Exactly How to Spend One Perfect Day in OKC
Oklahoma City is a wonderful place to visit and spend the day! There are many activities within the city, and everyone will find something they love to do, from visiting Bricktown, Scissortail Park, and the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. There is even a place to go whitewater rafting! We are sharing how to spend one perfect day in OKC!
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Oklahoma City Travel Guide
Who would have thought you could take a water taxi through the middle of a city on the Great Plains or go whitewater rafting?!
We want to help you have the best time visiting. Read more to find out how to have an awesome trip with this Oklahoma City travel guide!
Where to Go for a Day Trip in Oklahoma City
One of the great things about Oklahoma City is that there are many different places and attractions to visit. If you’re planning a quick trip to OKC, we recommend spending the day in Bricktown or the Boat District.
Visitors can stay, eat, and play in the OKC Bricktown District and be within walking distance of many things to see and do.
We like to walk around when we explore cities – then we don’t have to worry about renting a car or taking many taxis or Ubers.
Now, let’s get you all the tips on what to do in Oklahoma City, focusing on hanging out around Bricktown!
Top 10 Things to Do
- Explore Bricktown
- Ride the Bricktown Water Taxi
- Enjoy Restaurants in Bricktown
- Check out Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark
- Walk to Scissortail Park & Visit the Skydance Bridge
- Visit OKC National Memorial & Museum
- See the Centennial Land Run Monument
- Check out the Oklahoma City Convention Center
- Visit Myriad Botanical Gardens
- Go Rafting at Riversport Adventures
1. Explore Bricktown
Bricktown is known as the entertainment district in Oklahoma City. There is a plethora of dining, bars, clubs, retail stores, hotels, art, and tourist attractions to check out.
You can also rent scooters and bikes if you want to cruise around.
2. Ride the Bricktown Water Taxi
Take a ride along the Bricktown Canal with the Bricktown Water Taxi service.
There is a kiosk to book a ride, and visitors can also make reservations online.
Who would have thought you could take a water taxi through the middle of a city on the Great Plains! This reminds me of San Antonio and it is so much fun.
3. Enjoy Restaurants in Bricktown
There are a lot of fun eateries and restaurants in the Bricktown District.
We really like steak and have had a good experience at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar.
Check out the Bricktown Visitors Guide Map to pick out other restaurants such as Brickopolis, Bricktown Brewery, The Melting Pot, and more.
Yes, there is a Starbucks in Bricktown.
Restaurant and bar hopping is always a fun thing to do in Oklahoma City at night.
4. Check out Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark
Catch a Dodger minor league baseball game at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
Or walk around the outside and take pictures. There are neat sculptures and art at the entrances.
5. Walk to Scissortail Park and Visit Skydance Bridge
You have to check out Scissortail Park in OKC!
Yes, that intriguing-looking bridge you can see from almost everywhere in OKC – is also known as the Scissor Tail Bridge because the Scissortail bird is Oklahoma’s State Bird. The bridge architecture literally looks like a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.
Grab your special someone and walk across the Skydance Bridge (Scissortail Bridge). Visitors place locks as a symbol of love and friendship along the fence of the Skydance Bridge. This is a special thing to do for couples in OKC.
While visiting, you might also enjoy the roller-skating rink, Sky Rink, and seasonal OSU-OKC Farmers Market at the park.
6. Visit OKC National Memorial & Museum
People come from around the world to pay respects and honor those who lost their lives on April 19, 1995, during the Oklahoma City Bombing. In addition, there is a beautiful memorial and museum which acts as a symbol of remembrance of how horrible violence is. This memorial honors the victims, survivors, and rescuers.
The annual America the Beautiful National Park Pass is not accepted here.
7. See the Centennial Land Run Monument
The Centennial Land Run Monument is an incredible bronze sculpture commemorating the Land Run of 1889 for Unassigned Land in the Oklahoma Territory.
It is one of the most extensive bronze sculptures in the world by artist Paul Moore. It truly is a sight to see.
8. Check out the Oklahoma City Convention Center
If visiting Scissortail Park and the Skydance Bridge, walk across the street and see OKC’s new Convention Center. It is really nice!
If you’re visiting OKC during the summer, it is a reprieve from the heat to go inside and walk around. You might even catch an event such as a trade show or concert.
9. Visit Myriad Botanical Gardens
Just north of Scissortail Park, you can walk to the Myriad Botanical Gardens. It is a 15-acre botanical garden and it is free to enter.
The Myriad Botanical Gardens also offers FREE outdoor events such as yoga, hip hop cardio, and reading classes. Visit the events calendar for more information.
10. Go Rafting at Riversport Adventures
Alright – if you’re not from OKC, you might be wondering how you can possibly go rafting on the plains in the middle of Oklahoma. Don’t worry; we felt the same before we moved to Oklahoma!
Oklahoma City has a Boathouse District.
Guess what else? OKC has the US Olympic & Paralympic Training Site.
Spending the day at the Boathouse District is so awesome, especially if you love watersport adventures likes us.
Visiting Riversport Adventures makes for the perfect day in OKC. You can surf, go whitewater rafting, tubing, and stand-up paddleboarding.
Other Questions You May Have Planning a Trip to OKC
Is there a place to park in Bricktown?
Yes, there is plenty of paid parking in designated Bricktown parking areas.
Trip tip: If you’re coming to OKC for the day from the surrounding area, parking at Bass Pro Shops is free.
What is there to do in OKC for free?
Walking around Bricktown is free.
Other free activities include visiting Scissortail Park, the Skydance Bridge, and touring around. Visiting the Centennial Land Run Monument is also free.
The Myriad Botanical Gardens offers FREE yoga classes and other outdoor events.
Is it safe to walk around Bricktown?
Yes, we walked around all day and felt safe.
Always be aware when traveling in any city worldwide – get acquainted with your surroundings and be smart.
Where should I stay when visiting OKC Bricktown for a day?
There are a lot of beautiful hotels in the Bricktown District.
Check out these places:
What is Oklahoma City known for?
It is called the horse show capital of the world. The Oklahoma State Fair is a big deal, and it happens in September.
Oklahoma City is also known as the home base for the OKC Thunder if you love basketball.
What are things to do in OKC this weekend?
This article lists great things to do in OKC on the weekend. There are so many fun activities to check out.
The next time we visit, we plan on spending an entire day at Riversport Adventures.
If for some reason, you do have a car or are maybe more local and want to visit Lake Hefner, there is a beautiful, paved trail around the lake to run, walk, bike, or paddle.
There is also the Oklahoma City Boat Club at Lake Hefner that hosts sailing races.
Final Thoughts Visiting Oklahoma City
We hope you have the best time visiting Oklahoma City. There are so many fun things to do.
We are sure that by exploring this beautiful city, catching a water taxi ride around Bricktown, touring Scissortail Park, and enjoying watersports at Riversport Adventures, not only will your visit be an enjoyable one, but it will be filled with plenty of memorable adventures. Because, did you really know you could take a water taxi ride through a city in the Great Plains or go whitewater rafting? We didn’t before we moved to Oklahoma. Have fun ya’ll!
Ashlee & Pablo
Discover More Oklahoma Adventures
Are you searching for outdoor things to do in Oklahoma? We’ve got you covered!
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- How to Spend 48 Hours in Tulsa | Local’s Guide
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Bricktown District looks like so much fun! The public art is amazing. I have never been to OK, but this blog post inspires me to visit!
Hi Yvonne! OKC is great to visit and so is Tulsa. Oklahoma also has some nice state parks.
I’m so impressed with all these great things about OKS. But visiting Riversport Adventures would be a must for me.
You will have a blast visiting Riversport! Have a great time exploring OKC!
Who knew there were so many things to do in OKC! Taking a boat ride on the Bricktown Canal and seeing the beautiful Myriad Botanical Gardens sound like two amazing ways to spend a day in OKC. Thanks for sharing all of these.
Thanks, Cris! OKC does have some unexpected surprises for being in the Plains. We always have a blast visiting! Hope you have a nice rest of the summer.
I haven’t been to OKC but it looks like quite an interesting place that has something to offer every traveler! The ballpark, monuments, and bridge all look so neat. I’ll definitely be referring back to this if I plan a trip there!
Hi Chelsea – thanks for leaving a comment. OKC is fun to explore if you’ve never been. You’ll have to check out Bricktown when you visit.
We love visiting OKC! There are so many cool neighborhoods and restaurants near downtown.
Hi Stacy! Thanks for reading. OKC is so cool. Have a great rest of the summer.
Hola Querida Ashlee, Me encanta la cantidad de cosas que pueden hacer y ver tan cerca de vuestro hogar.
Me facino el Taxi acuatico que pasa por la ciudad.
El Monumento epico del Centenario Land Run.Les mando mi abrazo desde Argentina
¡Hola Cristina! Gracias por leer. ¡Te amamos!
This is a great day in OKC for sure. We loved our visit there and were surprised at how much the city had to offer! Bricktown was a great little area for sure.
Hi Michelle! Thanks for reading! OKC is such a fun city to visit. It definitely has some surprises.
I keep hearing about how great OKC is and this gives me a little insight as to why! People love it! That water taxi looks amazing; I had no idea this was a thing in OKLAHOMA! Thanks for putting this together; you did a great job enticing me to visit OKC! – Linzey @thefamilyfuntour
Hi Linzey! Thanks for the sweet comment and for reading our article. We hope you can make it to visit OKC someday soon!
Excellent. We don’t always review places close to home. This sounds like a fun day. The water taxi would be awesome to try.
Hi there! Thanks for reading. We hope you have fun exploring places closer to home.
Great post! Being originally from Dallas I would visit OKC often. Would love to take a trip back there and do some of these recommendations, especially ride the Bricktown Water Taxi.
Hi there! You’ll have to explore Bricktown! It’s a great weekend adventure.
Oklahoma City looks like a great place to explore! The Skydance Bridge and botanical gardens look beautiful! I’m sure we’d swing by the brewery to try that out too! Thanks for the great guide!
Hi Hannah! Thanks for reading! The Skydance Bridge is soooo cool!
I love Bricktown !! OKC sounds fun !!
Hi Uncle Burt! Thanks for reading our article. We loved seeing a comment from you today! We love you!