Day-by-Day Itinerary
Land, check in, and get oriented with an afternoon on the Bricktown Canal before a proper Oklahoma dinner to close the evening.
Morning
Arrive and settle in
Get into your hotel and take an hour to walk your neighborhood. If you're staying in Bricktown, head straight to the canal for a first look at the city's entertainment core. The converted warehouse district runs along a mile-long canal that replaced what was once a freight truck route — it's the kind of urban renewal story that worked, and it sets the tone for how OKC thinks about its own reinvention.
1-2 hours
$0
The Skirvin Hilton (downtown) and Hampton Inn & Suites Bricktown are both well-positioned for Day 1. Book at least two weeks ahead for weekend stays — Oklahoma City hotels fill quickly around Thunder game weekends.
Lunch
The Mule on Sheridan Avenue
American sandwiches, craft beer, and patio seating
Mid-range
Afternoon
Bricktown Canal Walk and Water Taxi Ride
The water taxi runs the full length of the Bricktown canal and costs $7 — worth doing once for orientation even if you'll walk it later on this trip. Afterward, browse the murals and storefronts along Sheridan and Oklahoma Avenues. Stop into Bricktown Candy for the local nostalgia factor, then walk to the bronze Mickey Mantle statue near the ballpark. Mantle grew up in northeastern Oklahoma, and the statue is better than most civic bronzes.
2-3 hours
$7-15
Evening
Dinner and a canal walk after dark
Dinner at Packard's New American Kitchen on Automobile Alley (10 minutes from Bricktown) for thoughtful seasonal cooking, or stay in the neighborhood at The Barrel + Mash for elevated comfort food. The canal is best-lit after dark — walk it back before turning in. Bricktown is one of the better things to do in Oklahoma City at night.
Where to Stay Tonight
Bricktown or Downtown Oklahoma City (Hampton Inn & Suites Bricktown or Skirvin Hilton Oklahoma City)
Both put you within walking distance of the first three days' main attractions. The Skirvin is a 1910 landmark hotel with genuine character; the Hampton is reliable and modern. Both are solid answers to the question of where to stay in Oklahoma City.
Parking in Bricktown is cheap at the Bricktown Parking Garage off Mickey Mantle Drive — $5-8 most evenings. Street parking on the edges of downtown is often free after 6pm.
Day 1 Budget: $120-180 (accommodation + lunch + water taxi + dinner)
The morning belongs to one of the country's most thoughtfully designed memorials. The afternoon pivots to art in the city's civic core.
Morning
Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum
Set aside a full morning here. The outdoor memorial — 168 empty chairs, the Survivor Tree, the reflecting pool — is open 24 hours and free. The museum inside requires a ticket and takes 1.5-2 hours; it documents the 1995 bombing with unflinching honesty and extraordinary care. The combination of both is moving without feeling manipulative. Go before 10am to have the outdoor space mostly to yourself. This is one of the most important things to do in Oklahoma City.
3-4 hours
$15 adults, $12 children (museum); outdoor memorial is free
No advance booking required, but arrive when they open at 9am on weekdays to beat school groups.
Lunch
Cheever's Cafe in Midtown
American with Southern influences, strong lunch menu
Mid-range
Afternoon
Oklahoma City Museum of Art
Located two blocks from the Memorial, OKCMOA holds the world's most complete collection of Dale Chihuly glass — the 55-foot tower of blown glass in the atrium justifies the visit on its own. The permanent collection includes solid American and European work from the 19th and 20th centuries. Thursday evenings the museum stays open until 9pm with free admission if you want to shift this visit to the end of another day.
2 hours
$15 adults, $10 students
Evening
Dinner in Midtown
Ludivine on Walker Avenue uses Oklahoma-sourced ingredients and changes its menu by season — probably the most serious kitchen in the city. It's small; make a reservation before this trip. Afterward, walk west on NW 10th Street to see the density of renovated buildings that define Midtown's character.
Where to Stay Tonight
Downtown or Midtown Oklahoma City (Continue at Day 1 hotel, or upgrade to 21c Museum Hotel)
21c is a contemporary art museum that also operates as a hotel — the public galleries run through all common areas. It's a distinctive place to stay and one of the better Oklahoma City hotels for design-minded travelers.
The Memorial's Survivor Tree — a 100-year-old American elm that survived the blast — sits at the east end of the outdoor memorial. Most visitors walk past it without realizing they can walk right up to it.
Day 2 Budget: $130-170 (museum tickets + lunch + dinner)
Oklahoma City's stockyards aren't a theme park — they're a functioning livestock market, and Stockyards City is the working neighborhood that grew up around them.
Morning
Oklahoma National Stockyards (Livestock Auction on Mondays and Tuesdays)
The Oklahoma National Stockyards holds cattle auctions most Mondays and Tuesdays — you can watch from the gallery free of charge. Even if you miss auction day, arrive before 10am to catch the activity: working cowboys on horses, livestock moving through chutes, the sound and smell of a genuine agricultural operation. Walk Exchange Avenue, which still has its original brick paving and the shops that have served ranchers for over a century — Western wear, feed stores, boot makers, all of them functional rather than decorative.
2-3 hours
$0
For the auction, arrive by 8am. It starts early and runs until midday. One of the best free things to do in Oklahoma City if you time it right.
Lunch
Cattlemen's Steakhouse on Exchange Avenue
Oklahoma steakhouse — beef, eggs, lamb fries, and breakfast served all day
Mid-range
Afternoon
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
One of the better museums in the country on any subject, the Cowboy Museum holds James Earle Fraser's 'End of the Trail' sculpture, a major collection of Frederic Remington and Charles Russell paintings, and a full recreated frontier town you can walk through. The contemporary Native American art wing is underappreciated by most visitors but strong. Budget at least three hours. This is the museum that most surprises people who were skeptical about visiting.
3 hours
$15.50 adults, $9.50 children
Free admission on the last Saturday of every month. Tickets available at the door.
Evening
Western-themed evening in Stockyards or Bricktown
For a continuation of the Western theme, check the Rodeo Opry schedule at Stockyards City. For something louder, Coyote Ugly Saloon in Bricktown has consistent evening energy. For a quieter close, the bar at Cattlemen's Steakhouse stays open after the kitchen.
Where to Stay Tonight
Continue at existing hotel (Downtown or Bricktown hotel)
Stockyards City is 10-15 minutes from downtown by car — no need to move hotels for one day in the southwest part of the city.
Langston's Western Wear on Exchange Avenue has been fitting rodeo competitors and working cowboys since 1927. Even if you're not buying, it's worth walking through to see the inventory — the selection of boots and hats is not curated for tourists.
Day 3 Budget: $100-150 (museum ticket + lunch at Cattlemen's + evening activity)
Two of OKC's most walkable arts neighborhoods, close enough to cover in one day without rushing.
Morning
Paseo Arts District
The Paseo is a crescent-shaped neighborhood of Spanish colonial revival buildings from the 1920s, now home to working artist studios, galleries, and cafes. The studios are generally open to visitors — unlike commercial galleries, many of these are actual workshops. First Friday Art Walk (monthly, 6-10pm) is the peak event, but on any weekday morning you can walk in unannounced and find artists at work. Start at the Paseo Arts Association building and work the loop.
2-3 hours
$0-20 depending on gallery purchases
Lunch
Cafe Evoke in Automobile Alley
Coffee, pastries, and light lunch fare — one of the best coffee programs in OKC
Budget
Afternoon
Plaza District Walk
NW 16th Street between Dewey and Hudson is OKC's most concentrated stretch of independent shops, murals, and restaurants. The neighborhood has a different energy than Paseo — more commercial, more young locals, with rotating pop-up markets on weekends. Look for the Ron Delano murals at 16th and Walker. Visit Forward Foods for locally made goods and Prairie Wolf Spirits tasting room if you want to sample Oklahoma-made spirits.
2-3 hours
$0-30
Evening
Live music at The Jones Assembly or dinner at Barrios
The Jones Assembly on W Sheridan hosts nationally recognized touring acts in a converted industrial space and has solid food. Check their calendar before this day — it's the best mid-size live music venue in the city and one of the top Oklahoma City events venues. Otherwise, dinner at Barrios Fine Mexican Dining on 39th Street, a long-running OKC institution.
Where to Stay Tonight
Midtown or Downtown (Continue at existing hotel)
Plaza District and Paseo are both within 10 minutes of downtown by car.
The free Oklahoma City events calendar at visitokc.com lists what's happening at First Fridays, Plaza District markets, and pop-up events across the city — worth checking before finalizing this day.
Day 4 Budget: $90-150 (lunch + afternoon + dinner + possible concert tickets $20-45)
Oklahoma City's parks are newer and better than the city gets credit for — today is the outdoor day, with free things to do in Oklahoma City for most of it.
Morning
Many Botanical Gardens
The 17-acre Myriad Botanical Gardens sit in the center of downtown. The Crystal Bridge Conservatory — a 224-foot cylindrical greenhouse — holds tropical and desert plants year-round and is beautiful to walk through regardless of the season. Admission is free on Sunday mornings. The surrounding park has good walking paths, a well-designed children's play area, and direct access to the OKC streetcar system.
1.5-2 hours
$8 for Crystal Bridge; park grounds are free
Lunch
Iron Starr Urban BBQ on NW 10th Street
Oklahoma-style BBQ with brisket, ribs, and housemade sides
Mid-range
Afternoon
Scissortail Park and the Wheeler District
Scissortail Park opened in 2019 and covers 70 acres from downtown to the Oklahoma River. The lake, walking trails, and pavilions are thoughtfully designed. From the south end, cross into the Wheeler District, a rapidly developing neighborhood where you'll find the Wheeler Ferris Wheel (operational on weekends, $5 a ride) and outdoor food trucks clustered near a vintage drive-in theater. The views back toward downtown from Wheeler are the best in the city.
3 hours
$5-15
Evening
Sunset from the Scissortail pedestrian bridge, then dinner
Catch sunset from the pedestrian bridge over I-40 in Scissortail Park — it frames the downtown skyline cleanly. Then head to Kitchen No. 324 on Park Avenue, which does local-sourced American cooking in a warmly lit room. This is a good night for a quieter dinner after a day of walking.
Where to Stay Tonight
Downtown or Bricktown (Continue at existing hotel)
Scissortail and Wheeler are accessible from downtown within 5-10 minutes on foot or by streetcar.
The OKC streetcar is free and connects Bricktown, the Medical District, Midtown, and the Myriad Gardens. Download the Embark OKC app to track real-time arrivals — it runs every 15-20 minutes and is the most useful transportation tool in the city.
Day 5 Budget: $80-130 (garden admission + lunch + ferris wheel + dinner)
Oklahoma's history is unusual — oil booms, the Dust Bowl, the Trail of Tears, Route 66, the land rush — and today you dig into it before the best dinner in the city.
Morning
Oklahoma History Center
One of the most underrated state history museums anywhere, the Oklahoma History Center covers the full arc from pre-contact indigenous nations through the oil boom, Dust Bowl, and Route 66 era to the present. The oil derrick out front is a working replica. The Native American artifacts collection and the Dust Bowl oral histories are the strongest sections — budget two full hours for the permanent collection.
2.5 hours
$7 adults, $5 seniors, children under 5 free
Lunch
Republic Gastropub on N Walker Avenue
American pub food with an extensive draft list of Oklahoma and regional craft beers
Mid-range
Afternoon
Oklahoma State Capitol and Automobile Alley
The Oklahoma State Capitol is one of the few state capitols with an operational oil well on the grounds — it pumped oil until 1986. The building is open for free self-guided tours and the interior murals and sculptures are worth a 30-minute walk-through. Then drive north to Automobile Alley, a stretch of NW 10th Street where 1920s-era car dealerships have become restaurants, design studios, and offices. Walk it south to north and plan about 90 minutes.
2.5 hours
$0
Evening
Dinner at Vast, 49th floor of Devon Tower
Vast holds unobstructed 360-degree views of the city and serves serious New American cooking. It's the occasion restaurant in OKC — reserve a week in advance on weekends. This is the right night for it: you've seen enough of the city now to orient yourself in the view and recognize where you've been.
Where to Stay Tonight
Downtown (Continue at existing hotel)
Devon Tower is walkable from most downtown Oklahoma City hotels.
The Capitol grounds have a statue of Will Rogers — the famous Oklahoma humorist and actor — that most visitors walk past. Rogers is buried in Claremore, about an hour east, if you want a half-day side trip not covered in this itinerary.
Day 6 Budget: $150-230 (history center + lunch + dinner at Vast runs $60-90 per person)
Oklahoma City sits along the original Route 66 alignment, and the last day traces it through the urban core before a final dinner and departure.
Morning
Route 66 Walk through Film Row
Oklahoma City's section of Route 66 runs through the Film Row district — a string of warehouses where movie distributors operated from the 1920s through the 1960s, now being renovated into creative offices and restaurants. Pick up the historical markers at Reno and Sheridan Avenues, the point where old Route 66 entered the city, and walk east toward Bricktown. The Gold Dome on NW 23rd Street — a former bank now operating as a food hall and event space — is also on the historic alignment and worth a detour.
2 hours
$0
Lunch
Pie Junkie on NW 16th Street in the Plaza District
Savory and sweet pies, coffee — one of those places locals love
Budget
Afternoon
Science Museum Oklahoma or Deep Deuce exploration
If traveling with kids, Science Museum Oklahoma on NE 52nd Street has strong hands-on exhibits and a planetarium — plan 2-3 hours and it's one of the top things to do in Oklahoma City with kids. For adults without children, Deep Deuce (north of Bricktown along NE 2nd Street) is OKC's historically Black neighborhood, now experiencing reinvestment. Several jazz-era murals and historical markers tell its story. Finish at Bricktown for any last shopping before departure.
2-3 hours
$15 Science Museum adults; $0 for Deep Deuce walk
Evening
Farewell dinner in Bricktown
Check whether the OKC Dodgers (Triple-A baseball) have a home game at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark — the ballpark experience is low-key and fun, and the neighborhood buzzes on game nights. For dinner, Mickey Mantle's Steakhouse on Sheridan does a solid classic steak dinner. Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill has live music most evenings if you want a louder close.
Where to Stay Tonight
Bricktown (final night) (Same hotel, or the Colcord Hotel if upgrading for the last night)
Stay close to the departure route. Will Rogers World Airport is 10 miles southwest of downtown — an easy drive or $20-28 rideshare.
Will Rogers World Airport is small enough that you can leave your hotel 90 minutes before a domestic flight and make it comfortably. TSA lines rarely exceed 20 minutes outside of holiday weekends.
Day 7 Budget: $100-160 (lunch + optional museum + farewell dinner)