Feeling like a family adventure, but not sure where to start? With help from our friends at Adventure Road, these top stops in the Oklahoma City area and along a 130-mile stretch south of the metro are sure to be a hit with the entire family. Grab the kids and a few snacks, get in your car and go! It’s that easy to create your own family adventure with this list!
POPS (Arcadia): Take a “pop” stop on Route 66. Your kids will love exploring the 700 types of sodas while waiting to eat breakfast or a burger. Swamp pop satsuma fizz anyone? Located just five miles east of I-35 along 2nd Street/Highway 66, POPS is easy to find given the 66-foot-tall soda bottle neon sculpture you’ll spot first.
Oklahoma City Zoo: Lions, tigers and bears, oh yes! The Zoo features over 1,900 animals with the opportunity to get up close and personal in behind-the-scenes experiences every day. The Wild Encounters program welcomes all ages to get face-to-face with grizzly bears, sea lions, elephants and Galapagos tortoises. Opening this summer, Sanctuary Asia will help visitors learn about endangered animals from that part of the world. Enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience at the OKC Zoo!
Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum: Education is still important even in the summer. This chronological, self-guided experience takes you through the story of the bombing on April 19, 1995, and the days, weeks and years that followed. The 3.3-acre Outdoor Symbolic Memorial includes the Gates of Time, which mark the time before and after the bombing took place, and the Field of Empty Chairs, which memorializes each of those killed. An important history lesson for everyone in the family.
Myriad Botanical Gardens: There’s always something going on at Myriad Gardens. This world-class urban park has enchanted families for years. Kids can enjoy their own special garden and splash fountains while parents wander through the beautiful trails. Don’t forget the dog! He can come too and frolic at the off-leash park. The Gardens’ Crystal Bridge Conservatory is something out of a fairytale and a must see for all!
Wheeler Ferris Wheel: Imagine the view 100 feet above the south bank of the Oklahoma River! Overlooking the downtown skyline has never been so much fun while riding on the historic Santa Monica Pier Ferris Wheel. Make a day of it! The Wheeler Riverfront Plaza also offers additional games, activities and concessions.
RIVERSPORT Rapids and Adventures: Physical education and fun? That’s right, try a zip line across the water, high-speed spiral slides, a six-story adventure course, the state-of-the-art whitewater rapids and more! Amenities just for your littles include the Sky Tykes mini adventure course and Kids Zip. Plan to stay and play all day!
Toy & Action Figure Museum: The world’s first museum devoted to the art and sculpting of action figures stands in the heart of downtown Pauls Valley, located 60 miles south of OKC along I-35. This hidden gem is a must see whether you are a kid or not!
Bedré Fine Chocolate: Did someone say chocolate? Stop in at the 35,000-square-foot factory and retail shop in Davis, Oklahoma (78 miles south of OKC along I-35) and experience a chocolate treat like no other. Kids will enjoy the up-close view of the factory floor and the free sample, of course. The flavor will stick with you for miles!
Chickasaw Cultural Center: Named CNN’s top travel destination in 2014, this cultural center, located in Sulphur, just 8 miles east of Davis, is one of the largest, most comprehensive tribal cultural centers in the country. So much to learn and celebrate inside and out on this magnificent 184-acre campus.
Arbuckle Mountain Fried Pies: Yum! Sweet fruit pies like cherry and apple or chocolate and coconut cream to savory pies like a bacon, egg and cheese breakfast pie or a spicy Tex-Mex pie. Enough said? If you're traveling through Davis, Oklahoma, it’s the perfect place to make a stop!
Lake Murray Lodge: Get ready to enjoy the great outdoors in Chickasaw Country at Oklahoma’s oldest and largest state park, Lake Murray State Park (just 20 miles south of Davis and just over 100 miles south of OKC). Opened in 2017, the Lodge is a premier hotel destination offering the perfect countryside escape for the family. The cabin and lodge area has a nice, new playground for kids to enjoy. If you want to get out on the lake, there is nearby access to kayaks, paddleboats, canoes and more.
Don’t stop that car just yet. With Adventure Road’s Great Road Trip Giveaway*, check out 20 hot spots (including those listed here) along Adventure Road and you could win the car of your choice valued up to $75,000! Deadline to enter is Sept. 5, 2018. Check out all of the details and destinations here. This is a great way to discover some of the best destinations that Adventure Road has to offer.
* NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C., age 21 or older. Void in FL, NY, outside the U.S., in Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and where prohibited by law. Giveaway ends on 09/05/18. To request a punch card by mail, to enter by mail, and for full Official Rules click here. Sponsor: Ackerman McQueen, 1601 Northwest Expressway, Suite 1100, Oklahoma City, OK 73118.
Article sponsored by Adventure Road. Adventure Road offers 130 miles of Oklahoma highway and the makings to an amazing road trip. We’ve marked the must-hit spots and planned some uniquely themed adventures — all you have to do is hit the road! Visit AdventureRoad.com for more.
