Find and pick from our wide selection of top-rated tours and activities for your trip. Convenient cancelation policy and 24/7 customer service to help you if your plans change.
Search results
People also ask
What makes Oklahoma famous?
Is Oklahoma a worthwhile destination to visit?
What is the University of Oklahoma known for?
Why is Oklahoma a Native American state?
What makes Oklahoma City a great place to live?
Why is Oklahoma known as the oil capital of the world?
- Native American Heritage. Oklahoma’s history is deeply intertwined with its Native American heritage. The state is home to a diverse array of tribes, each with their own unique cultures, languages, and traditions.
- Route 66. The iconic Route 66 stretches across Oklahoma, embodying the spirit of adventure, freedom, and exploration. This historic highway has captured the imagination of travelers for decades, offering a nostalgic journey through small towns, roadside attractions, and stunning landscapes.
- Tornadoes. Oklahoma’s unique geographical location places it in the heart of Tornado Alley, where warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico collides with cold, dry air from the Rocky Mountains, creating a perfect environment for tornado formation.
- Oil and Gas Industry. Often referred to as the “Oil Capital of the World,” Oklahoma’s history is closely tied to the oil and gas industry. The discovery of oil at the Spindletop well in Texas led to a rush of oil exploration in Oklahoma, leading to booms in cities like Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
- The Sooner State
- Native American Heritage
- Museums
- Route 66
- Oil and Gas
- Wind Energy
- Tornadoes
- All Things Sports
- Rose Rocks
- Man-Made Lakes
One of Oklahoma’s nicknames is the Sooner State, named for the Land Rush of 1889. After Native Americans ceded territory to the settler U.S. government, plans were made to open the land to white settlers. Almost 2 million acres of land in what is now Oklahoma were offered as land for some 50,000 settlers who showed up at the border to claim tracts ...
Oklahoma’s indigenous history stretches back far longer than its history of settlement and carries on to this day. The state is home to 39 indigenous tribal nations, such as the Osage, Cherokee, and Pawnee nations. More than 300,000 of the state’s residents are Native American. Many of those tribes were forcibly moved there under various acts and d...
Speaking of museums, Oklahoma is famous for highly regarded art, history and science museums. In Tulsa, the state’s second-largest city, you can find the Philbrook and Gilcrease art museums. The former is located in a gorgeous Italian Renaissance villa and hosts a variety of rotating exhibitions. Oklahoma is known for its Wild West history and the ...
If you’re heading to Oklahoma, make sure to get your kicks on Route 66. The iconic, now-decommissioned American highway — perhaps the country’s most famous road — passed through the heart of Oklahoma on its way from Chicago to the West Coast. The road’s name calls to mind long stretches of highway, great sprawling plains, a sun painted by the setti...
Since the mid-1800s, Oklahoma has been one of the top oil producers in the country. In 1859, workers drilling for salt first discovered oil by accident near Salina. Commercial drilling began a few decades later, leading to various oil booms as Oklahoma went from a territory to a state. The state also has deposits of natural gas. Most of the 77 coun...
While oil and gas are exhaustible resources, Oklahoma has a high potential capacity for renewable energy. Half of the state lies in the open, rolling plains that make up North America’s wind corridor. Take a drive through western Oklahoma and you’ll see wind turbines that spin on and on, generating almost one-third of the state’s electricity.
Windy as it is, Oklahoma is famous for its tornadoes — or maybe I should say infamous. Situated smack dab in the middle of the Great Plains, Oklahoma gets hit by the warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, the hot, dry fronts from the southwestern deserts and the cool, dry winds from the Rocky Mountains. In short, the recipe for awe-striking torna...
Oklahoma may only have one major league sports team, but that does not mean there’s a lack of athletic culture in the state. Oklahoma City Thunder is a men’s professional basketball team named for the famous thunderstorms common in the state. With several division championships since the franchise moved to Oklahoma in 2008, the Thunder are sure to ...
These geological curiosities are so unique to Oklahoma that they were named the state rock in 1986. Rose rocks go by many other names, like desert rose, barite rosette and sand rose, which all evoke the flower-like shape of the rocks. The rock is a kind of crystal formed from gypsum or barite in arid and sandy places. The crystals fan out with over...
For the beach lovers, I am sorry to tell you that you’ll no longer find any ocean or sea in Oklahoma. But you will find man-made lakes, more than in any other state. Oklahoma is known for having more than 200 man-made lakes. In the early decades of the twentieth century, the state was plagued by devastating floods and, later, crippling droughts tha...
- Most Number of Native American Tribes in the US. Among the 50 states in the United States, Oklahoma is home to the largest number of Native American communities.
- The History of The Land Run in 1889. The Land Run of 1889 commemorates one of American history’s most extensive mass migrations. On April 22, 1889, over 50,000 individuals converged on the outskirts of Indian Territory to stake a claim.
- The Deadliest Attack Before 911. Federal Building in Oklahoma City was attacked by anti-government militants Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols on April 19, 1995.
- Anything Fried. Southern cuisine, especially fried dishes, is famous in Oklahoma. Chicken fried steak is widely regarded as Oklahoma’s hallmark dish. There’s even an “Official State Chicken Fried Steak” recipe, courtesy of the Oklahoma Beef Council.
- Tornados. Oklahoma is in the USA’s “Tornado Alley.” This is an area in the American Great Plains where tornadoes occur most frequently. Other states in Tornado Alley include Louisiana, Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota.
- Tiger King Park. The GW Zoo, short for Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, was the infamous site of the 2020 documentary Tiger King. It was also formerly known as the Garold Wayne Exotic Animal Memorial Park.
- Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. This museum sits on the site of the 1995 truck bombing in Oklahoma City. The bomb targeted the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.
- Philbrook Art Museum. Philbrook Museum of Art is in Tula. It’s the former villa of Waite Phillips, an Oklahoma oil baron. Waite and Genevieve Philipps owned the villa in the 1920s, and in 1939 it opened as a museum.
Whether you're traveling to Oklahoma City for the first time, a repeat visitor or a lifelong local, here is our top list of adventures and experiences that are unique to OKC. Be sure to head over to our Insider's Guide where we share what's new in OKC, trip inspiration and upcoming events.
Oklahoma City, the vibrant heart of the Sooner State, is celebrated for its rich history and thriving culture. From the solemnity of the Oklahoma City National Memorial to the roar of Thunder basketball games, this city boasts a diverse tapestry of experiences, blending tradition with modernity.
Jun 10, 2022 · Ranking of the top 8 things to do in Oklahoma City. Travelers favorites include #1 Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, #2 SKELETONS: Museum of Osteology and more.
