The Oklahoma City metro area is teeming with opportunities to have great family fun that will be easy on your wallet. We polled our readers for their favorite free (or nearly free) places and activities in the metro and here, in random order, are their recommendations:
- See the world’s largest collection of military firearms and a variety of war artifacts at the Oklahoma National Guard Museum. Check out these other free museums in the metro too!
- Explore nature at Martin Park Nature Center.
- Volunteer at the Regional Food Bank. Rewarding, humbling, gratifying and so much more. (Find other family volunteering opportunities here.)
- Be inspired by the world-class art on display at Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Starting in January 2024, everyone can get free admission on the second Sunday each month. Kids always get in free to the museum any day of the year!
- Stroll through Myriad Botanical Gardens & nearby Scissortail Park.
- Explore community history at the Edmond History Museum.
- Spend time together at monthly events like LIVE on the Plaza or Paseo’s First Friday Gallery Walk. Find even more OKC street festivals on this list.
- Enjoy storytimes and other activities at the Metropolitan Library System and Pioneer Library System branch libraries.
- Create together at Oklahoma Contemporary’s Second Saturday events on the second Saturday of every month. Bonus – Admission to Oklahoma Contemporary is always free!
- Families can enjoy FREE admission to the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art on the second Friday of each month.
5 Staff Picks for frugal family fun
- Explore the underground tunnels downtown. A series of tunnels and skywalks about one mile long connect a large part of downtown offering a unique perspective of the area. Open to the public from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, you’ll see art, learn about OKC’s history and more.
- Spend time together with some friendly competition. Local futsal courts (a small-scale soccer field) and disc golf courses are a frugal way to create quality time with minimal equipment required. New to disc golf, check out local mom Debbie Murnan insight on how to get started.
- Experience OKC’s unique culture at a local market. Farmers markets and other shopping events are popping up all around the metro. Some of our favorites include Edmond Farmers Market, Spoke Street Night Market in the Wheeler District and the annual Asian District Night Market Festival.
- Step back in time at the Oklahoma Railway Museum! Journey back in time to the heyday of the rails and climb aboard rail cars, get up close to an iconic red caboose and climb aboard passenger cars. The museum offers free admission and is open Thursday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Train rides are available on the first and third Saturdays and tickets start at $5.
- Hitch up your wheels and go for a family bike ride. The OKC metro has many, many miles of bike trails. Some of our favorites are at Arcadia Lake, Mitch Park, Lake Stanley Draper and the Boathouse District.
For even more free or low-cost activities for your family, visit www.metrofamilymagazine.com/free-fun/ or sign up for our e-newsletters here to be sure you don’t miss a thing! Or, check out our round-up of the best free events, ideas for a no-spend weekend and more!
