You really can’t blame the “Sooners”— the late 19th-century pioneers so eager to make their home in Oklahoma that they settled there before it was quite legal to do so. After all, there was opportunity aplenty thanks to fertile land well-suited for agriculture and the discovery of vast reserves of oil. More than 130 years later, the Sooner State is still thriving, enticing group travelers with a wealth of affordable cultural and natural attractions.
From marquee landmarks like the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum to The Pioneer Woman Mercantile, a country-chic crowd-pleaser, this is a surprisingly diverse state. Within its borders, groups will discover picturesque prairies, bustling big cities and charming college towns, all graced by Oklahoma’s celebrated cowboy congeniality.
Popular Demand
Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum
On April 19, 1995, a massive explosion reduced a third of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City to rubble. It was the worst act of domestic terrorism in the nation’s history, but from that tragedy’s site has risen the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, an undeniably powerful institution. Outside, the field of 168 empty chairs, each representing a victim, awaits. Inside, exhibits include a chilling recording of an Oklahoma Water Resources Board meeting that captured the sound of the blast. Custom group options range from a talk with a survivor or first responder to a ranger-led tour.
Philbrook Museum of Art
There’s something for every traveler at Tulsa’s Philbrook Museum of Art, including 25 acres of gardens; the Italian Renaissance-style Villa Philbrook, built as a 72-room mansion in the 1920s for an oil tycoon; and, of course, loads of art. The Philbrook’s collection features more than 16,000 objects, zeroing in on American, Native American and European work. Tours can focus on the grounds, the art or the museum’s historic home, and groups are welcome to picnic among the posies in the garden.
Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve
Located 90 minutes northwest of Tulsa, the Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is a free 40,000-acre preserve that represents the largest protected area of tallgrass prairie on the planet. Groups can watch the wonder of it go by from the comfort of their motorcoach thanks to a 15-mile driving loop. Among the sights: more than 700 plant, 300 bird and 80 mammal species, including bobcats, beavers and 2,500 free-range bison. If visitors want to stretch their legs, there are five scenic pullouts, three self-guided nature trails and a visitor center to explore.
Up and Coming
Love’s Planetarium at Science Museum Oklahoma
Love’s Planetarium at Science Museum Oklahoma debuted with a big bang in September 2024. Sporting a price tag exceeding $8 million, the Oklahoma City attraction boasts a cutting-edge, hybrid digital-optical projection system. It whisks groups on a journey through an awe-inspiring night sky unaffected by light pollution to the edges of the known universe. Admission is included in the museum’s ticket price (reduced for groups), but leaders should note seats are on a first-come, first-reserved basis.
Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame
The Sooner State has produced such megawatt musical luminaries as Garth Brooks, Kristin Chenoweth and Woody Guthrie. The $2.4 million facelift to the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in Muskogee will give groups the chance to learn about that rich heritage through jazzy, interactive exhibits and a focal wall for the 100-plus inductees. The attraction will also score a new concert hall for live shows and an updated exterior for its historic building, all set to debut in early 2026.
Tulsa Zoo Elephant Experience and Preserve
Thanks to the opening of the Tulsa Zoo’s new elephant facilities, Earth’s largest land mammals will have a better life at the site — and groups will get a better visit with them. The $32.8 million project added a 36,650-square-foot Elephant Preserve Barn in the spring of 2024. The Elephant Experience, the complex’s hub for guests, premiered this year, with a 10-acre preserve due this summer. Leaders can book special programs for their groups, like a private, after-hours event at the Elephant Experience, or a chat with a zoo educator and an encounter with an ambassador animal.
Overnight Sensations
The Atherton Hotel
The ideal digs for groups eager to explore Stillwater and the Oklahoma State University campus, The Atherton Hotel is a Georgian-style beauty built three-quarters of a century ago. Dubbed the “Waldorf of the West” when its doors opened, the Atherton has hosted guests including President Jimmy Carter, Faith Hill and Coretta Scott King. Breakfast and Wi-Fi are included with the room rates.
The Artesian Hotel, Casino and Spa
Tucked away about an hour and 40 minutes southeast of Oklahoma City in the town of Sulphur — so named for its nearby hot springs — The Artesian offers a 15,000-square-foot casino, shops, a spa, and a pool and bathhouse for groups to enjoy. The Chickasaw Nation built the luxe lodging on the former site of a historic grand hotel of the same name, where folks like John Wayne and Roy Rogers once laid their heads.
Memorable Meals
The Mont
A true staple for anyone visiting Norman and the University of Oklahoma, The Mont features three seating areas that hold 15 people each. People travel across the state to soak up the sun on the massive outdoor patio, as well as imbibe the Original Sooner Swirl Frozen Sangria Margarita. Soon to celebrate a half-century in business, The Mont dishes up terrific pub grub, including sandwiches and burgers. The Mexican specialties, particularly the chili con queso, are belly-filling favorites.
The Mercantile
The Pioneer Woman, otherwise known as Ree Drummond, started off as blogger writing recipes and cute quips about ranch life in Oklahoma. She now has her own Food Network show, a magazine, cookbooks, branded Walmart merchandise and The Pioneer Woman Mercantile, a boutique and restaurant in Pawhuska. Groups can shop ’til they drop and then walk to the Mercantile’s Event Center for down-home fare like chicken-fried steak and mashed potatoes served family-style. Groups are also welcome to visit The Lodge on Drummond Ranch, where the show is shot.
