22 minute read
Oklahoma City: A Modern Frontier with Deep Roots
Story and photographs by Kris Grant
“O-O-O-Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain….”
The familiar tune from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! often drifts into the minds of travelers bound for the Sooner State, and nowhere does that song feel more grounded in place than in Oklahoma City.
Both urban and unpretentious, cosmopolitan and country, the city is a living tribute to the American West, a profound site of remembrance, a celebration of Indigenous heritage and a capital of surprising culinary delights.
Oklahoma City’s roots are as dramatic as any Western saga. It was born on April 22, 1889, when some 50,000 settlers rushed into the “Unassigned Lands” of central Oklahoma during the Land Run. In just a single day, what was once open prairie turned into a makeshift city of tents and wagon wheels.
Ever wonder why Oklahoma is known as the “Sooner State?” When the government opened those two million acres of unassigned lands and thousands lined up along its borders, some individuals surreptitiously entered the territory ahead of time, illegally staking their claims before the designated start. These early entrants were dubbed “Sooners,” due to their premature actions.
Initially, “Sooner” carried a negative connotation, but over time became a symbol of the pioneering spirit and determination of Oklahoma’s settlers. In 1908, the University of Oklahoma adopted “Sooners” as the nickname for its athletic teams. Go figure.
Oklahoma City spans 621 square miles, making it the eighth largest city per square mile in the country. But I found it easy to navigate, with a handy visitors guide that focused on noteworthy neighborhoods in the city, “districts” that I was eager to explore.
Traveling east on I-40? Plan a three-or-four-day stopover in Oklahoma City – or OKC as the locals call it. By either name, it’s a destination on the rise, a “Modern Frontier” whose people will welcome you with open arms.
Sacred ground at the Oklahoma City National Memorial
No visit to Oklahoma City is complete without paying respects at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, a powerful tribute to the 168 lives taken in the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building. I have been to this memorial three times now, and its impact resonated just as deeply on my third visit as my first.
This is the 30th anniversary year of the terrible bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City.
It is best to view the museum before visiting the outside memorial. Your visit will begin in an orientation theatre where you are told it was “a day like any other day.” Then you and a small group will be ushered into a conference room where you will hear an actual audio recording of a hearing of the Water Resources Board, that began at 9 a.m., just across the street. I steeled myself for the blast from the 4,800-pound bomb that I knew was coming at 9:02. As it shattered the hearing room and was heard or felt in cities as far as 60 miles away, the faces of those suddenly lost flashed on the wall before us. Then doors opened to what is called the “chaos room” where a chilling hour-byhour account recounts that fateful day. Actual local news reports are screened, while debris including actual computers and office equipment and personal items such as watches, shoes and eyeglasses are displayed.
In the entire museum there is only one reference to the perpetrator by name and I’m purposely excluding it from this narrative. But his car without a license plate, which caused it to be pulled over by an Oklahoma Highway Patrol officer just 90 minutes after the bombing, is on display. He was taken into custody for driving without a license plate and carrying an unregistered concealed weapon.
In fact, the meticulous process investigators went through to locate and arrest the perpetrators is presented here in detail. After the explosion, forensic teams sifted through the rubble. A key breakthrough came when they found a rear axle with a partial VIN
number, which is one of the museum exhibits. It helped investigators trace the truck to a Ryder rental agency in Junction City, Kansas. From there, composite drawings were composed from rental agency employees and a nearby motel where the person using the alias of “Robert B. King” had stayed. It wasn’t long before the drawing was shown to those holding in custody the driver without the license plate.
The Oklahoma Standard
What I found most moving and personally inspiring as I made my way through the museum were the stories of rescue and recovery in which “service, honor and kindness” came together in a big way on April 19, 1995. It has come to be known as “The Oklahoma Standard.”
The birth of The Oklahoma Standard began when shocked residents across the state responded immediately and instinctively to media reports for needed items. Some examples: In anticipation of hundreds of critically injured survivors, people lined up to give blood. By early afternoon, lines flowed out the doors and into parking lots at donation locations. Food and water began pouring in for rescue works. Retail outlets cleared store shelves to donate work gloves, flashlights and batteries. At the Myriad Convention Center, five blocks from the Murrah Building, the Oklahoma Restaurant Association’s annual trade show featuring kitchen equipment and food displays was immediately cancelled. Instead, the food and equipment intended for the show was used to feed hundreds of rescue workers and volunteers. Telephone companies provided cell phones. Clergy and mental health professionals arrived to offer assistance. Rescue workers from visiting states and journalists were so moved by the way Oklahomans took care of each other that they referred to it as “The Oklahoma Standard.” A fire fighter from California held up a dollar bill, which he called “My Oklahoma Dollar,” because he didn’t spend a single dollar in the state, as people took care of his every need. The Oklahoma Standard lives on today as the model by which Oklahomans respond to the needs of their neighbors, fellow citizens and communities. I saw it and felt it firsthand throughout my visit.
It was a strong message to me and others to carry with us as we left the museum and proceeded to the memorial grounds: Show up to serve. Rise up to honor. Step up to be kind.
The outdoor memorial is a contemplative space with twin gates, the Gates of Time, framing the moment of destruction of 9:02 a.m. The East Gate, set at 9:01, represents the innocence before the attack. The 9:03 West Gate marks the moment when healing began.
On the ground that was once 5th Street, calm reflecting waters now inspire visitors to gaze deep inside themselves. The Survivor Tree, a century old American Elm, stands at the highest point of the memorial, as a symbol of strength and resilience.
The Field of Empty chairs is perhaps the most poignant feature of the memorial. Located where the Murrah Federal Building once stood, the bronze chairs are arranged in nine rows that reflect the floors where those who were killed were working or visiting. The 19 smaller chairs represent the children. The chairs light up at night as beacons of hope. On the Survivor Wall, more than 600 names of those who survived the blast are etched upon the Murrah Federal Building’s only remaining wall.
Cowboy Culture Reimagined
The American West lives on at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, one of Oklahoma City’s premier attractions and the nation’s instead of kitschy saloon props, the museum presents a serious, beautifully curated homage to the myths and realities of the frontier.
It boasts an impressive collection of Western art, including works by Frederic Remington and Charles Marion Russell, as well as rotating exhibitions that delve into cowboy life, rodeo culture and the enduring impact of Western cinema. “Prosperity Junction” is a life-sized replica of a turn-of-the-century cattle town, complete with a schoolhouse and blacksmith shop. In one room more than 1,000 types of barbed wire are on display (who knew?), and others featured collections of boots, saddles and spurs, even a Prairie sod house.
But truth be told, my favorite part of the museum was the American cinema section, with tableaus of some of the old TV western series, such as Gunsmoke. It pulled me back to the ‘60s when my family gathered around our black and white TV. There was James Arness as Matt Dillon and Amanda Blake as Miss Kitty, and the rest of the cast. The cinema section featured portraits and tributes to such legends as John Wayne, Joel McCrea, Gary Cooper, Jimmy Stewart and Walter Brennan, and one standout maven, Barbara Stanwyck.
Ken Curtis as Festus, James Arness as Matt Dillon and Amanda Blake as Miss Kitty, all part of the TV series, Gunsmoke.
Honoring the First Americans
A counterpoint to the cowboy narrative is found just a few miles down the road: the First Americans Museum opened in 2021, after many years of starts, fits, and stops.
It represents all 39 federally recognized tribes with ancestral ties to Oklahoma.
Only a few tribal nations were indigenous to what is now the State of Oklahoma. All others were removed from homelands across the contiguous U.S. to Indian Territory. In 1907 Oklahoma became the 46th state to enter the union. The state’s name comes from two Choctaw words “Okla” and “Homma” meaning Red People.
Visitors walk through OKLA HOMMA, a 30,000-square-foot exhibit that chronicles the centuries-long journey of Indigenous peoples – from ancient civilizations to forced removals to present-day cultural revival.
Here, the stories are told in first person narrative. Its striking earthintegrated architecture evokes the land itself, and its storytelling approach is both immersive and inclusive.
The museum often hosts live performances, art demonstrations and food tastings at its on-site restaurant, Thirty-Nine, where indigenous chefs reclaim traditional ingredients like bison, corn and wild berries in creative culinary dishes.
The museum officially opened on Sept. 18, 2021, after decades of delays, funding challenges and planning setbacks. Construction began in 2006, but stalled in 2012, due to a funding shortfall, including a major funding gap when the State of Oklahoma halted its financial support. The museum’s completion was made possible largely by the Chickasaw Nation, which provided a $27 million investment, and also provided project management experience.
The Chickasaw Nation also spearheaded the OKANA Resort and Indoor Waterpark that opened last month on the Oklahoma riverfront just opposite the museum. It features a 404-room resort hotel, a 100,000-square-foot indoor water park, a 200,000-square-foot outdoor water park, restaurants, retail shops and a riverfront amphitheater. Parents of teens and preteens: Think about staying here, and you’ll have those kids forever in your debt.
Capital Views and Public Art
Towering over a northeast quadrant of the city is the Oklahoma State Capitol, unique in that it sits atop active oil wells – one of which, the historic Petunia No. 1, is visible from the grounds.
Completed in 1917, the Capitol was not crowned with a dome until 2002, fulfilling its original architectural vision. Free guided tours explore ornate murals, stained glass rotundas and the House and Senate chambers.
Don’t miss the massive Guardian statue atop the dome – a bronze warrior sculpted by Seminole Chickasaw artist Enoch Kelly Haney. It is one of many artworks throughout the city that honor Oklahoma’s indigenous and pioneer pasts.
Oklahoma State Capitol’s dome features the 17-foot-tall Guardian statue by Native American artist and former Oklahoma State Senator Enoch Kelly Haney. Inside the Capitol, visitors can view closeup a nine-foot-tall replica of the sculpture.
Bricktown: Boats, Brews and Baseball
One example of Oklahoma City’s modernity is its Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS) initiative that its citizens passed in December 2009. This self-imposed one-cent sales tax has driven billions in investment, resulting in new public parks, libraries, a new convention center, trails, a modern streetcar system and entertainment venues. It was a major funding vehicle for the one-mile manmade canal that traverses the former warehouse district now called Bricktown.
Four railroad companies had freight operations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in what is now Bricktown, adjacent to and immediately east of downtown Oklahoma City. Brick warehouses came into being between 1898 and 1903, typically just one and two stories, with increasingly taller structures built between 1903 and 1930.
The decline of the warehouse district began with the onset of the Great Depression, and continued as highway construction diminished railroad operations, with many shippers moving to truck transportation. By 1980 Bricktown had become a cluster of abandoned buildings.
By 1990, Mayor Ron Norick persuaded Oklahoma City residents to approve a series of tax incentives to lure new businesses, but it wasn’t enough. That’s when the city and Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce joined forces to develop the MAPS program.
Funded by MAPS, the Chickasaw Ballpark opened in 1998 and the canal in July 1999.
Today, Bricktown is the heartbeat of Oklahoma City’s downtown. The warehouse district has been revitalized into a buzzing entertainment hub with restaurants, bars and music venues.
Brick-lined streets and restored industrial facades lend character, while modern amenities such as the OKC streetcar, a 16-plex theatre, live music venues and a comedy club, keep the area hopping into the night.
After enjoying a flight of excellent beers and marvelous mango-and-shrimp tacos at the original Bricktown Brewery, I hopped aboard the Bricktown Water Taxi. As we glided along the mile-long Bricktown Canal, our friendly guide Amanda pointed out murals, sculptures and popular venues on the route while also telling stories of city’s history. The Oklahoma Land Run Monument, a series of 45 bronze statues that straddles the canal, commemorates the opening of the Unassigned Land in Oklahoma Territory. Artist and Oklahoma native Paul Moore captured the frenzied emotion of the land run participants as they raced to capture their new homesteads. Amanda told us the whole story, including the shifty moves of “Sooners” who had ridden out to claim their stake well before the shotgun start. As we rounded the bend in the canal, one bronze statue depicted a lone Sooner and his horse, who had apparently just stepped into view from behind a tree.
Located at the South End of the canal, the monument is also a city park, with the entrance at 200 Centennial Avenue, just off Reno Avenue between the Bass Pro Shops (another fun Bricktown venue) and the Residence Inn Hotel. The park is open 24 hours a day, but the monument is best viewed during daylight hours.
Bricktown offers an array of culinary experiences. For something special, Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse, named after the legendary Yankees slugger from Oklahoma, offers dry-aged beef and a deep wine list with views of the canal. Another restaurant, “Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill,” is named for the artist’s hit single and offers country favorite menu items like Pork Chops topped with homemade Jalapeño Peach Jam, plus live music.
Speaking of music, Bricktown Summer Nights is a free concert series sponsored by Michelob beer. The outdoor concerts are held on Fridays at the corner of Oklahoma and Reno avenues and generally run from 6 to 11 p.m. The concerts, along with minorleague baseball at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, lend a festival atmosphere to the area.
The American Banjo Museum at 9 East Sheridan in the heart of Bricktown, is a fun and surprisingly engaging stop, even if you’ve never picked up a banjo. Housed in a colorful, modern space, the museum traces the banjo’s evolution over nearly 400 years, from its African origins to its role in minstrel shows, classical music, ragtime, bluegrass, jazz, folk and pop music. It holds one of the largest banjo collections in the world – more than 300 are on display – and many are beautifully decorated, almost like works of art. The museum features interpretive exhibits, video presentations and performance theaters.
Arts Districts
One aspect of OKC that caught me by surprise are its lively arts and cultural districts. I stumbled upon the Paseo Arts District after photographing the nearby Tower Theatre, a Route 66 icon. What a lovely area, with 20 colorful galleries featuring 80 artists mingled with interesting restaurants, shoe and clothing boutiques along a curved two-block avenue. There’s a vegan donut shop, and one of my new favorite bookstores.
On a Sunday morning, I stopped into Literati Press bookstore and met Kristen Grace, who has been with the shop since it opened and is a longtime friend of the owner, Charles Martin. She told me she happily works six days a week, lives just a block or two away and walks to work.
The shop sells books, of course, but also holds writer’s workshops and authors readings. In keeping with the art throughout the Paseo, the shop displays works by Chris Marciszewski, an Oklahoma City-based artist whose watercolors and oil paintings of local landmarks and cultural icons, such as the Milk Bottle Building on Route 66 and the Oklahoma State Capitol, reflect a deep appreciation for the region’s heritage.
Kristen brought me up to speed on the district. The Paseo was built in 1929 as the first shopping district north of downtown. It has maintained its Spanish revival architecture with original stucco buildings and clay tile roofs and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Paseo Plunge, a former bathhouse, is now community arts space. The area’s restaurants, including the Paseo Grill, housed in one of the original Spanish-style buildings is a cozy space that features curtained booths for a romantic setting and Picasso Café, which is just across the street from the book shop, offers a popular Sunday brunch and a dogfriendly patio with a special “Doggie Menu.”
Kristen told me the district hosts a First Friday Gallery Walk every first Friday of the month, rain or shine, from 6 to 9 p.m. and the annual Paseo Arts Festival over Memorial Day weekend.
Just around the corner from the bookstore, “Oklahoma Shakespeare” is a nonprofit theatre company that produces works by the Bard and other classical works. “In their 200seat outdoor Shakespeare Gardens, they put on plays during the warmer months of the year, and it feels like you’re in someone’s back yard,” she said. “It’s magical.”
Accommodations Spotlight:
The Ambassador and The National – both part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection.
Located in the heart of Midtown OKC, a thriving arts district, the Ambassador Hotel is a distinguished boutique hotel housed in the historic Osler Building. It’s where I stayed in one of the 54 elegantly appointed rooms (there are also suites).
Named after Sir William Osler, a pioneer in medical education, the original six-story building was constructed in 1928 and 1929; the seventh floor was added in 1946. For decades it was a hub for medical professionals, housing offices for physicians, dentists, and clinics associated with the University of Oklahoma’s Medical School. After several decades of vacancy, the building was acquired in 2012 by Coury Hospitality, a Tulsa-based company specializing in boutique hotels. Under the leadership of Paul Coury, the building’s original façade and medical insignia were preserved while the interiors were transformed, seamlessly blending early 20th century architecture with modern luxury.
The hotel’s Chalkboard Kitchen + Bar serves modern American cuisine, and the hotel’s rooftop “O Bar” features panoramic views of OKC’s downtown, where the Devon Tower does indeed tower over the skyline. The OBar was hopping, inside and out, on the night I visited. It helped that the temperature was 72 degrees on this Cinco de Mayo weekend and that the week before I had visited, the weather was much colder with severe flooding throughout OKC’s outlying areas. I later checked about tornado season: it runs April through June. I really lucked out!
On my second night in the city, I headed to the heart of Downtown, to The National, an Autograph Collection hotel housed in a beautifully restored 1931 Art Deco skyscraper, which at its inception stood as the tallest building in Oklahoma. It was once The First National Bank and Trust Company, which opened its doors on Dec. 14, 1931, with a grand ceremony that included the transfer of $45 million in cash and securities, escorted by 32 armored vehicles.
The hotel’s three-story lobby, once known as the Great Banking Hall, is an awesome example of early 20th century grandeur. The ceiling is adorned with ornate decorative paintings and four large murals are situated in each corner. They were painted in 1931 by Chicago artist Edgar Spier Cameron and depict pivotal events in the state’s history, including the Louisiana Purchase, the Trail of Tears, the Land Run of 1889 and the Discovery of Oil in Oklahoma.
I headed to the hotel’s Tellers restaurant (get it?) for dinner. Tellers is situated along the length of one side of the Great Hall, with the dining area framed by the bank’s original marble Corinthian columns on one side and the original bronze teller windows on the other. My server pointed out several alcoves high above us. Armed guards were once posted in those windows, he noted, because “this was the era of Bonnie and Clyde. The National was one of the few banks in the state that was never robbed.” Service is attentive here, and the menu features refined Italian cooking with fresh seasonal ingredients.
Back at the Ambassador, I stopped for a nightcap at the Chalkboard.
When I mentioned dining at Tellers, a gentleman introduced himself as the manager of The Vault, The National’s cocktail lounge that was once the bank’s secure vault. Today, guests can sample a curated selection of more than 1,500 unique distilled spirits, served behind the original bank vault doors. Next visit!
When you go…
Visit Oklahoma Citywww.visitokc.com
Recommended Lodging
Ambassador Hotel Oklahoma City, Autograph Collection by Marriott
Featuring Chalkboard Restaurant + Bar www.marriott.com
Colcord Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton www.hilton.com
Fordson Hotel, Unbound Collection by Hyatt
Located in the historic Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant, the Fordson offers a unique blend of industrial design and luxury. www.hyatt.com
The National, Autograph Collection by Marriott
Featuring Tellers Restaurant and The Vault cocktail lounge www.marriott.com
OKANA Resort and Indoor Waterpark www.okanaresort.com
Museums & Memorials
American Banjo Museum www.americanbanjomuseum.com
First Americans Museum www.famok.org
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum www.nationalcowboymuseum.org
Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum www.memorialmuseum.com
Oklahoma City Museum of Art www.okcmoa.com
Oklahoma Route 66 MuseumOklahoma City is a prime stop on the Mother Road, with vintage neon signs and nostalgic roadside attractions. I won’t tell you about those attractions now but will save them for my January 2026 article on Route 66’s Centennial Year. But I will direct you to the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in nearby Clinton. It is operated by the Oklahoma Historical Society and is considered the state’s official showcase of Route 66. www.okhistory.org/sites/route66
Oklahoma Sports Hall of FameFrom Jim Thorpe to Johnny Bench, Oklahoma has a rich legacy of sports legends. www.oklahomasportshalloffame.org
Oklahoma State Capitol Tours & MuseumFree public tours daily at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Museum is located on the ground floor www.oklahoma.gov
When you go… Attractions
Arts and Cultural Districts:Among OKC’s 21 notable Arts and Cultural Districts are:
Bricktown Entertainment District www.bricktownokc.com
Paseo Arts District While in the district, drop in to Literati Press bookstore; www.literatipressok.com; www.thepaseo.org
Stockyards CityThis is where to go to get everything cowboy, beginning with Langston’s western store and Little Joe’s boots to dining at Cattlemen’s Steakhouse.
The Wheeler DistrictThis burgeoning area on the south bank of the Oklahoma River features the historic Santa Monica Pier Ferris Wheel, which the developer purchased on eBay in 2008. Wheeler Riverfront Plaza is a laid-back family friendly destination with games, hammocks, greenspace, food trucks and a summer music festival. For details on all 21 districts, go to www. visitokc.com
Bricktown Water TaxiThe Oklahoma City Land Run Monument can be best viewed from the canal trip. www.bricktownwatertaxi.com
Chickasaw Bricktown StadiumHome of the Oklahoma City Comets, the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. www.mlb.com
Myriad Botanical GardensA world-class public garden in the heart of downtown OKC.www.myriadgardens.org
Scissortail ParkOKC’s downtown urban oasis features 70 acres of green space, trails, a lake, café, playgrounds, sports courts, interactive seasonal fountains and year-round programs and special events. www.scissortailpark.org
Restaurants & Local Cuisine
Bricktown BreweryBricktown’s original brewery has grown to 21 locations in five states.www.bricktownokc.com
Cattlemen’s SteakhouseOklahoma’s oldest continually operated restaurant.www.cattlemensrestaurant.com
Cheever’s CaféSo popular you’ll need a reservation – go for brunch!www.cheeverscafe.com
The Jones AssemblyA combo live music venue with top artists mixed with great food. Indoor-outdoor stage gives it a festival ambience. www.thejonesassembly.com
Leo’s BBQServing hickory-smoked meats and homestyle sides in its humble venue since 1974 www.leos-bbq.square.site
Mickey Mantle’s SteakhouseA Bricktown favorite for fine dining and a lounge named “#7” after Mantle’s jersey number. www.mickeymantlesteakhouse.com
Tucker’s Onion BurgersGuy Fieri gives a thumbs up on the caramelized onion beef burger patties www.tuckersonionburgers.com
Vast49th and 50th floors of the Devon TowerBusiness casual: no baseball caps or flip flops allowed. Reservations recommended (405) 702-7262
