By Jamie Bacon
Easy to get to and often overlooked, Oklahoma City offers Interliners a lot to do in a short amount of time.
Oklahoma City hosts a number of events throughout the year. With museums, parks, zoos, botanical gardens, clubs, two giant sporting venues, and a growing and bustling entertainment district, events are quite common with each offering a unique experience for those seeking to explore the depths of their passions and interests?
Easy to get to and often overlooked, Oklahoma City offers Interliners a lot to do in a short amount of time.
Oklahoma City hosts a number of events throughout the year. With museums, parks, zoos, botanical gardens, clubs, two giant sporting venues, and a growing and bustling entertainment district, events are quite common with each offering a unique experience for those seeking to explore the depths of their passions and interests.
Another popular annual event hosted by the museum is the Rodeo Weekend. Musical performances, lectures and benefit auctions are the highlights of this important event. It is also the occasion when potential inductees into the Rodeo Hall of Fame are recognized for their contributions to the rodeo industry.
There are events lined up for special occasions such as Thanksgiving Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter, and Memorial Day. One of the Memorial Day functions is the American Collegiate Rowing Association Championship featuring a Memorial Day weekend regatta on the Oklahoma River. The participants are teams from over 25 collegiate institutions that assemble at the Chesapeake Boathouse. The Paseo Arts Festival is another Memorial Day weekend event held at the historic Paseo Arts District.
Kids’ festivals are also popular in Oklahoma City, while concerts and live shows keep the audience entertained. The Bricktown district is also a hub of activity all year. There are plenty of hotels in Oklahoma City that cater to all the needs of the tourist population. Through shuttle services, the hotels make sure that their customers get to see the best of the city without missing these Oklahoma City events.
If you want to get into the spirit of the American West, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, located in the Adventure District of Oklahoma City, is where you need to go. This is the place in the United States to sample Western culture, art and history.
With 10 million and more tourists from around the globe having already visited the museum and experienced the heritage of the West, you are sure to get a much better understanding of this important facet of American culture once you pay a visit.
The museum is home to a great collection of artifacts and art related to the West. The museum also sponsors educational programs and scientific research into Western subjects. Paintings, firearms, Native American objects, and historical cowboy gear are the highlights here. Tourists are offered great shopping and dining opportunities as well.
Events such as exhibitions and educational programs are lined up almost every time of the year at the museum. An ongoing exhibition till May 3, 2009 is “American Indian Mural Painting in Oklahoma and the Southwest.” It is a great opportunity to observe full-size murals as well as studies from artists including, among others, Archie Blackowl (Cheyenne), Acee Blue Eagle (Creek/Pawnee), Woody Crumbo (Potawatomi), and Tonita Pena (San Ildefonso Pueblo).
The museum is easily accessible from hotels in the Adventure District. Hotels in Oklahoma City arrange shuttle services for customers to important tourist destinations in the city. With Oklahoma being an integral part of the American West tradition, you can’t leave the city without checking out the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.
There is a never ending list of things to do in Oklahoma City. From theatre and arts to food and wine, there is so much to experience in this much sought after destination.
Movie fans can look forward to catch a flick at the Warren Theatre. It offers a great atmosphere with a splash of movie memorabilia, state-of-the-art sound system, and giant screens. But the real attraction is the balcony option available on two screens every week. It is open for adults 21 years or above, and the deal includes refreshments from the bar as well as meals even while the movie is going on.
If you wish to enjoy movies of artistic quality and aren’t too keen on blockbusters, the Noble Theater should satisfy. Located within the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, you can watch some great movies that are just hard to come by. Short films, foreign films, classics, award nominees, are all shown here.
Shopping is always king size in Oklahoma City, with great malls around to offer that perfect ambiance. Penn Square Mall in Pennsylvania Avenue on Northwest Expressway offers a feeling of expensive shopping though it isn’t for the high heeled. Consisting of two levels and multiple wings, it features all your favorite stores and a food court.
The urban environment of Oklahoma City also caters enormously to nature and animal lovers chiefly through the spectacular Oklahoma State Zoo & Botanical Garden and the Myriad Botanical Gardens. The latter is a 17-acre facility featuring more than 1000 different species from six different continents. This is where you will spot really exotic plant life, breathtakingly beautiful and surreal landscapes, and tropical terrain. The main attractions are the Tropical Rain Forest Zone and Dry Tropical Zone.
When at Oklahoma City, you just cannot ignore the vibes from the Oklahoma City clubs. It is always party time here!
Tourists to any city look forward to spending an enjoyable time, mainly to relieve themselves from a hectic work schedule. Oklahoma City entertainment facilities are major factors that contribute to the city’s popularity among visitors.
For those who love the arts, the artist community of Paseo Arts District would be ideal. This historic area was once a shopping district, built in 1929. You will find 17 galleries or working studios, restaurants and bars. There is also the monthly gallery walk called “First Friday” that features wine tasting, live music and artistic demonstrations.
For high speed thrills and real excitement, Pole Position Raceway at NW 36th and May Avenue is a wonderful option. This is not a racetrack for open wheeled racers or sports cars, but for high speed go-karts. This indoor arena offers real racing excitement for those who drive and the spectators. Whether you are a fan of racing or not, you will never fail to get revved up here with the pulsating sound of the engines, the tires that squeal on the concrete floor, and the sheer air piercing go-karts traveling at 45 miles an hour electrifying the atmosphere. Following each race you can get an assessment of your performance. The best part is that you can rent the entire raceway for a private party or family gathering, or set up a group race with friends.
For wholesome entertainment for the kids, try the mini-golf courses at Celebration Station. Even adults can enjoy a game at any of the 3 varied and challenging full 18-hole miniature golf courses here.
White Water Bay in Oklahoma City is where you can enjoy some great water-based excitement. It features 25 acres of rides, slides, pools and everything you could possibly imagine. Some of the highlights of the park include the Mega-Wedgie six-story-tall slide, the Big Kahuna tube ride and the Castaway Creek where you could float leisurely.
As you can see there is much more to Oklahoma City that most people realize and it makes for a great weekend getaway for airline employees.