the Bob Dylan Center across the plaza.
Photo: Woody Guthrie Center · Google
Wichita Mountains 5 picks
Elk Mountain Trail
Wichita Mountains · On our Oklahoma Route 66 route
Popular 2-mile round-trip climb to granite boulders and a summit view.
Tip: Start at Sunset Picnic Area; sturdy shoes needed.
Photo: A. D. · Google
Holy City of the Wichitas
Wichita Mountains · On our Oklahoma Route 66 route
Stone chapel and Passion play set built in the 1930s.
Tip: Free; hosts an Easter pageant.
Photo: Larry Smith · CC BY 2.0
Medicine Park
Wichita Mountains · On our Oklahoma Route 66 route
Small cobblestone resort town on Medicine Creek, Oklahoma's first.
Tip: Walk the creekside paths and cobblestone shops.
Photo: Jphill19 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Mount Scott
Wichita Mountains · On our Oklahoma Route 66 route
Paved road to a 2,464-foot summit with views over lakes and prairie.
Tip: Road closes to cars at times on busy weekends; go early.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center
Wichita Mountains · On our Oklahoma Route 66 route
Starting point for maps, trail conditions and exhibits on the refuge's prairie and bison.
Tip: Ask about current wildlife sightings.
Photo: Morne Erasmus · Google
Lake Hefner 1 pick
Lake Hefner Lighthouse
Lake Hefner · On our Oklahoma City New Year's Eve route
The small lighthouse at the end of the East Wharf jetty, the lake's landmark and its sunset spot.
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in Oklahoma?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 21 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Oklahoma has the most things to do on this list?
Downtown OKC & Bricktown, Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Wichita Mountains lead with 5 each; the other picks are spread across 1 more destination.
Are any of these free?
14 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Bricktown Canal, Milk Bottle Grocery, Elk Mountain Trail, NYE Party in the Park at Scissortail Park, Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, and more. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for Oklahoma
Top things to do nearby
Destinations on this list
- Downtown OKC & Bricktown 5 on this list
- Oklahoma City 5 on this list
- Tulsa 5 on this list
- Wichita Mountains 5 on this list
- Lake Hefner 1 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.