31 Oct Oklahoma City Itinerary: Fun Things to Do in One Day

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Oklahoma? Some people might say tornadoes, in part due to the movie Twister, both the original from 1996 and the sequel from 2024. However, Oklahoma deserves to be known for so much more. For example, Oklahoma City is a vibrant city with walkable neighborhoods, sprawling parks, a multitude of outdoor activities, and of course legendairy cattle auctions. See what I did there? Keep reading to find out all of the fun things to do in a one-day Oklahoma City itinerary. Want a sneak peak? The itinerary includes a ride on the Bricktown Water Taxi and watching the sunset by the ferris wheel in Wheeler District.

Moreover, I urge you to think about donating to an organization or individual in Oklahoma that has been devastated by tornadoes over the years. It is easy for those of us who live outside of Oklahoma to visit for a weekend and then leave without ever thinking about the harsh reality of many in the state: losing all material possessions to a tornado sweeping away their homes.

Contents: 

A) Oklahoma City Itinerary: Fun Things to Do in One Day

1) Walk Around Bricktown

2) Bricktown Water Taxi

3) Lunch: Bricktown or Cafe Kacao

4) Dessert: Sasquatch Shaved Ice

5) Scissortail Park

6) Stockyards City

7) Wheeler District (at Sunset)

8) OPTIONAL: Additional Attractions in Oklahoma City

B) General Information on Oklahoma City

1) Location + Nearby Airports

2) Best Season to Visit

3) How to Get Around Oklahoma City

4) Where to Stay in Oklahoma City

5) Recommended Items to Bring

A) Oklahoma City Itinerary: Fun Things to Do in One Day

My partner and I had never been to Oklahoma before, and we figured Oklahoma City would be the best city for our first visit. When researching for our Oklahoma City itinerary, there were so many fun things to do that it was hard to fit them all within just one day. Nevertheless, we managed to check off all attractions within our one-day Oklahoma City itinerary even as we dealt with the blistering heat (as it was quite hotter than normal for September).

8am – 10am: Walk Around Bricktown

10am – 11am: Bricktown Water Taxi

11am – 12:30pm: Lunch in Bricktown or at Cafe Kacao

12:30pm – 1pm: Dessert at Sasquatch Shaved Ice

1pm – 3pm: Scissortail Park

3pm – 6pm: Stockyards City

6pm – 8pm: Wheeler District for sunset

8pm and on: grab dinner and possibly squeeze in one final attraction

For dinner recommendations, check out Goro Ramen or Tamashii Ramen.

1) Walk Around Bricktown

First up on this Oklahoma City itinerary is walking around Bricktown. I know not everyone is a morning person (I am calling out myself here as well). Therefore, walking around Bricktown and exploring everything it has to offer will help wake you up.

First, walk around the various shops in Bricktown, including a very large Bass Pro Shops. Second, head over to Brickopolis to let your competitive spirit loose. Brickopolis features mini golf, laser tag, a bungee trampoline, arcade games, and more. Maybe make a bet that whoever loses the most games has to cover lunch? Nothing like a bet for free food to help you fight for the win!

Third, catch a ballgame at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark where the Oklahoma City Comets play. Fourth, head to one or more of the museums, monuments, and murals if you are a history buff. For example, there is the American Banjo Museum, Centennial Land Run Monument, and Oklahoma Bricktown Mural.

Bricktown also boasts a variety of attractions available at night if you want to pop back in the area. For example, there are comedy clubs, burlesque shows, and dueling piano bars.

Whew, that was a lot! You could easily spend an entire day just in Bricktown alone. That being said, I recommend you plan to visit two of the attractions mentioned above in the morning. It is better to set aside enough time to truly enjoy the attractions rather than not having enough time and rushing through them.

Parking

First and foremost, I want to note that the parking mentioned here will also apply for numbers two through four below as all of those attractions are located within the Bricktown area. Unless you need to move your car for accessibility reasons or due to limited mobility, you can park in one spot and walk around Bricktown to all of the mentioned attractions.

You have two main options for parking: (1) on the street (2) in a parking lot. First, you can try to find street parking. Street parking is the more cost-effective option, as it only costs around $1 to $2 per hour. Second, you can park in a lot for convenience. The vast majority of parking lots are paid lots, so keep that in mind when you enter. However, parking is generally free of charge on Sundays. This applies to both street parking as well as some paid lots.

Additionally, I have heard many people say that the parking lot south of Bass Pro Shops is free parking. Some people will also park in Bass Pro Shops main parking lot and not even visit the store. The legality of that might be a bit fuzzy, but you can always check with the store for their policies to be certain.

The canal running through Bricktown

2) Bricktown Water Taxi

Bricktown is mentioned a few times in this Oklahoma City itinerary, but that is because it has so much to offer. It boasts shops, restaurants, boat tours, and shaved ice (more on that later). The Bricktown Water Taxi is a paid attraction, but it is well worth the money in my opinion. Moreover, it is quite inexpensive. The tour costs just under $15 per person, and it lasts an entire hour. Less than $15 for an entire hour-long tour? That is a steal!

It is recommended to book tickets online in advance during peak seasons (generally the spring and fall seasons as well as weekends). My partner and I visited on a Sunday in mid-September, and our boat was almost entirely full of people. (We booked our tickets online in advance, so I cannot speak to in-person ticket availability).

Riding around in the Bricktown Water Taxi was one of my favorite things in Oklahoma City because the boat had a covering to block the sun. Just kidding! Well, the boat did have a covering on the top, which was greatly appreciated as it was in the low 90s Fahrenheit (~33 Celsius). However, the tour was one of my favorite things because I could see Bricktown from the water and also learn a bit of history about the area. The guide talked about Bricktown in the past vs. today, described the few monuments we floated past, and offered some fun facts on OKC.

Lastly, the Bricktown Water Taxi sometimes has additional offerings. For example, they have previously offered Haunted History Cruises during the Halloween season as well as dinner cruises. Check out their website for any unique offerings during your visit.

Bricktown Water Taxi tour boat

3) Lunch: Bricktown or Cafe Kacao

If you want to stay in Bricktown for lunch, there are plenty of options. Budget not a factor? Then check out Rodizio Grill or Mahogany Prime Steakhouse. Bring on the meat! Looking for good eats + good drinks? Head to Fuzzy’s Taco Shop or Bricktown Brewery. Some people rave about the brewery scene in Oklahoma City.

However, locals generally say that the best food is located outside of Bricktown. If you have a car and/or are willing to be flexible, you can shift your schedule. Eat dessert first with Sasquatch Shaved Ice mentioned below, and then head outside of Bricktown for lunch. Some popular breakfast / lunch restaurants are Waffle Champion and Cafe Kacao.

Waffle Champion serves exactly what you might expect but at the same time what you might not expect. They of course serve waffles, but they also serve waffle sandwiches. Cafe Kacao serves mainly Guatemalan dishes, but they also have dishes inspired from other countries, for example El Salvador. Both restaurants are only open during breakfast and lunch hours.

4) Dessert: Sasquatch Shaved Ice

If you have read any of my articles on other cities, you might notice that I like to include a dessert spot. For example, I had the best whoopie pies of my life at Kindred Farms Market and Bakery outside of Portland, Maine. Moreover, the frozen lemonade at Del’s Lemonade in Newport, RI was so good I got it twice in one day.

The dessert spot that made the cut for my Oklahoma City itinerary is Sasquatch Shaved Ice. It is located in Bricktown, across the street from Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. During our Bricktown Water Taxi tour, the guide recommended we head there for a snow cone afterwards. The guide not only raved about the taste, but also the company.

Sasquatch Shaved Ice is a nonprofit. They seek to employ youth, specifically those who come from low-income communities and/or have been in foster care or juvenile detention centers. Moreover, the youth employees are set up with checking and savings accounts at Oklahoma Credit Union. Sasquatch Shaved Ice then uses the company’s profits to match what their employees save, dollar for dollar. Additionally, the employees are set up in a program where they can attend financial literacy as well as life skills classes.

I cannot think of a better shaved ice that I have ever eaten than the one from Sasquatch Shaved Ice. The taste was delicious, and the purpose behind the company made it even better. Oh, and the sizes were huge! What better way to cool down in the hot Oklahoma sun than with shaved ice.

Link for donations: Donate – Sasquatch Shaved Ice.

Enjoying a blue raspberry shaved ice from Sasquatch Shaved Ice

5) Scissortail Park

Scissortail Park is an oasis with views of Oklahoma City’s skyline. The park includes gardens, walking trails, a lake with water activities, playgrounds, sports fields / courts, and the famous Skydance Pedestrian Bridge. There are so many fun things to do at Scissortail Park that you could spend an entire day out of your trip to Oklahoma City here. However, I recommend spending just a couple of hours at the park in order to appreciate other attractions OKC has to offer if you only have one day or a weekend.

First and foremost, walk along the southern edge of the lake for stunning views of the OKC skyline. Some of my favorite pictures from my Oklahoma City trip were taken at that exact spot. Second, you must walk to at least the entrance of the Skydance Pedestrian Bridge. The architectural design will leave you speechless (in a good way). You can also walk across the bridge if you want a view of the skyline in the background.

Third, rent kayaks and/or paddleboards from the Scissortail Boathouse. Take a moment to relax on the water and take in the views around you. When I say views, I mean both of the OKC skyline and of the dog park right beside the lake.

Check out Scissortail Park’s website as the park has events on a frequent basis. For example, they have previously hosted night markets as well as farmers markets.

Parking

You know what I love? Easy parking! There is parking available all along S Hudson Avenue. It is paid parking, though only a couple of dollars per hour at most.

Otherwise, there is a paid parking garage at the corner of S Shields Avenue and Oklahoma City Boulevard for the convention center.

View across the lake from Scissortail Park

6) Stockyards City

Next up on this one-day Oklahoma City itinerary is Stockyards City – let’s dive into Oklahoma’s Western heritage.

First, if you are lucky enough to visit on a Monday or Tuesday, you can witness a live cattle auction. I know, it is not easy for most people to visit on a weekday. However, it sounds like the auction would be well worth your time. (I was disappointed when I found out the auctions only happened on Mondays and Tuesdays. I visited one day off, on a Sunday.) It is possible for the auction to go through 9,000 cattle in just one day.

Second, check out some classic western shops for custom boots, hats, snap shirts, and more. For example, Langston’s Western Wear has been serving up good looks for over 100 years. If you want to rock a pair of custom boots, then head over to Little Joe’s Boots. Additionally, head to Oklahoma Native Art and Jewelry to finish off your new outfit with some beautiful accessories.

Third, a fun and quick stop for vintage candy and soda is Stockyards Sarsaparilla. Grab a soda can with a normal flavor such as root beer as well as a can with a more interesting flavor such as pickle.

Fourth, visit Cattleman’s Steakhouse if you need some food to tide you over until dinner. Shout out to all my snackers out there – I feel you. Cattleman’s Steakhouse is arguably the best place to eat in Stockyards City, and they specialize in (you guessed it) steaks.

Parking

Parking in Stockyards City should be fairly easy. There is ample street parking, and the majority of it is free. Moreover, a lot of shops and restaurants have their own designated parking lots at no charge.

The beginning of the Skydance Pedestrian Bridge

7) Wheeler District (at Sunset)

When I pulled up to the Wheeler District, specifically the park with the ferris wheel along the river, I was pleasantly surprised. The area was beautiful. If I lived in Oklahoma City, I feel as though I would find myself there at least once a week.

Let me paint a picture of the park for you. First, the main attraction of the park is the ferris wheel. It sits just a bit inland from the river’s shore, and you can see the OKC skyline behind it. The operating hours vary greatly, so check their website for more information. There is also a small fee to ride the ferris wheel.

Second, there is a large sign with the three letters of “OKC” in front of the ferris wheel. Third, there is a row of trees with hammocks between each of them to the right of the ferris wheel and OKC sign. Fourth, there is plenty of grassy area for activities such as frisbee, cornhole, volleyball, and more.

If you are looking for fun things to do in Oklahoma City on date night, then I recommend you head here. You can have a romantic picnic, soar through the sky on the ferris wheel, get in some healthy competition with a game of cornhole, and then relax in a hammock under the stars.

Parking

There is a parking lot designated for the park area. Great news – it is free! If you put the ferris wheel into google maps, you will easily find the parking lot as it is located right beside the park.

Wheeler District OKC sign and ferris wheel

8) OPTIONAL: Additional Attractions in Oklahoma City

If you have additional time after completing the Oklahoma City itinerary above, then check out one or more of the following attractions! Moreover, you can complete almost all of the below fun things to do in Oklahoma City if you have an entire weekend.

First, step into an immersive art experience at Factory Obscura. Walk through room after room with varying artistic designs, interact with art displays, and just let your childlike wonder take over. Second, head to Riversport Adventures to get your adrenaline pumping. They have ziplines, paddleboard and kayak rentals, white-water rafting, surfing as well as snow skiing simulators, and a sky trail.

Third, check out one or more sporting events. Oklahoma has a basketball team called OKC Thunder as well as a baseball team called OKC Comets. Fourth, head out on a bike and brewery tour. People rave about the brewery scene in Oklahoma City. This is your chance to check out multiple breweries in just a couple of hours.

Fifth, (on a more serious note) take time to reflect at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. The museum is a memorial to the victims of the 1995 Murrah Building bombing.

Riding on the Bricktown Water Taxi through the canal

B) General Information on Oklahoma City

On to the logistics! Unfortunately the entire article cannot be about all of the fun things to do in Oklahoma City. In order to truly enjoy your time in the city, you need to make sure you have everything else set in place first. For example, do you have your plane tickets / know where the airport is located? Additionally, have you booked lodging / do you know where you want to stay? No worries if those questions are still unanswered – keep reading to figure out all of that information.

1) Location + Nearby Airports

Oklahoma City is not located where you might think…just kidding, it is located in Oklahoma. Nothing tricky about this one. Moreover, it is located in central Oklahoma. For reference, it is approximately a 1.5-hour drive southwest from Tulsa, OK.

In good news, Oklahoma City has an international airport: the OKC Will Rogers International Airport. However, this airport was only designated an international airport in 2024. Keep in mind that it might not have as many international flight options as other international airports just yet.

The airport is fairly close to the main city attractions. You will thus not lose too much precious time traveling from the airport to your first destination of the day on your Oklahoma City itinerary. For example, it is only a 15-minute drive from the airport to Bricktown. Unfortunately public transportation does not travel to the airport.

The next closest / best airport to Oklahoma City is the Tulsa International Airport. It is located about one hour and 45 minutes northeast. If you want to cross both cities off of your list, then you can fly into Tulsa and drive down to Oklahoma City or vice versa.

View of Oklahoma City skyline from Scissortail Park

2) Best Season to Visit

Similar to a lot of other cities, the best time to visit is during the shoulder seasons. More specifically, the best months are April, May, September, and October. The months of March and November are not bad options either, though they can have harsh cold spells from time to time.

The summer months are generally brutal because of the heat. Average temperatures remain in the low to mid 90s Fahrenheit (~33 to 35 Celsius) for most of the summer season. Unless you enjoy roasting in the sun or want to take advantage of any and all water activities, save your summer travel for someplace like Acadia National Park in Maine.

Winters are not unbearable to those of us who grew up in more northern states (shoutout to my home city of Pittsburgh). However, they still do not provide prime travel weather. The average highs can dip down into the 30s and 40s Fahrenheit (~negative one to four Celsius).

One additional thing to keep in mind – Oklahoma City can experience strong winds during any time of the year. However, the winds are often the most severe in the spring season. Such severe winds can lead to thunderstorms and tornadoes.

3) How to Get Around Oklahoma City

There are four main ways to get around Oklahoma City: (1) rental (or personal) car (2) public transportation (3) ride share service (4) walking and/or a bike.

First, you can easily drive around Oklahoma City. My partner and I rented a car from the airport (well, we actually rented it from St. Louis and drove down from there). Furthermore, we never had any issues with finding parking at any of the attractions mentioned above. For reference, we visited on a Sunday in mid-September.

Second, you can use public transportation to get from attraction to attraction. However, it is important to note that Oklahoma City only has buses, streetcars, and ferries. They do not have a metro system. That being said, the reach of their public transportation system is a bit smaller compared to other cities such as Washington, DC. For example, public transportation is not available at the airport. You will thus need to use another method of transportation to get from the airport into the city

Third, you can order a ride share service such as Uber or Lyft. While this option is a bit more expensive, it can be incredibly convenient if you do not have a car, walking would take too long, and/or public transportation is not available between your current location and next destination.

Fourth, you can walk and/or bike around the city. Most of the attractions included on this Oklahoma City itinerary are within a 30-minute walk from each other. While one or two might be a bit more, you can always bike to cut the time in half or possibly in third.

Looking through the OKC sign at Wheeler District to the ferris wheel

4) Where to Stay in Oklahoma City

First and foremost, there is no shortage of places to stay in Oklahoma City within walkable and lively areas. Nevertheless, arguably the best part of the city in which to stay is Downtown. However, Downtown is quite large and actually encompasses Midtown as well as Bricktown.

First, Midtown is located in the northwestern corner of Downtown. It is a walkable area with restaurants, pubs, and indie boutiques. Within Midtown, a highly recommended hotel is the Ambassador. For more of a retro experience, book a room at the Classen Inn Motel.

Second, Bricktown is located in the southeastern corner of Downtown. It is a popular tourist area full of shops, restaurants, and cruise tours. The Omni Hotel is a highly recommended hotel just one block west of Bricktown.

On the other hand, maybe you have a car and can be a bit more flexible on location. In that case, the Bradford House and The Ellison are popular hotels approximately 10 minutes north (by car) from Downtown.

A monument along the Bricktown canal

5) Recommended Items to Bring

There are not too many specific items you need to pack for this Oklahoma City itinerary, but let’s go over a few necessities.

If you are headed to Oklahoma City as part of a larger road trip, check out my cross-country road trip packing list as well as my winter road trip packing list. On the other hand, check out my minimalist travel backpack list if you are visiting OKC for one day or a weekend.

1. Reusable water bottle: I do not leave for a trip without my trusty reusable water bottle. It is important to stay hydrated, which is all too easy to forget when traveling.

2. Sunscreen: The Oklahoma City sun can be brutal. Trust me, I know. My partner and I visited in mid-September, and the temperature was in the low 90s Fahrenheit (~33 Celsius). Protect your skin!

3. Sunglasses: As mentioned above, Oklahoma City can be HOT. Give your eyes a break from squinting and pack your best pair of sunglasses.

4. Fanny pack: Travel in style with a fanny pack. It is the perfect size if you need just a bit of extra room to carry around items, for example a small bottle of sunscreen or a portable phone charger.

On the other hand, maybe you need an idea for what to get someone for their birthday as a travel gift? Head over to my list of 28 Travel Gifts for Couples (They Don’t Already Own) and Travel Essentials for Women: 27 Unique Items.

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In need of another day trip idea?: Best Things to Do in St. Louis: One Day Itinerary.

How about another!: How to Spend One Day in Sarasota, Florida.