Enriching lives, expanding horizons and offering a variety of cultural and recreational opportunities, Oklahoma has an abundance of activities for everyone from the art aficionado to the outdoor lover, the sports enthusiast to the nature buff.
Will Rogers never met a man he didn't like. And you'll like everything you see at the Will Rogers Memorial Museums in Claremore and Oologah. See the legacy left behind by this 20th century American humorist.
Museums
More than 300 museums are located throughout Oklahoma, and the state ranks 17th in per capita spending on the arts.
The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, opened in 1965, is a tribute to the men and women who helped establish the West as an integral part of America's cultural heritage.
The permanent collection of the nationally-recognized Oklahoma City Museum of Art features the largest collection ever of glass art by renowned artist Dale Chihuly.
The spirit of the American West comes alive at Tulsa's Gilcrease Museum, home of the world's largest and most comprehensive collection of western art. The permanent collection covers the period from colonial days to the present and contains more than 10,000 drawings, paintings, prints and sculptures by 400 artists, including Frederic Remington, Charles Russell, and Thomas Moran.
Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art in Shawnee was the only venue in the United States to host the exhibition Unveiling Ancient Mystery: Etruscan Treasures. This amazing exhibition of over 200 pieces of Etruscan gold jewelry and 14 pieces of Etruscan marble and terracotta artifacts is from the private collections of the Italian Prince Fabrizio Alliata and from the Gregorian - Etruscan Museum of the Vatican Museums.
World-class Philbrook Art Museum in Tulsa is the former home of colorful oilman Waite Phillips. This Italian-style villa is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and houses Italian Renaissance works in oil and sculpture, as well as ancient, classical and Oriental pieces.
The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History located on the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman is one of the largest university-based natural history museums in the world. It houses over 5 million artifacts in 195,000 square feet on six acres.
Attractions and Events
Up and down the famed Route 66, you'll get your kicks in Oklahoma, including 400 miles of the "mother road" in the Sooner State.
The Festival of the Arts is a celebration of the visual, performing and culinary arts and draws more than 700,000 people annually to downtown Oklahoma City. It has been named one of the top fine arts festivals in the nation.
Located near Tulsa, Jenks is home to the Oklahoma Aquarium, one of the state's newest attractions. It offers more than 200 exhibits including eight major galleries with more than 4,000 creatures from our world's waters.
The Tulsa Zoo recently was selected America's Favorite Zoo in Microsoft Game Studio's "Zoo Tycoon 2" contest. And the Oklahoma City Zoo was recently ranked the third best zoo for children and families by Child magazine.
Zoo & Aquarium Magazine ranks Oklahoma 12th for the number of animal attractions statewide.
Opportunities abound to experience the Native American culture in Oklahoma including the Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival, voted in the Top 100 events to see in the United States. Red Earth is the largest cultural festival of its type in Oklahoma.
Edmond's LibertyFest was ranked one of the top ten July 4th celebrations in the country by USA Today.
Oklahomans can't resist a festival. Maybe that's why there are so many throughout the year, including:
Porter Peach Festival
Oklahoma City Balloon Fest
ScienceFest Oklahoma
Tulsa's Oktoberfest (one of the largest in the country)
Broken Arrow's Rooster Days Festival
Stillwell's Strawberry Festival
Tulsa's Blues Festival
Claremore's BBQ & Blues Festival
Claremore's Annual Bluegrass & Chili Festival
Music and Performing Arts
A rich heritage of American Jazz was born in Oklahoma City in Deep Deuce, a one time commercial district known for its many jazz and blues clubs.
The Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra has a tradition of more than 75 years of orchestral music in Oklahoma City including appearances by the world's leading artists, international radio and television broadcasts, recordings and numerous tours.
The Tulsa Ballet has been hailed by the New York Times as one of the finest regional companies in the United States.
Bartlesville's OK Mozart Festival attracts thousands from across the country and has been featured on National Public Radio, NBC's Sunday Today and CNN.
Incredible musicians have called Oklahoma home-- from Woody Guthrie to Vince Gill, Reba McEntire to Patti Page, Toby Keith to the Flaming Lips. And the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in Okemah recognizes one of Oklahoma's favorite sons.
The Ford Center arena puts Oklahoma City on the schedule for such artists as Elton John, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Cher, Bette Midler, and Norah Jones. The arena is also home to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The BOK Center arena in Tulsa became one of the best selling arenas in the world during its inaugural season. The venue has already hosted a variety of artists including Bruce Springsteen, Jonas Brothers, ACDC, the Eagles, and many more.
Sports and Outdoors
Oklahoma is home to the nation's only Tallgrass Prairie Reserve. Originally spanning portions of 14 states and covering over 142 million acres, the tallgrass prairie was one of North America's major ecosystems. Today, less than 10% of the original tallgrass prairie remains. Large, unbroken tracts of tallgrass prairie only exist now in the Flint Hills of Oklahoma and Kansas. In 1989, The Nature Conservancy purchased the 30,000 acre Barnard Ranch north of Pawhuska, Oklahoma, as the cornerstone of the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve which now spans over 39,000 acres.
There are 50 state parks in Oklahoma with lodging including rustic cabins and expansive resorts. Activities include scuba diving to mountain climbing; kayaking to rappelling--and everything in between.
Oklahoma has more than 175 golf courses including several nationally recognized public courses and courses ranked in the Top 10 by Golf Digest. Southern Hills in Tulsa is the first course to host a record four PGA Championships, including the 2007 PGA Championship won by Tiger Woods. Southern Hills has also hosted 3 U.S. Open Championships.
Norman is home to the University of Oklahoma Sooners. Over the years, Sooner squads have combined for 26 team national championships including seven in football, seven in wrestling, eight in men's gymnastics, two in baseball, one in men's golf and one in softball.
The Oklahoma State University Cowboys call Stillwater home. OSU's athletics department has long been known as one of the most tradition-rich programs in the country - not just in one or two sports, but in all sports. OSU has accumulated 48 NCAA National Championships over the years, the fourth-most in NCAA history.
The University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane make their home in Tulsa. TU's men's basketball team won the inaugural College Basketball Invitational (CBI) Championship in 2008. A member of Conference USA since 2005, TU's football team won the 2007 GMAC Bowl. TU's athletic achievements include a total of 3 NCAA National Championships.
The Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles also call Tulsa home. ORU's men's basketball team made 3 straight NCAA Tournament appearances this decade. ORU's women's basketball team has also won several conference championships and made several NCAA Tournament appearances.
Oklahoma hosts such equestrian events as the International Finals Rodeo, Grand National Morgan Horse Show, the National Appaloosa Horse Show, AQHA World Championship Quarter Horse Show, U.S. National Arabian Championship Horse Show and the World Championship Barrel Racing Futurity.
The Oklahoma City Memorial The Oklahoma City National Memorial remembers "those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever" by the 1995 bombing. It includes an Outdoor Symbolic Memorial and the Memorial Center Museum and attracts visitors from across the country and throughout the world.
Architecture
Tulsa's building boom in the early 1910s produced some of the best examples of Art Deco architecture anywhere in the United States. Tulsa is often referred to as the "Terra Cotta City" reflecting the popular use of terra cotta during the Art Deco era.
Frank Lloyd Wright built his one and only skyscraper, the 19-story Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma in 1956. The Price Tower, now home to the Price Tower Arts Center, is Wright's tallest built project and has been noted as one of the American Institute of Architects' 17 most significant examples of Wright's architecture.
Will Rogers never met a man he didn't like. And you'll like everything you see at the 
Up and down the famed Route 66, you'll get your kicks in Oklahoma, including 400 miles of the "mother road" in the Sooner State.