Oklahoma City is the capital and principal city of the state of Oklahoma in the central Frontier Country region of the state. The sprawling city and its suburbs offer multiple sports venues, museums, regional food, and a mix of Native American and cowboy culture.
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Oklahoma City is the largest city in the state, as well as its political, cultural, and economic engine. The city is the nation's third largest city in land area (620 sq miles / 1,600 km2), just behind Jacksonville, Florida (759 sq miles / 1966 km2) and way behind Anchorage, Alaska (1698 sq miles / 4398 km2). It is about the same size as Greater London, an urban area with 13 times as many inhabitants.
Getting around Oklahoma City is easy by car. If you're coming to OKC, you will likely want to either rent a car or plan on staying around downtown, because public transportation is rather limited. There is pretty good bus service around downtown, to the airport, and to the cluster of museums and attractions in the northeastern part of the city, but if you want to explore the rest of the city without renting a car, you'll either have to use the not-too-stellar parts of bus system or call a cab. A streetcar system operates in downtown. If you happen to have or rent a car, then getting around OKC is very simple.
Many of the attractions are near downtown or on the north side of town. Highlights in downtown are Bricktown, the city's fast growing entertainment district and tourist showpiece, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, home to the largest collection of Chihuly glass in the world as well as an arthouse/revival theater and a restaurant, and The Myriad Gardens, an impressive urban park with a seven-storey botanical garden. North of the museum is the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, which commemorates the Oklahoma City bombing. The memorial is one of the most visible attractions in the city, and its saddest, which has posed some problems for the city's tourism department.
Water Taxi of Oklahoma offers a narrated canal cruise on the Bricktown canal. The Oklahoma City Thunder National Basketball Association team play in Bricktown. Frontier City is a Wild West-themed amusement park in the city's Northeast with roller coasters and water rides. The Wheeler Ferris Wheel at Wheeler District offers rides overlooking Oklahoma River and the downtown skyline.
Oklahoma City can hold its own with any other cosmopolitan city with its availability of diverse and quality eateries, but what is true Oklahoma City fare is probably its bar-b-que and steakhouse options. Some, like Cattleman's, are iconic, and guaranteed to add that special touch to your Oklahoma City trip. For eating on the fly, there are several franchises like Rib Crib and Freddy's Frozen Custard around the city that will take care of bbq and dessert cravings in a pinch.
"Last call" is 2AM in Oklahoma City and its environs. Liquor stores are permitted to open six days a week from 6AM to 9PM (by state law) and on Sunday from noon to midnight (depending upon the county). Oklahoma's prices for spirits and wine tend to be lower than that of nearby states, including Texas. Beer and wine can be sold at grocery stores and other shops, but hard liquor is sold in bars, restaurants, and liquor stores. That being said, Oklahoma City has a lively nightlife scene in places like Downtown and the 39th Street Enclave. There are Henry Hudson's locations throughout OKC and surrounding suburbs which offer a casual bar atmosphere with occasional karaoke.
A little bit of common sense goes a long way. On the whole, the city is quite safe, but you shouldn't take that as a cue to be careless. If you're downtown or in what looks like a sketchy neighborhood, nothing will probably happen to you, but you should still lock your car door, keep your valuables secure, and not put yourself in potentially dangerous situations.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Oklahoma City typically sees ~33°C daytime highs and 10 rainy days.
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