When it comes to fun things to do outdoors, you can’t go wrong with a zoo, and the Oklahoma City Zoo & Botanical Garden offers lots of attractions for young children such as the Children’s Zoo Barnyard, the Children’s Zoo Water Stream and a one-of-a-kind, handcrafted carousel featuring 42 endangered animals. If you’re feeling adventurous, how about an elephant ride? When it’s time for a break, take a ride around the park on the Centennial Choo Choo.
If your trip to Oklahoma City includes the first or third Saturday during the spring and summer months, don’t miss the chance to hop aboard an old-fashioned passenger train at the Oklahoma Railway Museum . Vintage trains depart from the historic Oakwood Depot throughout the day for 40-minute rides. Kids will also enjoy seeing the museum’s collection of railroad cars and memorabilia.
When it’s time for a break from sightseeing, head to Roxy’s Ice Cream Social and cool off with a frozen treat. Enjoy a variety of classic and seasonal ice cream flavors along with floats, cookie sandwiches and sundaes.
Teens
Teens and tweens will love Frontier City , which offers breathtaking roller coasters, water rides and other thrilling attractions, along with shows and tons of dining options. On select dates, the park offers concerts in its Starlight Amphitheater.Hideaway Pizza has been serving its award-winning pies since 1957. Get adventurous with a specialty pizza such as “Maui Magic”—red sauce, mozzarella, Canadian bacon, pineapple and mandarin orange—or choose your own toppings. Sandwiches, salads and deep-dish baked pastas round out the menu.
The SKELETONS: Museum of Osteology exhibits more than 300 animal skeletons from around the world, from invertebrates to a 40-foot humpback whale, and some museum rarities. See what they all have in common and how they’ve adapted to fly, climb, swim or jump. Aspiring detectives should check out the forensic pathology exhibit.
What to Do for All Ages
Experience the culture of the American West with a visit to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum , which features more than 28,000 Western and Native American artifacts and artworks. View paintings, sculptures and historical artifacts, and take a walk through an authentic turn-of-the-century prairie town. Little buckaroos can put on chaps and spurs, sit around a campfire and listen to a cowboy sing in the Children’s Cowboy Corral.Stop in for a tasty treat at Pie Junkie, where you’ll find all your favorites plus some new flavors to try. Whether you’re tempted by a traditional Apple Crumble or Coconut Cream, or up for digging into something new such as S’more or “Drunken Turtle,” there’s something to please every pie palate here.
With 350,000 square feet of exhibits, Science Museum Oklahoma is filled with activities for kids of all ages. Tiny tots are introduced to science in KidSpace, while younger children can play and learn in the neighborhoods of CurioCity. Teens can drive Segways and engage in hundreds of other activities on the Science Floor, and movies and live shows in the Kirkpatrick Planetarium will entertain everyone in the family.
For some splashy summer fun, head to Hurricane Harbor . Brave older kids can race down the Acapulco Cliff Dive, a giant high-speed “free-fall” slide, while the whole family can ride a tube down to a splash landing on the Big Kahuna. Younger children will have a blast in Barefootin’ Bay’s water play area.