Oklahoma City (87 miles) -
note: for more info visit the Okla Dept of Tourism web site or call 800-652-6552 or
stop by the RSVP, 602 S. Van Buren- 580-233-5914
Experience the most unique fun in Oklahoma! 300,000 sq ft living field maze, Castle Hay Bale MaZe (just right size for your little ones), Pumpkin Pickin’ in season, Petting Zoo, DaZe in a MaZe is a playground for children and adults alike. There are four mazes — the colorful and popular seven-acre maze, a six-acre maze with no map called The Jungle, a hay bale maze in the shape of a space shuttle and the tiny tot maze inside the barn. In addition, there is a sandbox, dinosaur dig of “cowasaurus” bones, petting zoo and old farming equipment to climb on. Labor Day Weekend thru Thanksgiving Weekend. Groups by appt, Mon-Fri. OPEN WEEKENDS THRU NOV 26TH.(closing for season). Sat 10 am-10 pm: Sun 2 pm-dusk; Mon-Fri by appointment. Located 2 miles North of JCT 51 & 74 or 11 miles S of Covington OK on Hwy 74. Call (580) 234-6293 or (405) 550-5964 weekends. for more information. Admission $6- free for children age 3 and younger. Group rates are available.
In Kingfisher park east of town on Hwy 33, 2 million lights
thru Dec 30
Train rides in the park, Sun-Thurs 6-10pm, Fri & Sat 6 -11pm, Carriage rides Fri & Sat. For Info call 580-375-4445, www.kingfisherinlights.com.
7107 W Cheyenne, El Reno Ok.
Tour includes ghost stories and demonstrations by paranormal studies groups. Local cemetery tours also may be available. Call (405) 262-3987 for tour dates.
Historic Ft Supply, Ft Supply, OK -
580-766-2701
Historic Fort Supply was established on November 18, 1868, as “Camp of Supply” for the winter campaign against the Southern Plains Indians in what is now western Oklahoma. From this post Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer and the Seventh U.S. Cavalry marched south to the Washita River and destroyed the Cheyenne village of Chief Black Kettle. www.okhistory.org/mus-sites/fshistory.htm
Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, Jet, OK -
580-626-4794
Crystal digging is permitted April 1 through October 15, sunrise to sunset. No special permit is required. Collectors are permitted to remove up to 10 pounds of crystals plus one large cluster for their personal use in any one day. Take Hwy 64 west of Jet to Salt Plains sign, turn N on dirt road. www.greatsaltplains.com on how to dig for crystals.
Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, 17 miles Northeast of Pawhuska
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/oklahoma/placesweprotect/tallgrass-prairie-preserve.xml
(918) 287-4803
wildlife includes white-tailed deer, coyotes and more than 2,000 bison. Self guided drive through tour is open daily from dawn to dusk.
Marland Mansion & Estate, Ponca City, OK -
1-800-422-8340 The Marland story is fascinating and his home is an architectural wonder. It was designed and constructed as a showplace for pieces of fine art and in the process, it became a masterpiece in its own right. As you tour through this site, we’ll show you the mansion and tell you the Marland story. You’ll learn about the Marland family, the industry that made it all possible, and the “oil boom-town” that rose from it all, Ponca City, Oklahoma. www.marlandmansion.com/
Watonga Cheese Factory, Watonga, OK -
1-888-270-5915 Watonga Cheese Factory, making cheese in Oklahoma since 1940, 314 E 2nd Street Watonga, , the cheese is made here, but the milk comes from throughout the southwestern US. Has an Oklahoma City retail store on the NW 39th expressway, which also has some other Oklahoma processed foods for sale. www.watongacheese.com/
Sod House, Aline, OK -
580-596-3053 – http://www.okhistory.org/outreach/homes/sodhousemuseum.html
Preserve and exhibit original sod house built in 1894 by Marshal McCully.
SUN ‘N’ FUN Waterpark (Ponca City)
is open for the summer Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Open 7 days a week, 12:00 to 8:00 P.M. all summer long. We have waterslides, wave pool, kiddie pool, go-carts, bumper boats, miniature golf, volleyball, picnic area and arcade. Season passes available. A great place for parties too, call (580) 762-5999 for further information. Visit http://www.sunnfunwaterpark.com/FUN_N_SUN/Home.html . A SPLASH OF FUN FOR EVERYONE!
Ames Astrobleme Museum, Ames, Ok
Opening on 18 Aug. 2007, The Ames Astrobleme Museum, a museum dedicated to the meteor crater the town sits atop, will feature numerous image panels and a video showing the formation of the Ames crater and its discovery as a significant geological and economic resource. The crater was caused by a meteor striking the area 450 million years ago. There is sediment two miles deep covering the crater, and the town of Ames approximately is located in the middle of the crater. The museum was developed by Enid oilman Harold Hamm and one of his companies, Continental Resources. The Ames crater is one of the largest meteor craters in the United States, Hamm said, and one of only a few that is producing oil and gas.
http://www.amescrater.com/
Chisholm Trail Museum, Kingfisher, Ok
The Chisholm Trail Museum, named for Jesse Chisholm, is situated directly on the Chisholm Trail and presents artifacts from the historic Chisholm cattle trail. See, first hand, items and their history and Kingfisher’s place within. About an hour South of Enid on Hwy 81.
http://www.lasr.net/leisure/oklahoma/kingfisher/kingfisher/att1.html
Aquatic Center, Kingfisher, Ok
Visitors from miles around come to Kingfisher to enjoy the Vernie Snow Aquatic Center, a beautiful indoor swimming complex including diving pool, splash pool, fountain, slide, and lap lanes. Handicapped accessible via steps and in-pool ramp, the pool is open year around. Offerings include: water aerobics classes, locker rooms/showers, swim lessons for young and old, and private parties at a reasonable price. For more information, call (405) 375-3318.
http://discoverkingfisher.com/vernie-snow-aquatic-center/
Cherokee Strip Museum, Perry, Ok
Located on five acres of land, the Cherokee Strip Museum provides an opportunity to explore the remarkable events and people who made up the history of the Cherokee Outlet. Location. About 45 min East of Enid.
2617 West Fir Avenue
Perry, Oklahoma 73077
Hours
Tuesday – Friday, 9 am to 5 pm
Saturday 10 am to 4 pm
Closed Sunday, Monday,
and State Holidays
http://www.cherokee-strip-museum.org/
Beaver State Park- 580-625-3373 Approximately 520 acres in size, Beaver Dunes State Park is located in Oklahoma’s panhandle region, near the city of Beaver. This park is in an area of many environmental contrasts between quiet, sheltered low pockets amidst high sand dunes exposed to the harsh panhandle elements. www.lasr.net/pages/park.php?Park_ID=OK06sp003
Black Mesa
Located just outside the town of Kenton, OK… Only Oklahoma city on Mountain Time! (Editor’s note: To locate Kenton on an Oklahoma map, look in the upper left hand corner of the panhandle, almost to New Mexico) Wonderful Bed and Breakfast (Black Mesa B&B). Only one general store in Kenton. Very isolated area. Driving time to Kenton is approximately 7.5 hours from Tulsa. Black Mesa is 4,973 feet above sea level (Editor’s note: This is the tallest point in Oklahoma) Black Mesa – 580-426-2222 www.oktrails.com/Oklahoma/black_mesa.htm
Oklahoma’s Glass Mountains
- 580-824-1471 Little Sahara State Park is located in NW Oklahoma, south of Waynoka. Little Sahara offers over 1600 acres of rideable sand dunes ranging in height from 25 to 75 feet. Amenities include showers, picnic areas, RV hookups with electric/water and tent sites. Seasonal concessions provide refreshment, and fuel and grocery are located nearby. Rates are $16 for RV sites, $8 for tent sites, and $7 per driver for dune trails. Alabaster Caverns State Park, Boiling Springs State Park, Great Salt Plains State Park, and the scenic Gloss Mountains are within driving distance. Must bring your own Dune Buggy to ride dunes. www.greatsaltplains.com/little_sahara state park.htmRoman Nose State Park – 580-623-7281 Roman Nose Resort Park is located on SH-8 and SH-8A seven miles north of Watonga, 81 miles northwest of Oklahoma City, near Lakes Watonga and Boecher. Once a favorite area of the Cheyenne tribe, this area is a scenic retreat set on a canyon bluff that overlooks ancient mesas. Towering cedars, buffalo grass, and wild blue sage add to the beauty of the legendary setting, and to the enjoyment of numerous recreational activities. www.watonga.com/romannose/
580-886-2989 Canton Lake in northwest Oklahoma is located just north of Canton. Canton Lake has 45 miles of shoreline and 7,910 surface acres. Canton Lake is famous for great walleye fishing. You will also find sandy beaches and great water skiing. www.outdoorsok.com/Oklahoma/Canton
580-626-4731 The Salt Plains are a flat expanse of mud, completely devoid of vegetation, located in north central Oklahoma. The name, Salt Plains, is derived from the thin layer of salt that covers the flats. This salt was used by Native American tribes and early pioneers who first settled the area. The plains are 7 miles in length and approximately 3 miles wide and lie within the boundaries of the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge. The plains border the Great Salt Plains Reservoir, constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1941. Great Salt Plains State Park, Jet opens for crystal digging 1 April. Take Hwy 64 west of Jet to Salt Plains sign, turn N on dirt road. www.greatsaltplains.com on how to dig for crystals. www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/oklahoma/selenite.html
580-762-5611 Kaw Lake’s beauty is like a beacon urging you to come romp and play in nature’s playground. Here you won’t find wall-to-wall houses, you’ll find well-designed public campgrounds tucked into the many coves and inlets. You won’t find traffic jams or hear screeching tires, but you will find roads that take you where you need to go and trails for hiking, horseback riding and mountain hiking. You won’t find polluted air or acres of parking lots, but you will find clean fresh air, sparkling water, the earth beneath your feet and a clear sky – give or take a cloud or two – above your head. It’s an ideal vantage point to view nesting eagles in winter. www.poncacity.com/attractions/kaw/
405-372-5157 It’s always fun to camp at Lake Carl Blackwell. Lake Carl Blackwell is a great place to enjoy the natural beauty of Oklahoma, with so many outdoors activities around Lake Carl Blackwell nobody could get bored. Myers Park is a great place and if you’re into the whole hydro structure thing you can check out Stillwater Creek Site 30 Dam. A visit to Sunset Park rejuvenates the soul and Arrowhead Park is a beautiful place any time of year. Morningside Park is a good place to check out and needless to say, everybody loves Tower Park. Lakes are great, Stillwater Creek Site 30 Reservoir is a lake that’s close to Lake Carl Blackwell and places like Ingham Park are great to visit. It is well known that this is a good campground. Lake Carl Blackwell is popular with the locals as well as with visitors from far away, if you like outdoors activities Lake Carl Blackwell is a good choice. If you are in Oklahoma during camping season you have to go camping. www.hikercentral.com/campgrounds/109285.html
405-723-4415 Sooner Lake in north-central Oklahoma is located just west of Watchorn. Sooner Lake has 42 miles of shoreline and 5,400 surface acres. This power plant lake offers great fishing, and is known for excellent hybrid striped bass fishing. www.outdoorsok.com/Oklahoma/Sooner
Things to see in Oklahoma City
5000 West Memorial Road, serves as an educational facility, a recreational area and a wildlife sanctuary. www.okc.gov/Parks/martin_park/index.html
2101 NE 50th Street Oklahoma City, OK 73111 (405) 424-3344
Find the Fun at the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden – More To See From A To Z! The Zoo features a diverse and fascinating animal and plant collection. The Zoo is a fully accredited member of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) and the American Association of Museums (AAM) as both a living museum and a botanical garden. www.okczoo.com/
is Open Come visit our new facility at 2401 N. Laird Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73105.To preserve and perpetuate the history of Oklahoma and its people by collecting, interpreting and disseminating knowledge of Oklahoma and the Southwest .
www.okhistorycenter.org/
620 N Harvey Ave., Oklahoma City, (405) 235-3313, 1-888-542-HOPE, Built as a memorial to the tragic bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, you will stand in reverence in the grassy setting overshadowed by the towering bronze gates where the time of the explosion is permanently emblazoned. You can study the individual markers, created in memory of the victims as well as explore the segment of chain-link fence where you may leave a personal memento of your visit, as so many others have done. The Memorial Museum, inside a portion of the Journal-Record Building, provides a stunning reenactment of April 19, 1995, and honors all 168 Oklahomans who lost their lives. www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org/
Omniplex Science Museum (Hands on)
Toll Free: (800) 532-7652, 2100 NE 52nd St. Oklahoma City, OK 73111
Enhance your intellect. The Omniplex is an adventure in discovering new worlds and galaxies, exploring the sciences and arts, reliving the past and peering into the future. The complex houses several museums, a planetarium, galleries, gardens and greenhouses. Several museums are all located in the Omniplex, including the Kirkpatrick Science and Air Space Museum, Red Earth Indian Center, and the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum, where you can experience fascinating exhibitions of some of the world’s most influential photographic artists. Don’t miss the state’s first 70 mm IWERKS movie theater, the OmniDome! www.omniplex.org/
The reconstruction of Oklahoma City’s first wholesale commercial district began in the early 80′s, and included the forming of a limited partnership for occupants who leased the buildings. From this point to the continuing development projects in that area bounded by Main Street, Reno, Walnut and the Santa Fe Railroad tracks, Bricktown has become a tourist attraction that provides residents and visitors to Oklahoma City with an outstanding place to dine, to enjoy exciting AAA baseball at the Southwestern Bell Bricktown Ballpark (MAPS Project), to stroll along the Bricktown canal (MAPS Project) where you can view the Bricktown Mosaic Murals, or to just enjoy people-watching! www.bricktownokc.com/
1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73111 (405) 478-2250 Museum Hours 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Daily Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day Admissions, Including Tax $8.50 Adults $7.00 Senior Citizens, (62+) $4.00 Children 6-12 Children under 6, Free Parking Free. Coat Check Information A complimentary coat check is available at the Admissions Desk. Coats, sweaters, and jackets must be worn, not carried. Large purses, backpacks, and camera bags are not permitted in the Museum. Photography is allowed in designated areas. (Indicated on Gallery Guide.) www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/
3000 Pershing Blvd, State Fair Park, (405) 951-0000, City Arts Center provides interactive arts experiences through exhibits, performances, classes and events. The Eleanor Kirkpatrick Gallery located at City Arts Center features the work of emerging Oklahoma, nationally and internationally recognized artists. City Arts Center’s Community School of the arts offers year-round art classes for adults and children, after school programming and youth camps when school is out. The gallery offers free admission.
I-35 North, Exit 122nd Street, (405) 478-2412, One price lets you enjoy all the rides and see the exciting shows at this “western-style” theme park. Enjoy over 50 rides, shows and attractions, including gunfight shows and magic shows. Four thrilling coasters, a river raft ride, an upside down scream machine and many more attractions are sure to get your heart rate going. The young ones will love Paul Bunyan’s Tiny Timber Town. www.frontiercity.com/
313 NE 16th St., Oklahoma City, (405) 235-4058, The Great Land Run of 1889 was an exciting event! This claimed homestead features historic era-related items and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The pre-statehood farmhouse is furnished by the families of the 1889er Society. The stone and cedar barn contains exhibits typical of the period. Also located on the grounds are the 1890 Shephard House, 1897 one-room school and the 1900 working farm. Hours of operation are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday – Friday. Cost is $5 per person. www.harnhomestead.com/
811 N. Broadway, Oklahoma City, (405) 232-6060 A non-profit artists association dedicated to supporting the contemporary arts and artists in all media in Oklahoma. IAO is for all media, two- and three-dimensional, as well as performance art. Exhibits change out every month. www.iaogallery.org/
International Gymnastics Hall of Fame 120 N. Robinson, East Concourse, Oklahoma City, (405) 235-5600, If you’re an athlete at heart, then you’ll certainly appreciate the Olympic medals that display symbols of true discipline. Oklahoma is home to Olympic gymnasts Shannon Miller, Bart Connor and Nadia Comenici, and is now the home of this fascinating hall of fame. It is located in downtown Oklahoma City in the First National Center’s concourse level. These are temporary quarters but well worth a visit. There are hundreds of photographs, Olympic medals, memorabilia, videos, uniforms, etc., some dating back to the 1932 Games. Open weekdays, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. www.ighof.com/
100 Myriad Gardens, Reno & Robinson, Oklahoma City, (405) 297-3995, You are invited to enjoy a 17-acre oasis in the heart of downtown Oklahoma City, with beautifully landscaped rolling hills surrounding a sunken lake. The centerpiece of the gardens is the seven-story Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, featuring a fascinating collection of palm trees, flowers and exotic plants from across the globe. If you like to explore, then take the Adventure Walk, taking you underneath the 35-foot cascading waterfall, or get a bird’s eye view of the tropics from the skywalk. Central displays change several times a year. Take home a souvenir of your visit from the Crystal Bridge Gift Shop, with an outstanding collection of botanical items. There is an admission fee for ages four and above. www.myriadgardens.com/index.html
2801 NE 50th St., Oklahoma City, (405) 424-5266, The National Softball Hall of Fame displays the colorful history of softball and its greatest players. The museum is housed in the headquarters complex of the Amateur Softball Association/USA Softball and the International Softball Federation. The ASA Hall of Fame Stadium is regarded as the nation’s number one softball venue, and hosts national and world class competition throughout the season. www.asasoftball.com/hall_of_fame/index.asp
NW 30th and Dewey is the gateway to the Historic Paseo District, (405) 525- 2688, Here, you’ll find galleries, restaurants and studios in a portion of town that time forgot – but the arts remembered. The Paseo was built in 1929 as the first commercial shopping district north of downtown Oklahoma City. This little Spanish village with its stucco building and clay tile roofs is the home of Oklahoma City’s artists’ community. On this little tree lined street you will find painters, potters, photographers, writers and actors. Within the two blocks of the Paseo you can visit stained glass works, a pottery studio, watch a painter at work, see a performance of a children’s theater group, have dinner and shop. This colorful village hosts an annual art festival every Memorial Day weekend. www.okclive.com/paseo/
3908 W. Reno; (405) 943-9687, Over 25-acres of water rides, slides, pools and activities exist for you, family and friends in a relaxing tropical setting. Brave the waves in the giant Wave Pool, or challenge the seven story Bermuda Triangle’s three water slides. Try Cannonball Falls, a slide that fires you into the water after a six-foot drop. Then there’s the four-person Big Kahuna raft ride, and the 65-foot freefall Acapulco Cliff Dive. Float down the lazy Castaway Creek. General admission is $22.99. www.whitewaterbay.com/
2300 NE 63rd, Oklahoma City, (405) 478-5155, (800) 882-1586, Your visit to Oklahoma City won’t be complete without a stop at the World of Wings Pigeon Center. This unique and beautiful place was built with the dream of honoring this bird for its contribution to religion and service in communication in peace and war. Take a tour of our museum and library, and see the birds while strolling the grounds. Donations accepted. www.pigeoncenter.org/ div>
No Comments Yet - be the First!