Have Kids, Will Travel: Oklahoma City

When you are asked where you would go to have a quick weekend getaway with your family, what would you say?

Austin? San Antonio? Broken Bow, OK? Turner Falls, OK?

What about Oklahoma City? Would you suggest it?

Honestly, prior to my recent visit to OKC, I would not have thought to take a family vacation to Oklahoma City. There aren't any famous lakes or amusement parks. It's not a "known destination" by any means. 

And that is exactly why Oklahoma City needs to be the spot you run to for your next weekend escape!

The EA crew headed to Oklahoma City for a fun weekend getaway. The drive from Arlington was super easy- just 35W straight north for about three hours. We had a full itinerary of things to see and do during our three days in OKC and couldn't wait to hit the ground running!

We started our weekend festivities at Scissortail Park. And, y'all, this park ROCKS! It is similar to Klyde Warren Park in Dallas, only it's not surrounded by busy streets and crazy traffic. This park has a stage for entertainment, large open areas for sports, a fantastic playground for kids of all ages, a splash area for younger ones to get wet, bathrooms, a pond (with rentable paddle boats) and SO much more. We easily could have spent a full day here running, playing and soaking up the Oklahoma sunshine. This is definitely a spot to add to your list to let the kids run off some energy and just have an easy, breezy, free afternoon of fun!

I think know the part my kiddos will tell you they loved the most about Oklahoma City was the Science Museum. Guys- This. Museum. Is. COOL. I seriously don't think there are enough words to describe how impressed we all were with the science museum. There is just SO much to do. Ride a Segway. Try out gymnastics. Trick your mind. Learn about the history of the bicycle. Play life-size versions of your favorite games. Climb and play in the kids' area. Check out some airplanes from yesteryear. I could go on. We spent four hours here and easily could have spent four more! There is an on-site cafe and coffee shop, as well as a gift shop, so you can truly plan an entire day here. I really can't say enough good things about this museum, and everyone I've talked to that has been says the same thing- OKC is worth a weekend trip for the Science Museum alone! Throw in Scissortail Park and you're totally going to win parent of the year award in your kiddos' eyes!

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a spot to check out with the kids and then go back without the kids! My girls adored the replica Old West Town inside the museum- complete with a jail cell they loved being "locked" in! And the new outdoor area, Liichokoshkomo’ (Let's Play!), is a gorgeous outdoor space with lots of room for kids to roam. Check out the different dwellings Native Americans lived in, play on the playground, relax by the waterfall... The sheer beauty of this outdoor space will knock your socks off! Go back later without the kiddos and check out all the fantastic art pieces depicting life in North American hundreds of years ago. 

Blue Zoo OKC wasn't a spot I was expecting to love. We have both SeaLife Aquarium in Grapevine and SeaQuest Aquarium in Fort Worth. We've been to each of these locations countless times (and love them) but weren't expecting Blue Zoo to be any different. But I love being wrong- and I certainly was this time! Blue Zoo entertained my girls for hours! Downstairs, you can pet stingrays and observes sharks in the shark tank. Upstairs, though, you really get to let loose! Not only are there plenty of areas for kids to roam, climb and play (my kiddos loved the climbing wall), you can feed birds (they come right up to you!), pet lizards and turtles and stick your hands in a tank full of manicure fish! Yep. Manicure fish. Little fish that will come up and nibble on the dead skin on your hands! I had a pedicure with these fish years ago in South Korea... It's an experience to say the least! My girls were fascinated, though, and spent at least 20 minutes with their hands in the tank! There is a mermaid show in the evenings, which my 6 year old loved. They mermaids even swam in the shark tank! Impressive to the younger set.

The Wheeler Ferris Wheel is a fun stop for the kids after dinner (and ice cream!) one evening. The views are peaceful and gorgeous from the top of the Ferris Wheel, and the girls really enjoyed the carnival ride. Afterward, grab a hammock and relax by the south fork of the Oklahoma River!

Other activities we loved in OKC:

Aqueous, a free light installation outside the Oklahoma Contemporary Museum by artist Jen Lewin, was a fun way to burn some energy after the sun set. 

The Oklahoma City National Memorial is a peaceful and stunning memorial dedicated to the Oklahoma City Bombing. My girls had so many questions about the hows and whys of this event. While I couldn't answer very many of them, we were thankful to be able to wander through this tribute to the victims and learn a little bit about their lives.

Myriad Gardens is another great spot to wander and explore for free. Be sure to check out the childrens area with littles!

Brickopolis- laser tag and mini golf and video games, oh my!

One of our favorite spots to eat in OKC was Bricktown Brewery. So many great beers on tap! Plus a reasonably-priced kids' menu, delicious appetizers and more! Look this up for sure! We also really enjoyed hanging out at Chisholm Creek Market. Lots of eateries (with adult beverages!), ice cream spots and places for the kids to run wild while you relax.

What did I miss? When we return to OKC (and we will because we loved it so much!), what hot spots do we need to add to our list of places to visit?

*Please note: I received free accommodations as well free admission to many of these attractions in exchange for my honest reviews. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*