1. Oklahoma City Memorial: Symbol of Peace
Honoring those affected by the Oklahoma City bombing, the Oklahoma City National Memorial, on the former site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, attracts thousands of visitors each year. The memorial includes the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial, which includes The Gates of Time, twin bronze entry ways, the polished black granite Reflecting Pool, the Field of Empty Chairs - representing the 168 victims of the bombing, the Survivors' Wall with the names of the 600 survivors, and the Survivor Tree - a hundred-year-old American elm. The memorial also features the Rescuers' Orchard populated with redbuds, maples, and elms, plus the Children's Area with 5,000 tiles hand-painted by children after the bombing.
2. National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum: Revisit the Old West
A renowned institution of Western art and culture, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, founded in 1955, celebrates the legacy of the American west with a collection of arts and crafts that focuses on the American cowboy, Native American culture, Victorian firearms, frontier military, and rodeos. Featured artists include nineteenth- and twentieth-century artists Frederic Remington, Charles M. Russell, Edward S. Curtis and James Earle Fraser, among others. The museum also houses the Weitzenhoffer Gallery of Fine American Firearms with its collection of Colt, Sharps, Winchester, Remington, Smith & Wesson, Marlin, and Parker Brothers weapons, as well as the Hall of Great Westerners, the Hall of Great Western Performers, and the Rodeo Hall of Fame.
3. Myriad Botanical Gardens: A Tropical Sanctuary
A 17-acre botanical garden and park, the Myriad Botanical Gardens encircle a sunken lake. Featuring a striking collection of palm trees, tropical plants and flowers, exotic animals and waterfalls, the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory is a living plant museum. The gardens offer a variety of educational programs for children and adults, including the interactive Rainforest Ecology Activity Program - which focuses on biology and ecology, the Roaming the Rainforest program - which addresses conservation, and the Junior Master Gardener program - which centers on horticulture and preservation. The gardens also house numerous distinguished sculptures, including Gateway by Hans Van de Bovenkamp, Childhood is Everlasting by Robin Orbach, and Flying Fish by Kenny McCage.
4. Oklahoma State Capitol: Museum Caliber Capitol
Built in 1917, the Oklahoma State Capitol, which accommodates the Oklahoma legislative and executive branches, was constructed in white limestone and pink granite. The building also houses a cafeteria, a barber shop and a museum with changing art exhibits. The halls of the capitol are decorated with murals, restored stained glass, and tribal flags. Flight of Spirit by Mike Larsen, a Chickasaw artist, is displayed in the rotunda and honors the Five Moons, a Native American ballet company. Throughout the building, visitors can observe a collection of Wayne Cooper paintings, which depict the state's oil heritage. On the first floor, discover The Earth and I Are One by Enoch Kelly Haney.
5. Oklahoma City Museum of Art: Art Through the Centuries
Built in 2002, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art has quickly become a highly-regarded, world-class art museum. With a permanent collection that explores five centuries of European and American art, the museum also features a growing contemporary art selection. On the first floor, the gallery hosts traveling exhibits from renowned artists, such as Andy Warhol, Ansel Adams, Fabergé and Chuck Close. The museum also houses the largest collection of Dale Chihuly glass sculptures in the world. Visitors can also enjoy its cinema, which screens international, independent, and classic films, as well as its children's art programs, café, rooftop terrace, and gift shop.
