Fall in Oklahoma City: Your guide to an OKC autumn getaway

Thinking about autumn travel? I suggest spending Fall in Oklahoma City.

Autumn is a fabulous time to visit OKC. We Northern types can escape to warmer weather, fending off the onset of winter just a bit longer.

Since fall happens at least a month later in the Southern U.S., it gives us the chance to experience fall foliage in our own state, then head down to Oklahoma City to see some more!

I visited Oklahoma City in early November, and I was there during the peak of fall color.

I’ll share with you some of my favorite Oklahoma City attractions to help you plan your own fall getaway to OKC!

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Enjoy fall colors in the Myraid Gardens

We’ll start out in the Myriad Gardens, an incredible 15-acre urban oasis in the heart of downtown Oklahoma City.

The Myriad Gardens are lovely any time of year, but during the fall, you can see a myriad of colors. (See what I did there?)

The blazing red maples and the glowing orange bald cypress trees are especially stunning. Bald cypress is a deciduous conifer; its lacy needles turn russet-red in fall before dropping off for winter.

Native to the southeastern United States, I’d never seen these beauties before and found them a lovely fall sight unique to Oklahoma City.

In the early 1960s, Oklahoma City commissioned renowned architect I.M. Pei to create a revitalization plan for downtown. His plan included a garden area modeled after Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens.

Pei’s plans came to fruition in 1988 with the opening of the Myraid Gardens and the Crystal Bridge Conservatory.

A $30 million renovation in 2011 added a restaurant, ice skating rink, amphitheater, children’s play area, and dog park. This beloved public space is great for families and individuals alike. Landscaped tiers rise from a sunken lake.

Spanning the lake is the famous Crystal Bridge Conservatory, a living plant museum 224 feet long.

Escape to a tropical paradise year-round among towering palms, multiple waterfalls, exotic plants and flowers.

If you start to get a little chilly walking in the gardens, take a time out in the conservatory. Warmed up and re-energized, get back out to see that fall color!

Walk around downtown to enjoy Oklahoma City fall colors

A beautiful autumn day is the perfect opportunity to wander around downtown OKC seeing some of the city’s amazing historic buildings. They are even more beautiful in a setting of blazing fall colors!

For the best places to eat in downtown OKC and beyond, see The Best OKC Food.

The historic Colcord Hotel, near Myraid Gardens

Directly across from the Myriad Gardens you’ll find the historic Colcord Hotel, where I stayed while in OKC. Charles Colcord, an early-day oilman and real estate developer, built the hotel in 1910.

One of Oklahoma City’s most important architects, William Wells, created the Sullivanesque design. Sullivan pioneered the design and construction of large-scale, multi-story buildings supported by skeletal steel. In other words, early skyscrapers!

At 12 stories, the Colcord was OKC’s first skyscraper. Of the many original features that remain, the marble and the ornamental plaster in the main lobby and the nickel and bronze letterbox and elevator doors are among the most remarkable.

Staying at the Colcord was truly a highlight of my trip. Located in a great part of downtown to walk to some of the chief Oklahoma City attractions, it’s also right across from a streetcar stop, so you can easily hop on and see the rest. The room decor, with its orange accents, is even rather autumnal!

For more Colcord interiors, including the historic lobby, see OKC Adventure.

Art Deco delights near the Oklahoma City Museum of Art

A fantastic trio of Art Deco civic buildings, all listed on the National Register of Historic Places, reside very near the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, which is less than a half-mile walk from the Colcord.

The Municipal Building sits across from the OKCMOA and the visual arts center. Just to the east is the remarkable Oklahoma County Courthouse, and behind the Municipal Building to the west sits the Civic Center Music Hall, fronted by a small park.

The Oklahoma County Courthouse is a stunning example of Art Deco or Art Moderne. Be sure to check out the exterior of the main entrance.

Built between 1936 and 1937, the 11-floor, $1.5 million concrete building was funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA), a federal program that created jobs during the Great Depression.

Inscribed in the limestone facade are quotes from Abraham Lincoln (“Learn the laws and obey them”) and Samuel Adams: “He who has most zeal and ability to promote public felicity, let him be the servant of the public.”

For more beautiful historic buildings in downtown OKC, see OKC Adventure.

Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA)

Must See: Chihuly collection

Don’t miss the incredible Chihuly exhibit at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, or OKCMOA. It’s a permanent exhibit, so you can see it anytime.

How did the OKCMOA acquire such an extraordinary collection? In April 2002, the museum inaugurated its new home in the Donald W. Reynolds Visual Arts Center with an exhibition of world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly’s glass and drawings. The exhibit was wildly popular.

Two years later, the museum purchased the exhibit, including works from Chihuly’s best-known series, his drawings, and the spectacular 55-foot Eleanor Blake Kirkpatrick Memorial Tower in the museum’s atrium.

The museum collaborated with Chihuly Studio to redesign the third-floor galleries that now house the collection. The exhibit has grown to include gifts to the museum from the artist. 

Today, OKCMOA is home to one of the largest collections of Chihuly glass in the world, representing over 30 years of his finest work.

While the Chihuly collection is certainly a major draw, you’ll find a great deal of other impressive artwork here. Below are some of my personal faves. You’ll have to visit to find yours!

Check out OKC’s urban art: The Plaza Walls and the Plaza District

In addition to a fabulous art museum, Oklahoma City is home to a surprising plethora of street art.

I’m a street art lover, so one of my first stops in OKC was the Plaza District and the Plaza Walls, located about a 10-minute drive away from the OKCMOA (2.6 miles).

Launched in September 2015, the Plaza Walls project has become one of the top tourist attractions in the Plaza District.

Plaza Walls is a curated rotating mural project managed and produced by the Oklahoma Mural Syndicate. At 430 feet long, it’s longer than a football field, and offers 5,160 total square feet of street art “canvas.”

At any one time, the Walls boast more than 30 murals created by over 25 participating artists.

The Plaza District

The Plaza District is a great place to savor Oklahoma City creative, local flavor.

Congenial restaurants and drinking establishments abound, along with retail shops featuring artist-made, vintage, and retro clothing and home furnishings.

And you’ll find street art all over the district!

For the best places to eat in the Plaza District and beyond, see The Best OKC Food.

Fall in Oklahoma City’s Mansion District

Enjoy fall foliage under brilliant blue skies in OKC’s beautiful Mansion District, Heritage Hills. I visited the Henry Overholser Mansion, which offers a fascinating and informative tour of Oklahoma City’s first mansion. The mansion is a 15-minute drive from the Plaza district (4.2 mi).

I encourage you to tour the Overholser, then take a walk around the Heritage Hills neighborhood, which is full of gorgeous homes and mature trees bursting with fall colors. It’s truly an ideal place to enjoy Oklahoma City’s unique autumn vibe.

Check out the Overholser Mansion’s gorgeous interiors and furnishings.

The Oklahoma State Capitol

Brilliant blue fall skies set off the statuary as well as the statuesque building and dome of the Oklahoma State Capitol.

A 20-minute drive from the Overholser (6.1 miles), the Capitol has recently undergone a major 8-year restoration. Be sure to see it in all its restored glory. I visited OKC’s statehouse during the Oklahoma Capitol Restoration Project, which began in 2014 and was completed in 2022.

The Capitol has a plethora of famous artwork as well as wonderful statuary outside. I was able to see the indoor copy of The Guardian, the statue atop the dome, as well as glimpse the inside of the dome and enjoy some beautiful interiors.

For more about the Oklahoma State Capitol, including what I saw inside, see My Favorite Oklahoma City Attractions.

Fall in Oklahoma City’s Paseo Arts District

The charming Paseo Arts District looks like a little southwestern village in the middle of OKC.

It’s a living memorial to Spanish revival architecture, and the entire neighborhood is on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s fall colors every time of year, and just glows in the late-season light!

The Paseo is home to an astounding number of galleries and artists as well as some great restaurants and boutiques. (25 minutes from the Capitol, 8.2 miles.)

More info about the Paseo Arts District

For other great OKC neighborhoods to visit, see OKC Adventure and My Favorite Oklahoma City Attractions. For a dining by district guide to places to eat, see The Best OKC Food.

Must-See: The Oklahoma City Memorial

Last but certainly not least, we return to downtown OKC and the Oklahoma City National Memorial. The memorial is a must-see for OKC visitors. (If you’d like to go to the memorial directly from the OKCMOA, it’s less than a half mile/ten-minute walk away.)

When Timothy McVeigh bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995, 168 people, including 19 children, were killed. The blast injured more than 600 more, and destroyed the entire north face of the building.

Today, the site is the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. The memorial honors the victims, survivors, and rescuers, and the museum also educates visitors about the effects of violence.

Memorial Museum

In the Memorial Museum, interactive exhibits document the victims’, survivors’, and rescuers’ stories. The museum’s Gallery of Honor is especially moving. The gallery displays the photos, along with some personal details, of the 168 adults and children who died. You can also visit an online Gallery of Honor on the museum’s website.

Part of the museum’s intent is to explore and to share the hard-earned lessons learned in the bombing’s aftermath.

As their website says, “events like the bombing can skew our perspective of the world—until we choose to look at the countless examples of goodness.”

By documenting these stories, the memorial pays tribute to the everyday heroes, ordinary people who displayed extraordinary compassion and bravery in the wake of the disaster.

Outdoor symbolic Memorial

You can visit the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial day or night. Do try to see it after dark, as the lights are memorable.

Carefully designed to be a place of quiet reflection, healing, and hope, symbolic elements honor those who were touched by the bombing.

One of my favorites is the Survivor Tree. Though heavily damaged by the blast, this American elm survived.

It stands as a symbol of hope and the strength and resilience of Oklahoma City’s people. The memorial distributes hundreds of saplings from the tree each year, and now thousands of survivor trees grow all over the U.S.

In conclusion

In conclusion, Oklahoma City is a wonderful fall travel destination.

The city’s sights are even more beautiful in fall color, including the Myraid Gardens, downtown’s historic buildings, and OKC neighborhoods like the Paseo Arts District and the Mansion District, where you’ll find the city’s first mansion, the Overholser historic house museum.

Other don’t-miss attractions include the OKCMOA, the Plaza Walls, the Oklahoma State Capitol, and the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum.

For even more Oklahoma City fun, see My Favorite Oklahoma City Attractions and OKC Adventure for more things to do. Now get out there and enjoy fall in Oklahoma City!

Helpful tips for planning your trip

When to go

Although not known nationally for its brilliant fall foliage, many feel Oklahoma is right up there with Colorado and New England when it comes to putting on a fall colors show. Peak times are late October to early November, so plan your fall escape to catch the best displays of Oklahoma autumn foliage.

Where to eat

Find some of Oklahoma City’s best places to eat and drink, top restaurants and yummiest food in this OKC dining guide, organized by district.

More information about Oklahoma City

• Visit the stunning Overholser Mansion
• Learn about the OKC National Memorial
• My Favorite Oklahoma City Attractions
• More Things To Do in Oklahoma City

More Fall Colors Posts

• Check out Chasing Fall Colors Along the Great River Road for one of the best fall foliage road trips in the country
• Discover Lake Nokomis in all seasons

Nearby: Head up to Kansas

When you’re in Oklahoma City, SE Kansas isn’t far away! Check out all the best stops including Kansas Route 66, the Fried Chicken Wars in Crawford County, surprising small towns with sophisticated boutique hotels and fine pastries, the Little House on the Prairie, and more!

• Southeast Kansas Road Trip: 31 Essential Stops
• Best Restaurants in Southeast Kansas: 27 Memorable Spots to Eat and Drink

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