Do you yearn for thrills beyond the confines of ordinary city life? Do you hunger for new knowledge and experiences? Do you have some kids (or houseguests) you need to tire out with a day of running around? If you answered yes to any of those questions, Oklahoma City has a treat for you: the Adventure District!
Like any good adventure, this district boasts wild beasts, daring feats and plenty of lessons to be learned.
The original adventure
Built in 1902, the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden was the area’s first attraction, before the term “Adventure District” was even a twinkle in the city’s eye. If you’ve ever bought something in OKC, you’re a zoo investor. Since 1990, 1/8th a cent of every taxable dollar spent in the city has gone to support the zoo.
It’s important to know that the plaza where you buy zoo tickets used to house monkeys in an exhibit built to look like a half-sunken ship. Built by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s, the monkey ship was one of the world’s most advanced zoo exhibits at the time. The zoo demolished the ship in the late-1990s because it needed too much upkeep, but don’t worry — they moved the monkeys to a normal enclosure first.
Once you’ve moved beyond the formerly monkey-filled entry plaza, you know what to do. The great apes amaze, the big cats captivate and the elephants ensorcell. Be sure to check out the Oklahoma Trails exhibit, which houses animals native to our state. In particular, a darkened building for the night creatures lets you get a good look at some of the spooky nocturnal neighbors you might avoid in other contexts.
The zoo also hosts a variety of events: Sip & Strolls for people over 21 throughout the summer, a ginormous holiday lights exhibit, Haunt the Zoo for Halloween, and a craft beer festival called ZooBrew.
The Zoo Amphitheatre (also a Works Progress Administration project) holds outdoor concerts during the warmer months.
A place that has it all!
Science Museum Oklahoma (née Omniplex) is a fantastic place to take out-of-town guests if you want to impress them. Adult guests may express concern about going to the museum unaccompanied by children, but it’s fine as long as you’re not too rowdy.
Up until 1999, the museum housed a contraption called the Crystal Molecule. A heap of hollow, interconnected polyhedrons, the Molecule offered both terror and delight to kids who clambered through its transparent innards. The terror arose when you slipped down into a lower-elevation area of the Molecule and couldn’t climb back out because your little hands were too sweaty to gain purchase on the smooth plastic walls.
The Crystal Molecule is gone, but its spirit of frantic joy lingers on in the grand halls of Science Museum Oklahoma. You can engineer a paper airplane and launch it from an air-powered runway. You can bang on a lot of different things that make noise. You can admire a big old train and a tiny modern one. You can ride a Segway. You can make your dreams come true.
The Science Museum also hosts occasional adult nights called SMO21+. These evenings offer themed activities, music and alcoholic beverages. Crucially, they also offer adults a chance to fully enjoy the museum’s interactive exhibits and multiple slides without worrying about interrupting a kid’s special day.
The softball capital of the world
The Adventure District is home to Devon Park, which boasts a softball stadium and the National Softball Hall of Fame and Museum.
If you love softball, here’s your place. The stadium is home to the NCAA Women’s College World Series in the late spring. The tournament brings together the top eight college softball teams in the nation to battle it out for the title. It’s a special point of pride for the city, as the University of Oklahoma is known for its softball dynasty. Head Coach Patty Gasso, who’s been leading the team since 1995, has brought her team to victory eight times.
In 2028, you’ll be able to watch Olympic softball at Devon Park as part of the LA28 games.
Ever onward by foot or by wheel
If you’d like to strike out on an adventurous ramble, you can hop on the Katy Trail, which is 6ish miles on its own and connects to the rest of OKC’s trail system. The trail welcomes both cyclists and pedestrians.
Another good option is the Zora Brown Trail behind the Oklahoma City-County Health Department. It offers a 1-mile loop accessible to wheelchairs and strollers, a couple of great play structures for kids, and opportunities to check out local birds.
Choose your own adventure: Museums, movies and more
Remington Park and Casino hosts thoroughbred races in the fall and races for other breeds during the spring. During the off-season, Remington is still open for gambling and other casino activities.
If you’re not all about horses, may we interest you in cars? The Oklahoma Region Sports Car Club of America convenes at Remington Park semi-regularly for autocross meets, where amateur drivers rip through a parking lot course in street-legal cars. If you’d like to watch (or find more about eligibility and safety procedures so you can race yourself), you can learn more from the OKSCCA website.
Otherwise, there’s the Oklahoma State Firefighter’s Museum, the American Pigeon Museum, Oklahoma Railway Museum and National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. If you tire yourself out, you can sit down for a couple of hours at the Tinseltown Cinemark movie theater.
Fuel for the journey
If you’re looking for a culinary adventure, look elsewhere. The district’s only standalone restaurants are a Sonic and a McDonald’s — reliable, no-frills vittles. Beyond that, the zoo and the Science Museum have concessions. Remington Park boasts a pub and a brewery. Tinseltown has popcorn.
