Free & Cheap Things to Do in Oklahoma City

History & Culture

The free outdoor Symbolic Memorial marks the site of the 1995 bombing that killed 168 people. The Field of Empty Chairs, the Gates of Time, and the Survivor Tree make this one of the most powerful free memorials in the country — open 24 hours a day, every day.

Address: 620 N Harvey Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73102

Tip: The outdoor memorial is free and deeply moving at any hour. The indoor museum is $18 for adults if you want the full story — it's excellent but optional.

Parks & Nature

A stunning free 70-acre urban park stretching from downtown OKC to the Oklahoma River, with a 3.7-acre lake, children's nature play area, dog park, interactive fountains, sports courts, and a performance stage with free events all year.

Address: 300 SW 7th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73109

Tip: Open daily 6am–11pm. Free concerts and events are held on the great lawn throughout the year — check scissortailpark.org for the schedule.

Parks & Nature

Fifteen free acres of ornamental gardens in the heart of downtown OKC, with a children's garden, shade gardens, a lake with terraced plantings, and a diverse collection of flowering perennials. A genuine green oasis steps from the city center.

Address: 301 W Reno Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73102

Tip: The outdoor gardens are always free. The Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory adds a lush indoor rainforest experience for $10.50 — worth it if you have time.

History & Culture

One of the few state capitols in the US with an oil well on its grounds — and the only one with a working pump jack. Free self-guided and guided tours take you through six floors of a beautifully restored neo-classical building completed in 1917 and fully restored in 2022.

Address: 2300 N Lincoln Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73105

Tip: Walk-up guided tours run weekdays at 11am and 1pm — no reservation needed. Self-guided tours available weekdays 8am–5pm, weekends 9am–4pm.

Shopping & Strolling

Oklahoma City's restored warehouse district just east of downtown — anchored by the mile-long Bricktown Canal, the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, restaurants in 1898 brick buildings, summer-evening live music, and the impressive Centennial Land Run Monument (45 bronze figures racing into the Unassigned Lands of the 1889 Land Run). Free to walk and explore 24/7; water taxis and ballgames are paid extras.

Address: 200 S Mickey Mantle Dr, Oklahoma City, OK 73104

Tip: Park free at the Cox Convention Center garage on weekends or take the free OKC Streetcar from downtown — Bricktown has its own stop. The Centennial Land Run Monument is open 24/7 and absolutely free, best at golden hour. Water-taxi canal cruises are about $14 if you want one.

History & Culture

Oklahoma's official state history museum, a 215,000-square-foot Smithsonian-affiliated building directly across from the State Capitol. Five permanent galleries cover 13,000 years of Oklahoma story — Native American history (with Trail of Tears focus), territorial-era settlement, the Oklahoma oil boom, military history, and aviation. The Crossroads of Commerce gallery has an actual full-size 1920 Greyhound bus and a real Apollo space capsule.

Address: 800 Nazih Zuhdi Dr, Oklahoma City, OK 73105

Tip: Open Tuesday–Saturday 10am–4:45pm; closed Sunday, Monday, and state holidays. Family pass for up to 6 people is $35. Veterans and active military are free with ID. Free parking on site. Combine with a free State Capitol tour across the street for a deep half-day of Oklahoma history.

Quirky Landmarks

OKC's working-cowboy historic district, founded 1910 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The mile-long main street is lined with western-wear outfitters (Langston's has been around since 1913), saddle makers, the famous Cattlemen's Steakhouse from 1910, and the Oklahoma National Stockyards — the largest stocker/feeder cattle market in the world, where Monday and Tuesday cattle auctions are free to attend.

Address: Exchange Ave & Agnew Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73108

Tip: Walking the district is free and best done weekday mornings when the working cattle yards are most active. Free cattle auctions at the Oklahoma National Stockyards run Monday and Tuesday mornings starting 6:30 or 8am — check oknationalstockyards.com for the weekly start time. Free street parking. Langston's is the marquee western-wear stop.

Arts & Culture

A 175,000-square-foot museum on the south bank of the Oklahoma River telling the collective story of the 39 First American Nations in Oklahoma today, all from a Native-led perspective. Opened in 2021 after a 25-year journey, the museum has won every major AAM award for design and interpretation. The signature 110-foot earthen Promenade Mound recalls the Native earthworks of pre-contact North America.

Address: 659 First Americans Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73129

Tip: Open Wednesday–Sunday 10am–5pm; closed Monday and Tuesday. Tribal members, military, and seniors 62+ pay $15. Free on-site parking. Allow 3 hours minimum — the museum is far larger than it appears from the entrance. The on-site Thirty Nine Restaurant serves contemporary Native cuisine (separate, no ticket needed).

Arts & Culture

OKC's downtown art museum is best known for the world's most comprehensive collection of Dale Chihuly glass — a 55-foot tower of blown-glass spires anchors the atrium — alongside European, American, and photography galleries and a film theater. Everyone 17 and under is free, and the whole museum is free on the second Sunday of each month.

Address: 415 Couch Dr, Oklahoma City, OK 73102

Tip: Time a visit for a free second Sunday (free tickets release a week ahead) or the first full weekend if you carry a Bank of America card. The Noble Theater screens independent and classic films. Allow two hours, more if you catch a movie.

Arts & Culture

This striking arts center near Midtown — its aluminum-fin facade shimmers in the wind — mounts rotating exhibitions of contemporary art across free galleries, plus hands-on studios, talks, and performances. Admission is always free, making it one of OKC's best no-cost cultural stops for all ages.

Address: 11 NW 11th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73103

Tip: Admission is free; some special exhibitions or workshops may require a free timed ticket, so check the website. Free parking is on site. The light-catching 'FE' facade is worth seeing at different times of day. Pair it with the nearby Plaza District.

History & Museums

Tucked in Bricktown, this quirky museum holds the largest collection of banjos on public display anywhere — more than 400 instruments tracing the banjo from its African roots through the Jazz Age to bluegrass today. Video and performance theaters and gleaming gold-plated 1920s banjos make it a fun, cheap hour.

Address: 9 E Sheridan Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73104

Tip: WIC and EBT cardholders pay $3 (plus up to four family members). On-street meters are free on Sundays. The self-guided visit takes about an hour. Closed Mondays. It's an easy walk from the Bricktown canal and the rest of the district.

Arts & Culture

OKC's oldest arts district winds along a curving Spanish-Revival street of stucco buildings painted in pastels, home to more than 20 galleries and 80 working artists. It's free to wander any day, and the First Friday gallery walk each month turns the whole neighborhood into an open-studio street party.

Address: 3022 Paseo, Oklahoma City, OK 73103

Tip: First Friday evenings (and Saturday mornings) are the liveliest, with open galleries and artist receptions. Most galleries are free to browse. Parking is on the street. Combine with the adjacent Plaza District and Oklahoma Contemporary for a full afternoon of free art.

Shopping & Strolling

Once-faded and now one of OKC's hippest strips, the Plaza District packs colorful murals, indie boutiques, galleries, and affordable restaurants into a few walkable blocks along NW 16th Street. It's free to stroll, mural-spot, and window-shop, with a monthly LIVE on the Plaza street festival.

Address: 1618 N Gatewood Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73106

Tip: The second-Friday LIVE on the Plaza festival is free and the best time to feel the district's energy. Murals line the side streets — bring a camera. Plenty of meals run under $15. Street parking fills on event nights, so arrive early.

Parks & Nature

A 140-acre pocket of wild Oklahoma on the city's northwest edge, Martin Park keeps three hiking trails, a creek, a bird-observation wall, and a watchtower amid woods and prairie. The free nature center has live-animal exhibits, and the easy trails make it a favorite free outing for families.

Address: 5000 W Memorial Rd, Oklahoma City, OK 73142

Tip: General admission and the trails are free; ranger-led hikes and programs run $5 per person and need advance booking. Closed Mondays. Bring water and bug spray in summer. Early morning is best for spotting deer, turtles, and birds along the creek.