OKC Adventure: Surprising Oklahoma City Attractions

Part one of my OKC adventure!

Can you find adventure in Oklahoma City? For adrenaline junkies, OKC actually is an adventure travel destination. There’s an entire district named for OKC adventure. My type of adventure is of the cultural and culinary sort, and the number of attractions the city has to offer an art- and food-loving cultural traveler pleasantly surprised me.

I’ll be sharing with you, in this and Part Two, a half dozen surprising attractions to whet your appetite. Speaking of appetite, check out my post about the Best OKC Food!

Architecture geeks, rejoice

Okay. I admit it. I’ve developed an addiction to architecture. Every time I’m someplace new, I’m craning my neck looking up at interesting buildings, which may have, once or twice, caused me to trip and fall on my face. So the abundance of wonderful architecture in OKC was my absolute favorite surprise.

I had a blast wandering downtown OKC and photographing the historic buildings that were literally around every corner. In this post, I’ll tell you about some beauties conveniently near a couple of the main attractions. (Next post, we’ll wander further afield!)

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. 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 and an OKC must-see.

Built between 1936 and 1937, the 11-floor concrete building cost $1.5 million to construct. A bond issue and money from the Public Works Administration (PWA), a federal program that created jobs during the Great Depression, paid for the building.

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.”

A carved mural over the front entry depicts Native American figures on the left and pioneer figures on the right, with a chief meeting a mountain man in the center. Lincoln and Washington are on either side, with the Lincoln quote below. What a magnificent entrance! I love the stepped-up granite columns on either side of the doors and the silver corn-motif ornamentation.

Historic buildings near the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum

West of the memorial

A whole bunch of great stuff is located near the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. Just to the west is St. Joseph’s Old Cathedral on Harvey Avenue at NW 4th Street (you’ll see the red brick tower from a distance). Continue south on Harvey to the Oklahoma Natural Gas (formerly the Elks Lodge) building on the right, at the corner of Harvey and McGee.

Built in 1926, the Italian Renaissance-style building includes double-arched windows and wrought-iron balconies. Elks members pledged $500,000 to construct a 12-story hall, but the money ran out after five. Oops.

Kitty-corner to the Elks Lodge is the former Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, now home to APMEX, the world’s largest online retailer of precious metals. Your one-stop shop for gold, silver, and platinum. A bank building seems an ideal location for them, maybe they even use the vaults!

Directly across the street is the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse. This enormous and gorgeous building, covering an entire block, is another OKC must-see.

James Knox Taylor, architect for the U.S. Treasury, designed this landmark, the first federal building constructed in Oklahoma. Although the post office relocated in 1966, it continues to function in its historic capacity as a federal courthouse and office building.

The original 1912 building is Beaux Arts. A centrally placed tower added in 1932 features stylized motifs characteristic of Art Deco architecture.

The Post Office’s symmetry, balustrade, and pilasters (attached columns) are characteristic of Beaux Arts Classicism, a style commonly used for important public buildings from the end of the 19th until the early years of the 20th century. (See In Love With the New York Public Library and Tour Grand Central for two Beaux Arts beauties in NYC.)

East of the memorial

Continuing east along Dean A. McGee Avenue, you’ll hit the Pioneer Building, built 1907, in the Chicago architectural style.

Turn left at the corner on Broadway and feast your eyes on the breathtaking Telephone Building (Art Deco, 1927) right next to it. This 16-story jewel includes ornate terra cotta, set-backs, and a tower. Check out the doorway! I was in heaven!

Note: As of this printing the Pioneer building is closed and the Telephone building is for sale! If only I were a wealthy real estate investor…

Continue north past the single-story Deco TAP Archictecure to see the Oklahoma Publishing Company Building across Broadway to the east. The former home of OKC’s major newspaper now houses a downtown branch of the YMCA. Solomon Layton designed the building in 1909. Layton designed the Oklahoma State Capitol and the governor’s mansion, among others.

Turn left on NW 4th Street for the Federal Court House, circa 1960, with some interesting carved figures above the doorway. They appear to be pioneer people on the left, Native Americans on the right, and a gal in between whose dress is rather sheer. She might want to beef up that fabric, and gain a few pounds while she’s at it.

To your right will be First Church, and you’re back to the Memorial, on the opposite side. Incidentally, the Federal Court House is a streetcar stop. Tired of walking? Hop on and ride!

The Colcord Hotel

The beautiful Colcord Hotel, directly across from the Myriad Gardens, was where I stayed while in OKC. Completed in 1910 for Charles Colcord, an early-day oilman and real estate developer, he insisted on reinforced concrete construction. That had been the only building type to survive the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

One of Oklahoma City’s most important architects, William Wells, created the Sullivanesque design. Sullivanesque architecture was popular in the U.S. between 1890 and 1920. Louis Sullivan, a leader of the Chicago school of architecture, 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. You can see I’m having fun. I found this sassy robe in the big giant closet in my room. I wore it every single morning and evening. So cozy, and it just happens MY initial is a “C” too! Sweet.

The Colcord is located smack dab in the best 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. Though you may want to just stay in your lovely room in your provided robe. And slippers. Drinking the coffee delivered right to your door in the morning. (Speaking for a friend.)

Toto, have I landed in foodie heaven?

I had heard tell there were some good eats in OkC. But I had no idea what an Oz for foodies the city is. I’ll talk more about food in Part Two, and will touch here on a just a couple tasty spots.

Casual eats for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Breakfast and lunch: Walking in to the Hunny Bunny Biscuit Co. is a feast for the eyes, and once you order, their scratch-made biscuits are a feast for your tastebuds as well. Find it right next to the Tower Theatre in Oklahoma City’s historic Uptown 23rd District, a darn cute neighborhood. Wait till you try my personal recommendation, the Nashville. If you don’t have a big mouth, get ready to utilize knife and fork! (I do have a big mouth, but I didn’t even try to get it around this sandwich.)
HOURS | 7 am to 2 pm daily
ADDRESS | 429 NW 23rd Street

Lunch till late: An understandably popular venue, the Empire Slice House in the charming Plaza District is a prime lunch, dinner, and late-night nosh spot. Look for the pink elephant. They have a full bar with a large selection of beers, 6 rotating taps, and some aptly named cocktails (the Sucker Punch). You can purchase their delicious New York-style pizza as a whole pie or by the slice. I recommend “The Fungus Among Us.” Pro tip: if you order by the slice, you can try different kinds of pizza. You’re welcome!
HOURS | Mon–Sat 11 am to 1:30 am | Sunday 11am to midnight
ADDRESS | 1804 NW 16th St

Arts: From street art to high art

The arts are thriving in OkC, from an abundance of murals to one of the largest collections of Chihuly glass in the world. In this post, I’ll tell you about some of the murals. Next post, we’ll explore the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, or OKCMOA!

A street art bonanza at the Plaza Walls

One of my first stops in OKC was the Plaza District and the Plaza Walls.

Launched in September 2015, the Plaza Walls project has become one of the top tourist attractions in the Plaza District. I know I made a beeline for it. Coming up on the far side, I saw some color, and followed the murals in. I came out at the entrance. (I often do things backwards.)

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 surrounding businesses and community are in strong support, and no wonder. Plaza Walls started out as an urban revitalization project, and it’s been incredibly successful, transforming a scary alley into a gallery with 4 storefronts. Public art is thriving in the rest of the neighborhood as well, thanks to the Plaza Walls Mural Expo.

Fun neighborhoods and friendly people make for the best OKC adventure

It’s an adventure to explore the many neighborhoods of OKC. I’ll highlight some here, more in the following post.

The Plaza District

The Plaza District is home to the Plaza Walls and a couple of my favorite places to eat, the Empire Slice House and Pie Junkie. Congenial restaurants and drinking establishments abound, along with retail shops featuring artist-made, vintage, and retro clothing and home furnishings.

This district is a great place to savor Oklahoma City creative, local flavor. Here you’ll find Oklahoma’s premier professional theatre company, the Lyric Theatre, as well as a number of studios and galleries.

If you’re in town on the second Friday of the month, check out LIVE! on the Plaza, a free monthly art walk featuring art shows, live entertainment, great food and local shopping.

Located on NW 16th Street between Classen and Penn Avenue
Plaza District website

The Uptown 23rd District

One of the Uptown 23rd District‘s most identifiable landmarks is the historic Tower Theatre sign. This district is home to the Hunny Bunny Biscuit Co., along with number of other fun eateries, bars, and boutiques.

The neighborhood is notable for being located along historic Route 66, with many iconic landmarks like the Tower Theatre, the Gold Dome, the Milk Bottle building, and Oklahoma City University’s gothic towers.

Formed in 2012 to restore vitality to the area, the neighborhood’s nonprofit business association helps this business and entertainment district continue to grow. Locally-owned businesses offer visitors everything from biscuits to brand consulting, tattoos to tacos.

Located on NW 23rd Street from Broadway to Pennsylvania Avenues
Uptown 23rd District website

The Oklahoma standard

After the Oklahoma City bombing, the hospitality and warmth Oklahomans showed the visiting responders became known as the “Oklahoma standard.” People are friendly and helpful in OKC, often going well out of their way. Like the Uber driver who waited 10 minutes to make sure I could get in to the closed-looking attraction I was visiting. When disaster struck, the people of Oklahoma City ran toward rather than away from it, to help.

A meaningful message at the Oklahoma City Memorial

April 19, 1995. Timothy McVeigh parks a Ryder rental truck filled with explosives in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The resulting explosion kills 168 people, including 19 children. The blast injured more than 600 more, and destroyed the entire north face of the building.

Today, the site of the bombing is the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. The memorial honors the victims, survivors, rescuers, and everyone changed forever by the bombing. The museum educates visitors about the impact of violence.

The Memorial Museum offers unique insights into the events surrounding the bombing. Interactive exhibits tell the stories of those who were killed, those who survived, and those who rushed to help. 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 find an online Gallery of Honor here.

Part of the museum’s intent is to explore and to share the hard-earned lessons learned in the aftermath of the bombing. 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 and the compassion and bravery ordinary people displayed in the wake of this disaster.

Education

Education is at the heart of the museum’s mission and includes a hands-on learning lab, lesson plans, student scholarships, and programs designed to help young people find non-violent resolutions to conflicts.

The museum’s collections and archives are home to more than one million documents, artifacts, and photographs. Researchers from all over the world have used the archives for everything from video documentaries and novels to doctoral dissertations.

The museum’s final message is to invite visitors to share their dream of a world without violence and terrorism. I’m on board.

Join me for Part Two!

In part two, My Favorite Oklahoma City Attractions, I continue my obsession with beautiful buildings both downtown and further afield. We’ll visit the Myraid Gardens and Crystal Bridge, the Overholser Mansion, and the Oklahoma State Capitol. I’ll talk about some delightful fine dining experiences. Wait until you see the OKCMOA and their fabulous Chihuly collection.

We will explore more neighborhoods, including the Paseo Arts District. We’ll go back to the Oklahoma City Memorial to visit the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial, and end up with exciting things to come. See you there!

Where to eat: the Best OKC Food

Check out my dining guide to the Best Places to Eat in Oklahoma City chock full of info about where to eat in OKC with lots of drool-worthy photos.

Oklahoma City in the Fall

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. See gorgeous fall colors and learn how Oklahoma City is the perfect autumn getaway in Fall in Oklahoma City: Your Guide to an OKC Autumn Getaway.

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Thanks to the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and the Colcord Hotel for partnering with me to #SeeOKC. For more information about Oklahoma City, see the CVB website:
Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit OKC)