10 must-see places in Oklahoma to add to your travel bucket list
Whether you're a lifelong Oklahoman or a visitor to the state, there are places in Oklahoma that should make it onto your bucket list.
Here are 10 must-see places in the Sooner State.
Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum
A trip to the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum is necessary for those who want to learn more about the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and remember those who were killed.
The Field of Empty Chairs and the Reflection Pool take the place of where the Alfred P. Murrah Federal building once stood, memorializing the 168 who lost their lives in the bombing. The museum tells the story of the bombing, how Oklahoma recovered and what lessons can be learned from the tragedy.
Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge
True to its name, the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge "preserves approximately 60,000 acres of mixed grass prairie, ancient granite mountains, and fresh water lakes and streams for the benefit of wildlife and the American people," according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Visitors are likely to see roaming bison, longhorn cattle and elk. The refuge, near the Lawton and Fort Sill area in southwest Oklahoma, is ripe with scenic views and opportunities for exploring the outdoors while hiking, camping, kayaking and fishing.
Alabaster Caverns State Park
Northwest Oklahoma is home to this rarity, one of the largest gypsum caves in the world. Visitors can join one of the daily guided tours of the cave for a fee — tours leave on the hour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Alabaster Caverns State Park, located just south of Freedom, Oklahoma, also features hiking trails and reservable RV and tent camping sites.
Center of the Universe
A mysterious acoustic phenomenon takes place in downtown Tulsa, known as the "Center of the Universe," marked by a concrete circle in the midst of a larger circle of bricks at 1 S Boston Ave.
According to Atlas Obscura: "If you stand in the middle of the circle and make a noise, the sound is echoed back several times louder than it was made. It’s your own private amplified echo chamber."
But, to anyone outside the circle your voice is "extremely distorted."
Talimena Scenic Byway
This awe-inspiring 54-mile route in southeast Oklahoma is known for its views, especially during a colorful Oklahoma fall or vibrant springtime.
The Talimena Scenic Byway was built through one of the highest mountain ranges between the Rockies and the Appalachians specifically to showcase the area's foliage. There are 22 designated vistas along the route, which include interpretive signage.
Philbrook Museum of Art
Inside the former Tulsa home of oil pioneer Waite Phillips and his wife Genevieve is the Philbrook Museum of Art, at 2727 S Rockford Road, complete with the breathtaking formal gardens in the back.
The Philbrook has a series of rotating and permanent exhibits, ranging from ancient to modern art from America and beyond.
First Americans Museum
Located along the Oklahoma River and near the crossroads of Interstates 35, 40, 235 and 44 is Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum. The museum is dedicated to sharing the collective histories of the 39 federally recognized tribes in the state of Oklahoma.
Visitors can explore the cultural diversity of the distinctive tribes and, for many of the tribes now residing in Oklahoma, learn what the process of removal from their ancestral homelands was like 200 years ago.
Turner Falls State Park
Situated in some of the oldest mountains on earth, the Arbuckle Mountains, is Turner Falls State Park. The park is home to one of Oklahoma's tallest waterfalls — it's tied with the waterfall inside eastern Oklahoma's Natural Falls State Park.
Visitors to the falls near Davis, Oklahoma can enjoy swimming, hiking and camping.
"Turner Falls Park has been described as one of the three geological windows into the planet's past, along with the Grand Canyon and the Black Hills of South Dakota," according to Travel OK.
Collings Castle
This medieval-style castle is actually within Turner Falls State Park.
Built in the 1930s as a private residence, visitors can explore the ruins of Collings Castle featuring bunkhouses, parapets with narrow windows and a fireplace adorned with native rose rocks — though much of the fireplace has been chipped away and some of the walls are crumbling.
Pioneer Woman Mercantile
In the small, northeastern Oklahoma town of Pawhuska is Pioneer Woman Mercantile, home to food television personality Ree Drummond's restaurant, bakery and store.
Also known as "The Merc," visitors can expect delicious foods and baked goods, as well as lots of Pioneer Woman branded items just waiting to come home with them. Plus, there are free daily tours of The Lodge on Drummond Ranch where Drummond films her Food Network show.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: 10 must-see places to add to your Oklahoma bucket list
