A Two Day Itinerary for Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Did you ever visit a city that you were immediately so intrigued by that every thing you did seemed more spectacular than the last? That is how I felt when I visited Oklahoma City (OKC) for the first time.

During my travels, my friend Sara (of Travel with Sara) and I had a fantastic time exploring some of the city’s amazing offerings.

From our glamorous hotel to the adventures and attractions, every bit of our Oklahoma City road trip was wonderful. I loved it so much that I couldn’t wait to share the things we did that I think would make a tremendous two-day itinerary to Oklahoma City for your travels. You are going to love this Midwest jewel!

Where To Stay in Oklahoma City

The 21C Museum Hotel is a boutique hotel and art gallery that is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to stay. Formerly the home of the Ford Motor Company, 21C Hotels has phased this industrial building into a showplace of intriguing modern art and luxurious rooms with incredibly high ceilings, comfy furniture, and trendy decor.

I love the thoughtful details and a spacious floor plan that the hotel offers. You can easily walk to many OKC attractions and restaurants from here. 

Day One in Oklahoma City

There aren’t many places that can compete with the cool menu options at Hatch Early Mood Food. Delicious offerings include a trio of pancakes (think in terms of “flight”) and a variety of Benedicts. Our trio consisted of Bananas Foster (our fave!), Blueberry Streusel, and Famous PanOKCake with bourbon maple and bacon pecans.

Hatch Early Mood Food’s interior is painted bright and cheery colors, making it such a happy morning place. The fabulous foods rank up there as some of the best breakfast dishes I’ve ever had. 

You are probably still stuffed from the fantastic breakfast and must save up for a killer dinner tonight. Instead of eating lunch, enjoy a delicious coffee or peach Italian soda from Coffee Slingers while catching up on social media and people watching on the streets of Midtown.

Like It? Pin It. 

Treat yourself to a dinner that you will always remember at Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse in Bricktown, a spot that should be on every itinerary for Oklahoma City. Known for the spectacular vintage and harvest wines list and perfect cuts of beef, Mickey Mantle’s delivers fine-dining in a variety of settings, from sports bar casual to romantic and cozy in one dining area.

Start your meal with the dreamy Lobster Bisque, chock full of rich lobster meat. Two palatable entree choices are the Roquefort (blue cheese) Filet and the Australian Rack of Lamb. Both are superb! All side items are a la carte, so consider sharing one or two with the table as portions are large. Save room for classic New York Cheesecake for dessert.

Be sure to check out the cigar bar and the #7 Lounge.

Things to See & Do on Day One

After breakfast, discover more of the Automobile Alley neighborhood of Oklahoma City. Previously the part of town leftover from the booming 1920’s automotive industry, the streets are now occupied by new businesses, shop-worthy boutiques, cafes, and galleries. The street art adds a nice colorful splash to this cool part of town.

I love that Automotive Alley’s historic buildings have been fashioned into contemporary spaces. At Plenty Mercantile, you can even go to the rooftop for a refreshing drink or great photo-ops. Stores I couldn’t say no to opening my wallet to included Oklahoma Shirt Company, Shop Good, and Tin Lizzies.

The Oklahoma Zoo is a fantastic property with great animal exhibits, beautiful gardens, and educational offerings. Sara and I had such a fun time exploring the immaculate zoo and snapping photos of the interesting animals.

The coolest thing we did was the zoo’s new Wild Encounters behind-the-scenes program. Though it requires an additional ticket to participate, the small group experience (less than 10)  will be like nothing you’ve ever done at a zoo before. The Wild Encounters can bring you up close and personal with Galapagos tortoises, sea lions (you get to be part of the show in this one!), grizzly bears, or elephants. Save money by doing them all!

Sara and I are still dreamy-eyed over watching the elephants getting their monthly pedicures and petting them in the Elephant Wild Encounter adventure. Visiting OKC will go down as one of the best travel days of my year. I’m sure you will love it, too!

Also check out Oklahoma City Zoo’s Great EscApe area, Herpetarium, and Children’s Zoo Barnyard where you can get friendly with goats, chickens, and donkeys. Kids will love the Centennial Choo-Choo, where they can ride an 1863 replica train around the park. 

Bricktown

Built in an old warehouse district, Bricktown is a cool area of town with entertainment, dining, and shopping options. See historic and iconic Bricktown best by taking a fun mile-long 40-minute water trolley ride through the canal at night.

When you are finished with the boat ride, stroll around Bricktown’s entertainment hub or take in an Oklahoma City Dodgers baseball game at Bricktown Ballpark. It would also be fun to sip cocktails at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill or enjoy live music.

Families will love Brickopolis, the newest craze in town featuring mini-golf, video games, laser tag, and dining. 

Day Two in Oklahoma City

Enjoy sleeping in since the 21C Hotel is only steps away from Mary Eddy’s, where you will be having brunch. Mary Eddy’s is a popular OKC foodie hotspot with brunch staples such as Peaches and Cream Waffle and Eggs Benedict.

While I loved the freshness of Benedict’s Chicken Jalapeno sausage and red-chili hollandaise sauce, the coddled egg was not a good fit for me. I prefer poached. Still, it was a really fun take on a classic dish.

My fave item was a starter: Watermelon and Popcorn. Though it sounds odd, trust Mary Eddy’s on this genius creation of avocado, herb puree, feta, and tasso spice. Ask your server how it is made; the creativity and complexity level is astounding, just like the taste! 

Dinner

Head over to Cheever’s Cafe in the Paseo/Mesta Park neighborhood of OKC for dinner. This adorable restaurant, with an outside dining patio and romantic vibe inside, is where you’ve got to try a quintessential Southern dish done right—Chicken Fried Steak.

I’d only tried this dish once and wasn’t a huge fan, but the waiter raved about it being one of Cheever’s top sellers, so I gave it a try. This carefully thought out dish is stacked with tasty ingredients, topped with a decadent jalapeño cream gravy, and paired with garlic red-skinned mash. I loved every bite! The Chicken Fried Steak is so big that you may want to share it.

I almost forgot to recommend Cheever’s Chicken and Pepperjack Strudel appetizer, stuffed with green chilies, balsamic, and flavorful curry oil. Save room for the Roasted Pecan Ice Cream Ball, a dessert regarded as one of the best in Oklahoma City. Cheever’s contemporary comfort food restaurant will bowl you over with attentive service, top-quality food, and unique dishes.

Things to See & Do Day Two

OKC National Memorial

One cannot come to OKC and not think about the horrific 1995 Oklahoma bombings. This one single event changed our safe American culture to one on high alert at every turn. The Oklahoma bombings brought us all together as a nation to mourn the 168 individuals who lost their lives on that April 19th morning at 9:02 AM.

I’m not going to sugar coat it–visiting the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum is hard. But, it is a well done museum that honors the lives that were lost during this tragedy.

Take plenty of tissues and walk through the grounds, seated with 168 chairs (they are lit at night) and surrounded by a granite wall with the names of those who lost their lives, and pay your respects. It is a moving experience that you will doubtfully ever forget.

Oklahoma City Museum of Art

The perfect place to raise your spirits after the memorial/museum is the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. This OKC treasure houses one of the largest Chihuly glass collections in the world, as a gorgeous 55-foot tall single piece that can be found in the museum’s atrium lobby.

One of the temporary exhibits I enjoyed was the Isabelle de Borchgrave: Fashioning Art from Paper. These paper costumes were created with origami or folded paper. The pieces were incredibly delicate and intricate—fascinating to think they are fashioned of paper alone.

If you need a bite to eat for lunch, the museum cafe is a great place to grab a salad, snack, or dessert.

Oklahoma City Rocks!

Oklahoma City is magical! I was only there two full days, and I’m already making a list of the things I must do on my next visit. The people are friendly, the attractions are plentiful, and the food is freaking fantastic.

I hope you will enjoy the itinerary for Oklahoma City as much I enjoy sharing it with you! Safe travels, friends.

Thanks to the OKC tourism board for hosting my stay. As with all of my posts, opinions and reviews are 100% mine.

Oklahoma City Photo Gallery

Pin This Post For Later!

Check out more of our Midwest articles:

• 10 Things You May Not Know About Kansas City, Kansas
• 7 Things You Must See and Do in Iowa
• Best Things to Do in Fort Wayne, Indiana