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Oklahoma · the United States
The two cities of Oklahoma: the Oklahoma City National Memorial and the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City; Tulsa, with Route 66, the Greenwood historic district, and the art and music museums.
In the photo: Oklahoma City and Tulsa: architecture and urban landscapes of Oklahoma.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Get to know the place
Oklahoma is in the south-central United States, between the Great Plains and the first hills of the Ozarks. It was designated as territory for Indigenous nations removed from other regions in the 19th century, later opened to settlement in land runs, and grew wealthy from oil in the early 20th century. Today 39 Indigenous nations are headquartered in the state.
Oklahoma City, the capital, was born in a single day in 1889, during the first land run. It is home to the memorial to the victims of the 1995 bombing, a large museum about the American West and cowboys, a museum created with the state’s Indigenous nations, and a warehouse neighborhood cut by a canal.
Tulsa, about 170 km to the northeast, prospered from oil and preserves Art Deco buildings from the 1920s and 1930s. The city was one of the most important stops on Route 66, the highway that ran from Chicago to Los Angeles. The Greenwood district, known as Black Wall Street, was destroyed in the 1921 racial massacre, and the Greenwood Rising center tells that story.
Tulsa also has the Philbrook Museum in a former mansion with gardens, the Gathering Place park on the Arkansas River, and centers dedicated to Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie.
This destination brings together 2 cities: Oklahoma City, Tulsa.
One destination, many paths
Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau / geoBoundaries (public domain). Adapted by Cidade Turismo.
✈ Will Rogers International Airport (OKC) · 15 km to Oklahoma City
The airports are Oklahoma City (OKC), about 15 km from downtown, and Tulsa (TUL), about 15 km away. The two cities are connected by I-44, a toll road, in about an hour and a half. Entry requirements depend on nationality: confirm the requirements before traveling.
Suggested arrival point: Oklahoma City
Capital and largest city of Oklahoma, founded in a single day during the 1889 land run. It holds the memorial to the 1995 bombing, museums about the West and the Indigenous nations, a warehouse neighborhood with a canal, and a capitol with oil rigs in the gardens.
Second-largest city in Oklahoma, on the banks of the Arkansas River, which prospered from oil in the early 20th century and preserves Art Deco buildings downtown. It was one of the most important stops on Route 66. The Greenwood district, the Black Wall Street destroyed in 1921, the Philbrook Museum, the Gathering Place park and the Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie centers are among the visits.
The local experience
History center of the Greenwood district, Tulsa’s Black Wall Street, destroyed in the 1921 racial massacre, with immersive rooms about the neighborhood before, during and after the violence.
Memorial and museum on the site of the federal building destroyed by the April 19, 1995 bombing, featuring the field of 168 empty chairs, the reflecting pool and the Survivor Tree.
Museum of the American West, with art, a recreated frontier town, rodeo history, and the sculpture End of the Trail by James Earle Fraser.
Art museum housed in the Italian-style mansion of an oil businessman from the 1920s, surrounded by formal gardens and about 10 hectares of wooded grounds.
Museum dedicated to the 39 Indigenous nations based in Oklahoma, on the banks of the Oklahoma River, with history and art galleries and a large earthen mound overlooking the city.
About a 26-hectare riverside park on the Arkansas River, with adventure playgrounds, gardens, a boat pond, trails and sports areas. No entry fee.
Museum and archive of Bob Dylan in the Tulsa Arts District, with manuscripts, recordings, films and the musician’s belongings, next to the Woody Guthrie Center, which is dedicated to the Oklahoma-born singer.
Former early-20th-century brick warehouse district in downtown Oklahoma City, with a canal navigated by boats, restaurants, bars, and the city’s baseball stadium.
Sculpture of a smiling blue whale about 24 meters long over a pond beside Route 66 in Catoosa, near Tulsa, built in the 1970s and a symbol of the highway.
Before you go
A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.
The easiest months weather-wise are April, May, September and October. In the height of summer, some days exceed 35 °C. Spring is the season for severe storms and tornadoes on the plains: follow the forecast. Winter is cold, with frosts and occasional snow.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Four days allow two in Oklahoma City and two in Tulsa, with Route 66 between them. With two days, spend one day in each city.
In Oklahoma City, stay in Bricktown or downtown, near the memorial and the canal, or in the Midtown neighborhood with restaurants. In Tulsa, stay downtown and in the Tulsa Arts District near Greenwood and the Dylan and Guthrie centers, or in the Cherry Street and Brookside area near the Philbrook and the Gathering Place.
Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.
Get your questions answered
Four days, two in each city. With two days, see the main museums of each.
Yes. The old Route 66 runs parallel to I-44 through small towns like Arcadia, Chandler and Stroud, with gas stations, motels and vintage signs. The trip takes longer than the main highway.
Yes. Both cities are spread out and public transit is limited. Downtowns and historic neighborhoods are walkable.
Spring, especially April through June, is the most common season for severe storms and tornadoes on the plains. Follow forecasts and heed local alerts and guidance.
Central Time: UTC−6 in winter and UTC−5 in daylight saving time, from March to November.
