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Bricktown Entertainment District, Oklahoma City - Things to Do at Bricktown Entertainment District

Things to Do at Bricktown Entertainment District

Complete Guide to Bricktown Entertainment District in Oklahoma City

About Bricktown Entertainment District

Bricktown Entertainment District sprawls along a mile-long canal in the eastern shadow of downtown Oklahoma City, and it surprises you with how thoroughly a city can reinvent abandoned warehouses. The brick is real, turn-of-the-century industrial buildings that once housed cotton mills, breweries, and produce wholesalers, and the patina on those walls has not been faked for tourists. You will hear the slap of water taxi engines on the canal, the bass thump leaking out of bars on Mickey Mantle Drive, and on game nights the roar from Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark carrying across the whole district. The air smells like smoked brisket from the BBQ joints and, depending on which way the wind cuts, the faintly yeasty edge of the breweries that have moved into the old industrial shells. The district works in two distinct registers. By day it is mellow, families pushing strollers along the canal walkway, business lunches spilling out of restored brick storefronts, the occasional Oklahoma Spirit Trolley clanging past. By night, Thursday through Saturday, it transforms into Oklahoma City's main going-out zone, and the energy can tip from lively to rowdy near the strip of bars along the eastern end. Bricktown is compact enough to walk end-to-end in fifteen minutes. But the canal loop, the ballpark, and the Centennial Land Run Monument anchor three distinct corners that each justify a stop. What makes the district stick in memory is the canal itself, a roughly mile-long waterway carved through the warehouse district in the late 1990s, lined with restaurants whose patios hang over the water. It is an unmistakably Oklahoman take on the San Antonio Riverwalk model: a little less polished, a little more eccentric, with public art that ranges from the moving (the Land Run Monument's bronze settlers and horses charging across an inlet) to the cheerfully odd. Locals will tell you it is touristy. I think it is touristy for good reason.

What to See & Do

Bricktown Canal and Water Taxis

The canal runs roughly a mile through the district, and the narrated water taxi rides are the laziest, most pleasant way to get oriented. Boats are open-topped, the guides lean heavily on Oklahoma City history and bad jokes in roughly equal measure, and the loop takes about forty minutes. Tickets are budget-friendly and you can hop on near the Lower Bricktown end. The canal lights up after dark, which is when the photos work best.

Centennial Land Run Monument

Sculptor Paul Moore's bronze tableau commemorates the 1889 Land Run, and once finished it will be one of the largest bronze sculptures in the world, settlers on horseback, wagons mid-charge, dogs running alongside, all caught in the moment of the rush. The figures spill across an inlet of the canal, so you can walk among them at eye level. It is unexpectedly affecting in person, at dusk when the bronze catches the low light.

Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark

Home of the Oklahoma City Comets (the Dodgers' Triple-An affiliate), the ballpark is a red-brick beauty modeled on Camden Yards, with the downtown skyline rising right over the outfield wall. Game nights are the district's heartbeat, fireworks Friday in summer, dollar-hot-dog nights, the works. Even if you are not a baseball person, catching a few innings on a warm evening is one of the most Oklahoman things you can do here.

American Banjo Museum

This is the kind of niche museum you do not expect to love and then do. The collection houses over 400 instruments, many of them lavishly engraved and inlaid Jazz Age banjos that look more like jewelry than instruments. Live demonstrations happen happen most afternoons, and there is something disarming about watching a curator pick out a 1920s Gibson and suddenly fill the room with sound. It is a quiet, air-conditioned hour that pairs well with a hot afternoon.

Harkins Bricktown 16 and the Brewery Strip

Anchoring the Lower Bricktown end, the 16-screen cinema is a useful rainy-day or summer-afternoon hideout, and the surrounding blocks have filled in with brewpubs, places like Bricktown Brewery, the original on Oklahoma Avenue, where the wheat beer and the chicken-fried steak somehow both work. The strip runs hardest on weekends. Mondays and Tuesdays you can have a patio table without waiting, which is its own kind of pleasure.

Practical Information

Opening Hours

The district itself is open 24 hours and freely walkable. Most restaurants run roughly 11am to 10pm weekdays, later on weekends. Bars typically push to 2am Thursday through Saturday. Water taxis generally run from late morning until around 10pm in summer, with reduced winter hours. The American Banjo Museum is closed Mondays.

Tickets & Pricing

Walking the canal and the district is free. Water taxi rides are budget-friendly, with discounts for kids and seniors. Comets baseball tickets range from cheap upper-deck seats to a mid-range splurge behind home plate, still significantly cheaper than most MLB tickets. Banjo museum admission is modest. Bricktown parking garages charge a flat evening rate that is reasonable by big-city standards.

Best Time to Visit

April through June and September through October are the sweet spots, warm evenings, manageable humidity, baseball in season. July and August get hot, though the canal walkway has enough shade and the indoor venues compensate. Weekends are livelier but louder. If you want the district at its calmest, come on a Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon. Avoid: Friday and Saturday nights if rowdy bar crowds are not your thing.

Suggested Duration

A relaxed half-day covers the canal loop, the Land Run Monument, and a meal. If you are catching a Comets game or a movie, plan a full evening, arrive around 5pm, walk the canal in daylight, eat, then head to the ballpark. Serious museum stops or a brewery tour push it toward a full day.

Getting There

Bricktown sits immediately east of downtown Oklahoma City. Walk from most downtown hotels in under ten minutes via the pedestrian underpass beneath the railroad tracks. The Oklahoma City Streetcar loops through downtown and into Bricktown with several stops in the district. Fares are budget-friendly, and a day pass covers unlimited rides. Driving in, the Sheridan Avenue and Reno Avenue exits off I-40 dump you near the district's edge. Parking garages along E.K. Gaylord Boulevard and Mickey Mantle Drive are the easiest options on busy nights. Rideshare pickup and drop-off zones are clearly marked along Sheridan. From Will Rogers World Airport, it's roughly a fifteen-minute drive, longer at rush hour.

Things to Do Nearby

Oklahoma City National Memorial
About a fifteen-minute walk west, the memorial to the 1995 Murrah Building bombing is the most powerful site in the city. The Field of Empty Chairs and the reflecting pool between the Gates of Time are designed for quiet contemplation. The indoor museum walks through the day in unflinching detail. Pairs well with Bricktown as a deliberate emotional counterweight to the entertainment district. Sober in the morning, lively in the evening.
Many Botanical Gardens and Crystal Bridge
A ten-minute walk southwest, the gardens give you fifteen acres of landscaped grounds plus the Crystal Bridge Conservatory. The tubular glass greenhouse is stuffed with rainforest and desert plantings. The outdoor lake and lawn are free. The conservatory charges a small admission. It's a leafy reset between Bricktown's brick canyons and the harder concrete of the rest of downtown.
Scissortail Park
South across the railroad tracks, Scissortail is the city's newest signature green space. Seventy acres hold a lake, playgrounds, and a performance lawn that hosts free summer concerts. The pedestrian Skydance Bridge connects the upper and lower halves. It's a five-minute walk from Bricktown's southern edge. Works as a morning stroll before the district wakes up.
Stockyards City
About a ten-minute drive southwest, Stockyards City is the working remnant of OKC's cattle past. Boot makers, hatters, and Cattlemen's Steakhouse, which has been serving Oklahoma ranchers since 1910. Monday and Tuesday cattle auctions at the adjacent Oklahoma National Stockyards are open to the public and free. It's a different register from Bricktown's polished brick and worth the short trip.
Bricktown Riverwalk via Boathouse District
Following the Oklahoma River south of downtown, the Boathouse District has Olympic-grade rowing facilities and the RIVERSPORT Adventures park. Whitewater rafting, zip lines, and the country's tallest adventure tower await. The bike trail from Bricktown along the river is flat and pleasant. Pairs well with Bricktown for travelers who want active outdoor time alongside the canal-and-restaurants experience.

Tips & Advice

Catch the water taxi around sunset. The canal lighting kicks on, the temperature drops. The same forty-minute loop you'd find merely pleasant at noon becomes the photo you'll keep.
Comets game nights, Friday fireworks nights in summer, can clog the streetcar and parking by 6pm. Arrive by 5 for a walking lap of the canal before first pitch. Budget extra time if driving in.
The bar strip along the eastern end of Sheridan tends to get rowdy after 10pm on weekends. Fine if that's your scene. Worth avoiding if you're traveling with kids. The canal-side restaurants at the Lower Bricktown end stay calmer.
Skip the chain restaurants right on the canal. Favor the side streets instead. Places one block off the water tend to be locally owned, less expensive. The patio crowd is more interesting.
If you're visiting in July or August, do the canal walk in the morning before 10am or after 8pm. Midday heat off the brick and concrete can hit harder than the temperature suggests.
The Oklahoma Spirit Trolley (now part of the streetcar system) makes a useful free-ish hop between Bricktown, the Memorial, and Midtown. Pick up a day pass. You can string together three neighborhoods without moving the car.
Bricktown Brewery's original location on Oklahoma Avenue is the one with character. The suburban offshoots aren't the same room. Order the wheat beer and the chicken-fried steak. Locally a near-religious combination.

Tours & Activities at Bricktown Entertainment District

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Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Bricktown Entertainment District in Oklahoma City?

Bricktown is a revitalized historic warehouse district just east of downtown Oklahoma City, transformed in the 1990s from derelict grain storage buildings into OKC's most visited entertainment hub. The district centers on a mile-long canal lined with restaurants, bars, live music venues, and public art, and it anchors the city's sports and nightlife scene. It's walkable, compact, and easy to spend an entire evening in without moving your car.

What Makes Bricktown Oklahoma City's Premier Entertainment District?

Bricktown earns its status by layering several draws into a single walkable area: a working canal with water taxis, a minor-league ballpark, dozens of restaurants and bars, and a year-round event calendar. The preserved brick warehouse architecture gives it a distinct character missing from most Sunbelt cities, and its proximity to the Paycom Center arena means crowds before and after Thunder games and concerts funnel naturally through the district.

What Hotels Are Located in or Near Bricktown Oklahoma City?

The Hampton Inn & Suites Oklahoma City Bricktown is the closest full-service hotel, sitting steps from the canal and ballpark. The Marriott Oklahoma City Downtown and Aloft OKC Downtown-Bricktown are also within easy walking distance. Rates vary widely by season and event schedule — expect to pay a premium on Thunder game nights and during Opening Night on New Year's Eve.

How Does the Bricktown Water Taxi Work?

The Bricktown Water Taxi runs electric boats along the roughly one-mile canal, with stops at several points including near the ballpark and the main restaurant row. It operates seasonally, generally spring through fall, and tickets are inexpensive — typically a few dollars per ride or a flat day pass. It's more of a sightseeing experience than a transit shortcut, but it's a genuinely pleasant way to see the district, especially at dusk.

What Events Happen in Bricktown Okc Throughout the Year?

Bricktown's event calendar is anchored by Oklahoma City Dodgers baseball at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark from April through September, plus Oklahoma City Thunder games nearby at Paycom Center. The district also hosts food festivals, outdoor concerts along the canal, and is the epicenter of OKC's Opening Night New Year's Eve celebration. Check the Bricktown Association website for the current schedule, as one-off events fill in throughout the year.

What Is the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark?

The Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark is a 13,000-seat minor-league stadium and home to the Oklahoma City Dodgers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. It opened in 1998 and is consistently ranked among the best minor-league parks in the country for its sight lines, atmosphere, and proximity to restaurants you can walk to before the game. Tickets are affordable and the ballpark is a genuine community gathering place, not just a tourist stop.

What Is Brickopolis in Bricktown?

Brickopolis is a family-oriented entertainment center in the Bricktown area offering laser tag, mini golf, go-karts, and arcade games — making it one of the few spots in the district explicitly geared toward kids and families. It's a useful option if you're visiting with children who may not share your enthusiasm for restaurant-hopping. Check their current hours and attraction availability directly, as offerings can change seasonally.

Is the Hampton Inn & Suites Oklahoma City Bricktown Worth Staying At?

The Hampton Inn & Suites Bricktown is a reliable mid-range choice with the single biggest advantage in the district: location. You're within a five-minute walk of the canal, ballpark, and main restaurant strip without needing to park or call a rideshare. Rooms are standard Hampton quality — clean, comfortable, predictable — which is exactly what you want as a base for exploring the district on foot.

What Are the Best Restaurants in Bricktown Okc?

Bricktown has evolved well beyond its early sports-bar phase. Patrono is a local favorite for upscale Italian along the canal, while Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill is the most famous (and unapologetically touristy) option in the district. For a more local experience, explore the side streets just beyond the main canal strip where independent spots tend to be less crowded on game nights. Reservations are strongly recommended on weekends and any night the Thunder or Dodgers are playing.

What Is the Bricktown Canal and How Long Is It?

The Bricktown Canal is a man-made waterway running approximately one mile through the heart of the district, completed in 1999 as the centerpiece of the area's urban redevelopment. It's lined with restaurants with patio seating, public sculptures, landscaped walking paths, and murals — and it's the reason Bricktown feels more like a destination than a strip of bars. Walking the full canal loop, including both sides, takes about 20–30 minutes at a casual pace.

What Is Opening Night in Bricktown on December 31?

Opening Night is Oklahoma City's official New Year's Eve celebration, centered in and around Bricktown, and it's one of the largest free family-friendly New Year's events in the American Midwest. The event typically features live entertainment at multiple stages, food and drink vendors, a children's midnight countdown held earlier in the evening, and a midnight fireworks display. Plan for large crowds, book accommodations months in advance, and expect parking to be a challenge — arriving by rideshare or light rail is the smarter play.

How Do I Get to Bricktown from Downtown Oklahoma City Without a Car?

Bricktown is a 10–15 minute walk east from the heart of downtown OKC, and the route is straightforward and well-marked. The OKC Streetcar also connects downtown hotels and the convention center to Bricktown on a free-to-ride circuit, making it the easiest transit option. Rideshare drop-off works well too — have your driver drop you at the canal entrance on East Sheridan Avenue for the most central starting point.

What Is the History Behind Bricktown's Transformation from Warehouses to Entertainment District?

Bricktown's warehouse buildings date mostly from the 1900s–1920s, built to service the cotton and grain trade along the railroad lines that ran through this part of OKC. By the 1980s the district had largely emptied out, but a grassroots push by local business owners and the city's penny sales tax-funded MAPS urban renewal program in the early 1990s funded the canal, streetscaping, and infrastructure that attracted private investment. The ballpark opened in 1998, the canal in 1999, and what followed was one of the more successful downtown revival stories in the South.