From forests to sand dunes to rolling prairies to cypress swamps, Oklahoma has more diverse terrain per square mile than any other state. It also contains the headquarters of 39 Native American nations, the most drivable miles of Route 66 (with some of the best-preserved roadside attractions), world-class Western art museums and real-life cowboys and cowgirls, who you can watch in action at the Oklahoma City Stockyards’ twice-weekly auctions.
Oklahoma Highlights
You’ll know you’re here when…
You see the famous ‘red dirt’—it’s red due to the iron content.
Where locals go to relax
- WinStar World Casino in Thackerville
- The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tulsa
- Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant
- Downstream Casino Resort in Quapaw.
You might be surprised by...
- The only skyscraper solely designed by and built by Frank Lloyd Wright is Price Tower in Bartlesville. It is also the only one of Wright’s structures that you can stay in
- The Victorian town of Guthrie is the largest contiguous district on the National Register of Historic Places
- The world’s largest dinosaur skull, a Pentaceratops skull measuring 10.5-feet tall is at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History in Norman.
Breathtaking scenery
Located in southeast Oklahoma, the 54-mile Talimena National Scenic Byway spans one of the highest mountain ranges between the Appalachians and the Rockies. The road has winding bends and rolling hills, and the surrounding Ouachita National Forest offers great views and hiking trails.
Must-see museum
Eighty per cent of the world’s western art is found in Oklahoma. You won’t want to miss the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City and the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa.
Classic road trip
If you drive along Route 66 from Miami to Arcadia—and you should—plan plenty of time for stops, including Route 66 Vintage Iron, a popular motorcycle museum in Miami; the in Stroud, built in 1936, with walls that feature rocks from the original Route 66 road excavation; the Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum in Warwick; and POPS, a filling station in Arcadia with a 66-foot sculpture of a soda bottle and more than 400 flavours of soft drinks for sale. Also in Oklahoma: the National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton and the Route 66 Interpretive Center in Chandler.
Your child will always remember…
At the Oklahoma City Stockyards, cattle auctions occur every Monday and Tuesday (year-round), and visitors are always welcome. To get into the Stockyard City Auction House, you have to walk down the huge cattle-pen catwalk, where you will see, hear and smell cattle being ‘wrangled’ by working cowboys.
Shopping heaven
- Langston's Western Wear, Joe's Boots, the Outlet Shoppes at Oklahoma City and Sheplers (Oklahoma City)
- Woodland Hills Mall (Tulsa).
Outdoor excitement
- Abseil at Red Rock Canyon State Park or boulder-hop and climb at Robbers Cave State Park
- Rent an ATV to drive through the dunes at Little Sahara State Park
- Scuba dive in Lake Tenkiller
- Take a cave tour at Alabaster Caverns State Park
- Go fishing at Lake Texoma State Park or Beavers Bend State Park
- Hike at Natural Falls State Park or Black Mesa, Oklahoma's highest point.
Just want to indulge?
- Smokin Joe's Rib Ranch (in the town of Davis)
- Head Country BBQ (Ponca City)
- Cattleman's Steakhouse (Oklahoma City)
- Nancy Fulton's Original Fried Pies (Davis).
