9 Best Things to Do in Oklahoma

The Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa offers a wide range of works in a historic 1920s villa that was once the home of Waite Phillips, the famed Oklahoma oil magnate. The museum is set on huge grounds that include immaculate, colorful, and verdant gardens. It opened as an art museum in 1939, and it offers everything from history and popular and important works of art to serene walks through formal gardens. It draws over 160,000 visitors every year and is focused on media and styles dedicated to Native American art, weaving, pottery, jewelry, and paintings.

The Toy and Action Figure Museum is an unusual and quirky museum that celebrates the entire history of toys and action figures throughout history. At this charming and unique museum, you'll see thousands of action figures, toys, and amusements from your childhood, your children's childhood, and even your grandparents' childhood. Whether you're a collector of antique toys, a fan of the action figures and cartoons of the 1980s and '90s, or into the collectible toy renaissance of the current era, you'll find exhibits, artifacts, education, and information here to charm and thrill you and your kids alike.

The Marland Estate Mansion is a breathtaking mansion that covers 43,561 square feet and is built in the Mediterranean Revival architectural style. It was the home of E.W. Marland and his family and is dedicated to their life and the effect they had on the Ponca City region. This was the first mansion that Marland built, and it remains furnished today in the same way it was in 1928. The mansion is filled with a vast collection featuring hundreds of artifacts and possessions owned by the Marland family. Tours are available, and you can learn all about the history of this fascinating family line or walk the grounds and enjoy the verdant green grass, colorful flowers, and serene walking paths.

The Museum of the Great Plains is a great destination for families. This children's museum features major exhibits that educate and celebrate the diversity of indigenous cultures that once inhabited the Great Plains region, dating back to the Clovis Paleo-Indians who lived here around 11,500 BCE. The exhibits are expressly geared toward children, but they should entertain and educate kids and grown-ups of all ages. Many are hands-on and interactive, and it's a fun and engaging way to explore and appreciate these ancient cultures that came before us.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial is a national monument that memorializes the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing and honors the survivors, rescuers, and heroes who took part in the aftermath. The memorial, located in the downtown area at the site of the bombing, stands in tribute to everyone who was affected by the event and includes a reflecting pool, children's area, and more. A trip to this outdoor memorial and its accompanying museum offers insight and perspective on the bombing and its lingering effect on the city.

The Oklahoma City Zoo offers a collection of animals that will thrill kids, plus so much more. Of course, there are over 1,900 creatures that call this zoo home, and kids will love seeing lions, tigers, and other animals in their native habitats, but it also includes a lush botanical garden with walking paths through shaded canopies featuring the brilliant colors of native and exotic flora. Some of the notable exhibits include the Noble Aquatic Center, the Children's Zoo, and the Great EscApe.

The Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve, located in the Osage Hills, is a place where the family can go to see a wide range of native and exotic wildlife living in their natural habitats. It was first established in the 1920s as a ranch and retreat for oil magnate Frank Phillips and covers 3,700 acres of space. The preserve is home to creatures like buffalo, functions as a working ranch, and houses a vast art museum that traces the story of the cultural development of human beings in the Americas, with a focus on the prehistoric peoples of the Plains in the Oklahoma area.

The Center of the Universe, in the heart of downtown Tulsa, is one of the strangest, most haunting, and mysterious attractions in the entire world. The location has no landmark designations, no signs, and no pointers. It's just a circle at the heart of downtown, but it is the site of an unexplained acoustic phenomenon, where if you make any noise while standing at the center of the circle, that noise is reflected back to you, and it's much louder than you originally made it. It attracts at least 10,000 visitors every year to experience this wildly fun and undeniably weird phenomenon.