How to spend a weekend in Oklahoma City! (3 day itinerary)

Last updated on May 28th, 2026

With delicious local restaurants, fun activities, and cool neighborhoods, Oklahoma City makes for a great weekend destination. And we’re sharing the ultimate weekend in Oklahoma City itinerary!

Oklahoma doesn’t tend to be a state on the top of people’s travel lists, but trust us, this state is full of surprises. And one of the best surprises was our time in Oklahoma City!

Nicknamed the Modern Frontier, Oklahoma City combines western and indigenous culture with fun neighborhoods, trendy restaurants and breweries, a colorful arts scene, and outdoor activities. It’s a city that truly offers something for everyone. And in our opinion, is one of the most underrated weekend getaways in the US!

Watch our jam packed adventure in Oklahoma City to see how we spent 3 super fun days in the city! 

And in this guide we’re sharing how to spend a long weekend in Oklahoma City, including a three day itinerary! During your weekend in Oklahoma City you’ll devour delicious food (like an ice cream flight!), play at an immersive art experience, visit museums, whitewater raft or ski, and so much more. If you’re anything like us, you’ll leave this city wondering “why didn’t I visit sooner?”

Weekend in Oklahoma City itinerary (3 days)

This Oklahoma City itinerary is perfect if you have a long weekend in Oklahoma City or want to take a mid-week three day adventure. We’re including all of our favorite, must-visit stops in the city, but to see even more things to do, check out our list of 19 fun things to do in Oklahoma City!

Want to have these recommendations handy on the go? We created a custom Google Map above, which you can save to your own Google Maps to reference later. The activities are color coded and organized by day, so you can get a quick glance as to where everything is in relation to one another.

Day 1

Your first day in Oklahoma City is all about checking out the city’s fun art scene, our favorite trendy neighborhood, and some delicious eats!

Enjoy a delicious breakfast and coffee at Cafe Kacao

For your first stop in Oklahoma City, head to Cafe Kacao! We are not exaggerating when we say that this was truly one of, if not the best, breakfasts of our entire life. Cafe Kacao is a Latin American restaurant, with a heavy emphasis on Guatemalan cuisine, which is where the owners are from.

During our visit we ordered the tostados, motuleño, and desayuno chapin, which was all extremely flavorful and delicious. And for a sweet kick, we split the wild berry pancakes, which are covered in basically melted ice cream and are without a doubt the best pancakes EVER.

Besides their food, make sure to try their creative drinks, including lattes and mocktails. We loved the horchata latte and underberg latte. 

Tip: This place is super popular and the lines can be crazy, especially on the weekends. You can join the waitlist from their website, to hopefully reduce your time waiting.

Explore Automobile Alley

Downtown Oklahoma City is made up of 6 different districts and Automobile Alley was our favorite! Once home to over 50 auto dealers, this area went into a decline in the 70s and 80s. Although it has since been revitalized, you can still see many neon signs of car brands along the rooftops of the buildings!

We really loved the vibe in this area! The old brick buildings are filled with restaurants and super cool, high quality local shops. As you wander around, make sure to pop into Plenty Mercantile, Common Dear, Johnny and June, and our favorite Shop Good!

Shop Good is a screen printing company and gift shop, with a bunch of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, and western focused items. Everything is very high quality and has really cool designs–no cheesy souvenirs here! We love everything they sell, so much so that we now work with them for our own merch.

If you happen to own one of the limited edition A+K shirts, they were designed and screen printed by the Shop Good team in OKC. So they hold a very special place in our hearts!

Get immersed in art at Factory Obscura: Mixtape

One of our favorite experiences in Oklahoma City was checking out Factory Obscura in Automobile Alley. This is a 6,000 square foot immersive art experience and their current exhibition, called Mix-Tape, was hand-built by more than 30 Oklahoma artists!

Factory Obscura includes different rooms that are inspired by the different emotions music creates. Each room is dark, with colorful and unique lights illuminating them, and is full of unique art installations made out of a variety of materials. But unlike an art museum where you can only look at the art.

Here, you can touch it too! In fact, the whole point of Factory Obscura is to be immersed in the art. You can touch furry walls, climb into passageways, slide down multiple slides (SO FUN!), go up into mysterious staircases, sing karaoke, and so much more. It is a complete sensory overload (in the best way) and unlike anything we have ever been to!

Tip: Wear the 3D glasses they provide to enhance your experience even more!

Have lunch at Parlor OKC

After exploring Factory Obscura, head a few blocks down the road to Parlor OKC for lunch! This is a food hall with 7 food stalls, plus a bar, so there’s something for everyone! During our visit, we grabbed some delicious tacos and a rice bowl from OhMyGogi. But the burgers from MOB Grill and the pasta from Bad Nonna’s looks delicious too!

Grab a sweet treat at Katiebug’s

Next up: head to Katiebug’s for a sweet treat! This bright blue walk up sweet shop is the cutest place ever! There are tons of treats to choose from like hot chocolate, cookies, an insanely good chocolate cake, and during our fall visit, apple cider donuts with caramel sauce.

After choosing your treat, enjoy their outdoor seating, which has strung lights, cool signage, and even a pumpkin patch in the fall.

Admire the murals at the Plaza Walls

Oklahoma City was recently awarded “best street art in the USA” by USA Today. And to see some of the city’s vibrant street art, head to the Plaza Walls!

The Plaza Walls is an alleyway with a collection of over 30 murals from over 25 artists, which change every year! And if you visit in September, you can attend the Plaza Walls Expo and  watch the artists create new murals.

It’s free to visit, but they do accept donations to help them continue to create murals!

Sunset at Lake Hefner

For sunset, head to Lake Hefner, the best sunset spot in Oklahoma City! This reservoir is a popular spot for locals to run, walk, ride their bikes, and get out on the water. But what makes it pretty unique is that it’s home to a lighthouse!

The lighthouse is modeled after the Brant Point Light Station on Nantucket Island in Massachusetts, the second oldest lighthouse in the US. And while the lighthouse isn’t used to help sailors at sea, it is a registered official lighthouse with the US Lighthouse Society and US Coast Guard.

Not only does the lighthouse make for a cool photo, but it also faces west, making it the perfect sunset spot.

Grab dinner

They have some restaurants around the lake if you want something convenient for dinner. But we suggest going back into the city! 

Here are a couple options!
Big Truck Tacos– This taco shop reminds us of something we’d see in Austin. They have a variety of different tacos. And for the adventurous, you can order their “Fifth Amendment” taco, which is a surprise! You may not being in Mexico City, but these tacos will surprise you with how good they are!
Tucker’s Onion Burgers– Onion burgers are a classic Oklahoma food. And Tucker’s is a delicious spot to try one!

Day 2

Day two of your weekend in Oklahoma City is all about exploring the nature and outdoor areas that the city has to offer. Including some outdoor activities that you may not expect to find in OKC!

Enjoy coffee & breakfast

It’s time to check out another awesome Oklahoma City breakfast spot! There are quite a few well loved spots in town that we recommend.

Start your day with coffee and breakfast. Oklahoma City is loaded with great breakfast spots, as well as local coffee shops. Here are a handful of coffee and breakfast options in various parts of town, ranging from quick coffee shops with pastries, to sit down restaurants.

Breakfast restaurants

Neighborhood JAM
Hatch Early Mood Food
Waffle Champion

Coffee shops

Coffee Slingers Roasters
Clarity Coffee
Classen Coffee Co. 
Elemental Coffee (they have a breakfast menu as well!)
Prelude Coffee Roasters

Walk around Scissortail Park

One MUST-DO activity during your weekend in Oklahoma City is to explore Scissortail Park! This newly finished 70 acre park has an upper and lower section, which are connected by the stunning and unique Skydance Bridge. Both the park name and the design of the bridge are inspired by the state bird, the scissor-tailed flycatcher.

While at the park you can wander around on walking trails that go by a lake and through wetlands, admire gardens, play on a variety of sport courts and fields, or rent kayaks, canoes, or paddle boats. There is also a super cool playground for kids (that we really wish we could’ve played on)!

Grab lunch at Spark 

When visiting Scissortail Park, eating at Spark is a must! This colorful burger stand is located right in Scissortail Park, making it a super convenient lunch spot.

They have delicious burgers, fries (get the pink ones!), and custard, plus some lighter options like a power bowl and acai bowl. And if you visit on a nice day, you can enjoy your meal outside with a great view of Scissortail Park and downtown OKC!

Ride the Bricktown Water Taxi

Right in the heart of downtown Oklahoma City is the Bricktown District. This area used to be filled with warehouses, but fell into disrepair due to the Great Depression and World War II. In the 90s, a canal was built, which helped revitalize the area. And today there is a baseball stadium, plus lots of restaurants and entertainment options.

While in Bricktown, we highly suggest going on the Bricktown Water Taxi. This is a 40 minute narrated ride through the canal where you’ll learn about the history of Bricktown, plus some of Oklahoma’s less positive history, like the Trail of Tears and the Land Rush.

Our guide Joey was super fun and taught us a ton!

Whitewater raft or ski at RIVERSPORT Adventures

Did you know that you can ski and whitewater raft in Oklahoma City? We didn’t either!

Riversport Adventures is one of the most unique things to do in Oklahoma City. At their one facility alone you can surf, ski, whitewater raft or tube, kayak, test your mountain bike skills, climb, zip line, and so much more! 

You may be thinking “but Oklahoma doesn’t have mountains to ski or waves to surf,” and you’re correct! But they’ve installed some awesome technology to create man made ways to experience many extreme sports. During our visit, we got to indoor ski on an infinite, articulating ski slope with artificial ski grass called PoleSnow. And it was a blast! We also were able to compete on their unique climbing walls. Next time, we really want to whitewater raft!

Note: Riversport is only fully open from April-early October. They do have some events in the off season though!

Have dinner at The Hall’s Pizza Kitchen

After an adventurous afternoon, grab some pizza at The Hall’s Pizza Kitchen. This is one of the best pizza spots we have ever been to. Not only are their pizzas unique and delicious (we got the Saturday Night and Sunday Lunch pizzas), but they also make the BEST gluten free pizza we have ever had. You would never know it wasn’t regular crust!

Besides the pizzas, we highly recommend getting the Quinn’s Burrata as an appetizer. We loved it so much that we have tried to recreate it ourselves.

Tips: Make sure to ask for the “secret sauce” to go with your pizza. We’d also recommend making reservations, as this place does get busy.

Grab ice cream at Boomtown Creamery

We LOVE ice cream and the best ice cream shop in Oklahoma City is without a doubt Boom Town Creamery. This homemade ice cream shop is constantly whipping up fun, creative flavors. And the best part? You can get an ice cream flight to try six different flavors!

Day 3

Your final day in Oklahoma City is all about experiencing the city’s history and Western culture. You’ll have your choice of museums to visit, plus eat at an Oklahoma City institution! 

Have breakfast at Harvey’s Bakery & Kitchen

Harvey Bakery & Kitchen is a coffee shop and bakery that makes some heavenly baked goods! Whether you want a sweet breakfast treat or something a bit more savory (the breakfast sandwich is 10/10!), they have quite a few options to choose from.  

It also has a beautiful interior (we love the green and gold combo!) and even a wall of windows where you can look into the kitchen and watch them make the pastries! 

Visit a museum 

For the rest of your morning, check out one of Oklahoma City’s world class museums. We suggest either going to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum or the First Americans Museum. Here’s a little bit of information about both to help you choose!

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum  

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is the nation’s premier museum of western history, art, and culture. There are exhibits on the American cowboy, rodeos, Native American culture, and Western performers, plus an outdoor area that shows recreations of different Native American living structures. 

First Americans Museum

Native Americans lived here for centuries. In 1541, the first Europeans arrived and over the next few centuries, America continued its expansion to every corner of the west. And in the 1800s they began relocating Native Americans from the southeast to the Indian Territory, now known as Oklahoma.

This series of forced relocation was called the Trail of Tears and today Oklahoma has the second highest Native American population in the US, with 39 Native American tribes currently in Oklahoma and 5 of those being indigenous. 

And at the First Americans Museum you can learn more about the history, cultures, and contributions of the 39 Native American tribes in Oklahoma.  

Check out another local spot for lunch

Like we said, Oklahoma City is loaded with amazing local restaurants. For lunch, we suggest checking out one of these two spots:

Ma Der Lao Kitchen– This trendy spot serves Laotian food family style, which means you should definitely bring some friends and try as much as you can!
Tamashii Ramen House– This ramen spot is said to be top notch!

Visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum

Continue your learning of Oklahoma City’s history at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. This museum and memorial is in honor of the bombing that occurred on April 19, 1995. This bombing killed 168 people and left hundreds injured. And the museum and memorial is right on the site where it happened.

If you have enough time, we’d highly suggest going into the museum, which does have a fee. But if you’re running low on time, you can just visit the memorial, which is open 24/7. The memorial itself has a lot of significance and meaning behind it:

• There are two gates. One gate is marked 9:01, which represents before the attack, and the other is marked 9:03, which is one minute after the bombing.
• There are 168 chairs that represent those killed. The chairs stand in nine rows, each representing a floor of the Federal Building and each chair has the name of someone killed on that floor. 
• There are also 19 smaller chairs that stand for the children.
• There’s also a survivor wall, which is the only remaining wall of the building and a survivor tree, which is a tree that survived the blast.

Want to visit the museum? Book your museum ticket through Tripadvisor and get 10% off with our code APLUSK10!

Stockyards City

For the rest of the day, head to Stockyards City! This is the perfect place to experience some of Oklahoma City’s western heritage. 

Back in 1910, this area launched as the city’s first major industrial effort, with cattle trading and meat packing. Cattle would be driven, inspected, then sold at auction to be shipped to other places or transported next door to be packed. 

As the packing plants grew, this area did as well, with a streetcar, hotels, restaurants, a post office, and other businesses to accommodate ranchers. By the 1970s, it became the World’s Largest Stocker and Feeder Cattle Market. And it still operates today! You can watch the auctions for free every Monday and Tuesday.

Besides the actual stockyards, this area is home to quite a few western themed shops. We had a lot of fun wandering around some of them!

Have dinner at Cattlemen’s Steakhouse

While in the Stockyards, you must have dinner at Cattlemen’s Steakhouse. This steakhouse has been in operation since 1910 and is the oldest continually operating restaurant in the city. Over the years it has been featured on multiple TV shows and visited by some pretty famous folks, including some former presidents!

Getting their steak is a given, but one other food item you should try (if you’re brave), are “lamb fries.” You may know these as Rocky Mountain Oysters or….testicles. This classic western food  surprisingly wasn’t terrible and mostly tasted like a thin chicken nugget to us. But mentally, it was hard to get over what we were eating.

Go to a basketball or baseball game

Oklahoma City is home to two professional sports teams, the Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA)  and the Oklahoma City Dodgers (minor league affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers). And both make for a fun night out in the city!

The basketball season runs from October to April and baseball season runs from April until September. 

Game days vary, so there may not be a game while you’re in town or it may be on a different night. But if you can attend a game while in OKC, we highly recommend it. We went to an Oklahoma City Thunder game when we were in town (tickets were surprisingly cheap!) and had a great time! We even got on the kiss cam! 🙌🏼

Planning your trip to Oklahoma City

Getting to Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City is located in central Oklahoma, about 3 hours north of Dallas, Texas. It’s a pretty easy destination to get to by flying or driving major highways. Here are some of your options!

Flying to Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport (OKC) offers tons of non stop flights all over the United States. Including Atlanta, New York Laguardia, Nashville, Minneapolis, Phoenix, San Francisco, and many more!

Driving to Oklahoma City

Driving to Oklahoma City instead? OKC is located right at the intersection of I-35 and I-40, making it convenient to get to from just about any direction! Here is how long you can expect to drive from nearby popular areas:

Tulsa, OK: 1.5 hours (106 miles)
Dallas, TX: 3.5 hours (206 miles)
Kansas City, MO: 5 hours (350 miles)
Little Rock, AR: 5 hours (339 miles)
Albuquerque, NM: 8 hours (553 miles)

How to get around Oklahoma City

Once in Oklahoma City, you have some options of how to get around. If you plan to just explore downtown, you could take public transportation. The downtown streetcar is a great option and will take you to many spots on this guide. Uber and Lyft are also good options for short distances!

But if you want to explore more freely at your own pace, then you will want to either have your own car or rent a car. During our visit we drove our very large Sprinter van around town. And for the most part we didn’t have any issues finding parking!

When to visit Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City is a year round destination, but certain times of the year might be better depending on your preferences. 

The winters in Oklahoma City can be cold, with occasional snow, which may not make it as fun to be outdoors. But if you love holiday festivities, there are quite a few cool holiday events and lights around town to check out!

April to June will have more pleasant, mild temperatures and lower humidity. This weather will make it much more enjoyable for outdoor activities and exploring the city. Keep in mind these months are tornado season in Oklahoma City, so you may encounter some rain or storms. Despite popular belief, the city does not get tornadoes every single day.

The summers can be very hot and humid in Oklahoma City, but it is a time when lots of big events and festivals are happening. So if you want a more lively time to visit, the summer is a good choice. Just be prepared to sweat a bit!

Similar to the spring, September to November are also great months for slightly cooler temperatures. We visited at the very end of October and while the first couple days were close to 100ºF, the rest of our trip was closer to 80ºF. Nothing was too busy either, since kids were in school.

Where to Stay in Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City offers a wide range of lodging options, including hotels and Airbnbs right in town, plus campsites nearby. Below are just a handful of suggestions of great places to stay while in Oklahoma City!

Hotels

Omni OKC 
Fordson Hotel 
The Skirvin Hilton (the oldest hotel in OKC!)
Bradford House
Hampton Inn & Suites

Vacation Rentals

Midtown Apt – very walkable
Modern Southwest
Charming Downtown Home
Condo in Midtown
Stylish Tudor in OKCs Urban Core

Camping

KOA – this is where we stayed during our time in OKC. It’s a bit east of town, but if you’re a KOA fan or need a reliable place to camp or park your RV/van, then this is a good option.
Roadrunner RV Park
Rockwell RV Park & Campground

Harvest Hosts

If you’re a Harvest Hosts member, you’ve got a handful of opportunities for some fun stays in and near Oklahoma City, including breweries (right in downtown!), a winery, farms, museums, and a golf course.

Not sure what Harvest Hosts is? It is a paid membership for self contained RVers that lets you stay at farms, breweries, wineries, golf courses, and other spots for FREE, with the expectation that you will support the business. While this means you do need to spend some money and it’s not totally free, it’s usually a unique experience and you get to support a local business. 

Want to get 15% off a Harvest Hosts membership? Click this link and then use the code HHFRIENDS15!

Harvest Hosts is a network of destinations across the US and Canada that allow RVers (or Van Lifers like us!) to stay overnight for free with the membership! These destinations include wineries, breweries & distilleries, farms, golf courses and more! The annual membership gives you unlimited access to spend the night at any of the Host‘s locations for the year. There are 7,000+ super unique places to choose from and they are located all over the country. We even stayed at an alpaca farm once!

Ready to spend a weekend in Oklahoma City?

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