What is OKC's biggest attraction? Like, we don't have a good amusement park, a large or grand mall, a famous horse track, or really anything that draws tourists. That, to me, is the next thing OKC needs to work on. We have the WCWS, for a week a year.

We need a large festival here. Louisville has 2 really, REALLY large music festivals every year (Louder than Life and Bourbon and Beyond). With the new hotel tax coming in (hopefully), we need something here that takes advantage of it.

Just my opinion. I know OKC is on the upswing, and growing in a healthy way. But we need some attractions or festivals to get tourism dollars in droves.

Residents tend to dismiss it, but Bricktown is just a huge draw. Go down there any weekend evening and there are people everywhere and you can tell many are visitors. Really, all of downtown is a huge draw with the Thunder, tons of concerts and events, the two incredibly popular parks. Pumpkinville then Downtown in December are just massive draws.

OKANA is going to be a very big deal and will in turn bring a lot more people to the Native American Museum which is fantastic. The whole complex will help showcase one of the most unique local cultures in the U.S. And they are just getting started with future phases looking to be equally ambitious.

We have a little thing called the Summer Olympics coming in 2028 which will be a truly international event, with much more planned than just the competitions.

The Olympics will bring new improvements to Boathouse Row and that area has just incredible potential and is very unique.

Some scoff, but the SEC thing is going to be a very big deal for the metro area. Thousands of fans will visit from all over and many will stay downtown and take the train. Not just football, but basketball, softball, baseball, etc.

And even though it's not sexy, the Fairgrounds and new Colleseum will continue to draw people from all over the region for their massive horse shows. The new arena should be able to book all types of events.

The new downtown arena will book even more big shows, be a world-class facility and have year-round aspects to the development. The new downtown multi-purpose stadium could turn into a big draw for soccer and high school football and there is $1 billion in planned development all around.

And remember, the new convention center is far from hitting its stride after opening in the middle of a pandemic. There is also the opportunity to expand it to the south.

That's a pretty damn good list.


The people that live in OKC tend to think of all these things as local draws but you'd be shocked how many people come from all over the region and beyond for Thunder games and pretty much everything else I've mentioned. (Just ask Urbanized about this, as he's on the tourism front line.)

One thing I want to say about downtown in general...

Every five years I organize a large high school class reunion and we draw 200-300 people. I like to find a cool place downtown because so many come in from out of state and others in my class like to turn the weekend into a downtown staycation.

Our 50th is in four years and it will be a biggee and I have been kicking around the idea at having it at the Embassy Suites on NW Exressway because 1) It's actually in our old school district; and 2) it's very easy to park right outside the ballroom and then only have a short walk (this is increasingly important as we'll all be pushing 70 by that time).

But the consensus has been that people want to find a place downtown. We did it at the old Parkhouse event center in the Myriad Gardens last summer and it's just a gorgeous setting, then the Colcord reserved their patio for our after-party. It was all a huge success with many people just walking to and from their downtown hotel. Lots of people stayed at the National, the Colcord, or the Omni.

In previous years we did it atop Devon Tower (one of the very first events in that space) and the Bricktown Events Center (now Oklahoma Ranch). Our first (10-year) was in the atrium of Leadership Square back when it was new and few people had been inside.

I'd love to figure out how to do our 50th at Jones Assembly but it's probably going to be too expensive to pull off.

It's really fun to see downtown OKC through the eyes of people who either live elsewhere or just don't get down there very often. One of my friends lives in Venice Beach (the epicenter of hipness) and said on his last trip, "Wow. OKC is cool now."

Tourism is the third largest industry here, regardless of what naysayers might think. Pretty solid for a place that doesn’t have “really anything that draws tourists.” Locals invariably overlook and minimize what their own community has to offer. It’s simple human inferiority complexes at work. This happens in every city. It’s universal.

I’m in the visitor industry myself, and I can tell you for a fact that guests from all over the state, the region, the U.S., and increasingly entire world are in your city every day, whether you know they are or not. And invariably they love what OKC has to offer, and regularly talk about what a hidden gem it is. If you truly want OKC to level up as a visitor destination I’d suggest you vote “yes” on August 27 and help better fund our smart, talented and hardworking convention and visitors bureau, whose job it is to make this hidden gem LESS hidden.

And in the meantime, I would suggest anyone who thinks OKC doesn’t have much to offer visit the CVB’s website (http://www.visitokc.com) and look at it through the eyes of a visitor.

I get all of those things. And maybe it is different looking from the inside out. But seeing cities like Louisville have lots of large, large scale events just makes me jealous, and feel like we aren't on that level yet.

And I will definitely be voting yes.

I get all of those things.

I don't think you do based on your first post, starting with the false premise that we don't have "anything that draws tourists".

We now have 26 hotels downtown and they stay highly booked, particularly on weekends... Who do you think is staying in these 4,500 rooms? 5 more hotels are under construction and 3 more are planned with more to follow. We'll soon have 6,000 rooms just downtown and it wasn't that long ago we had ONE hotel with a total of 395 rooms down there.

The Meridian hotel corridor -- with thousands more rooms -- stays similarly busy, largely from the events at the fairgrounds.

This just feels like actively searching for something to be upset about for no reason.

It’s easy to assume that big stuff isn’t happening, if you don’t happen to experience it yourself. A few weeks back I was riding my bike near Riversport, I knew there was some sort of large rowing event. Turns out it was the national rowing championship (not sure the actual event name). There were boats (skulls?) stacked on trailers everywhere, athletes, coaches, spectators, from all corners of the country. I chatted with random people, even one vendor from Australia, and they were SO jazzed about OKC! They thought it was terrific. That’s just one example but if I hadn’t stumbled in amongst them, I wouldn’t have known.

Pete and Urbanized have laid it out well in response to the OP.
I fully agree with Jake that the post is another example of negativity about Oklahoma City and just looking for something to stir the proverbial pot. It really gets to me that there are a handful of posters who just can’t wait to get their digs in against OKC; sometimes it’s cloaked in a very passive-aggressive way but it’s as regular as clockwork. It’s always the same usual suspects, too.

Wunderkind’s post was excellent, btw.👍🏻

Tourism is the third largest industry here, regardless of what naysayers might think. Pretty solid for a place that doesn’t have “really anything that draws tourists.” Locals invariably overlook and minimize what their own community has to offer. It’s simple human inferiority complexes at work. This happens in every city. It’s universal.

I’m in the visitor industry myself, and I can tell you for a fact that guests from all over the state, the region, the U.S., and increasingly entire world are in your city every day, whether you know they are or not. And invariably they love what OKC has to offer, and regularly talk about what a hidden gem it is. If you truly want OKC to level up as a visitor destination I’d suggest you vote “yes” on August 27 and help better fund our smart, talented and hardworking convention and visitors bureau, whose job it is to make this hidden gem LESS hidden.

And in the meantime, I would suggest anyone who thinks OKC doesn’t have much to offer visit the CVB’s website (http://www.visitokc.com) and look at it through the eyes of a visitor.
I never knew Chisholm Creek had its own district. What does that mean? Do they get any special perks for having a district or is it just simply a designation?

This just feels like actively searching for something to be upset about for no reason.

It rained, so he can't gripe about a drought anymore...

It rained, so he can't gripe about a drought anymore...

Not even 7 inches in the middle of August deters him:

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/bison081524a.jpg

One place often overlooked by locals apathetic to western history and culture is the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Part of me really wishes it and the First American Museum were next to each other but FAM is in an ideal location for visibility and it’s also not like it’s a far drive between the two - maybe around 10 minutes. Those two museums are some of the most unique draws in the entire country.

Something else that ‘s easy for locals without an interest to overlook is the livestock industry. I don’t feel like finding the statistics on it but every time I drive by the fairgrounds, there’s regularly aluminum livestock trailers lined up around the western edge of the fairgrounds. On that same note, the Oklahoma National Stockyard is a fun experience for anyone with an interest in that lifestyle.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum is also a place that I see mentioned a lot by visitors and those looking to visit. It has almost been 30 years since it happened so - as crass as it sounds - I’m not sure how much it’s in the minds of outsiders, and it’s among the most unfortunate “tourist attractions” a city can have, but it really is a moving tribute to such a terrible event that shaped our city in the 21st century.

Another place that might be less of something to draw people from outside Oklahoma City to come here but is nevertheless a cool place is the 45th Infantry Division Museum. Not to mention in that area is the Oklahoma Firefighter Museum and the Oklahoma Railway Museum. Like I said, none of those are draws to the city in and of themselves, but they’re pretty neat places if someone finds themselves in Oklahoma City looking for some more uniquely local things to see.

A smaller place that almost always goes under the radar of locals that really adds to the identity of Oklahoma City is the American Banjo Museum in Bricktown. Shoot, even the Oklahoma History Museum and State Capital are unique draws that really expand on what Oklahoma City and Oklahoma has become. Something else in that area that even I didn’t learn about until somewhat recently is the Harn Homestead. Really unique for a place in the middle of the city.

I’m always for Oklahoma City becoming more attractive but it’s a shame more people don’t realize just how interesting the city already is. I know some of those things are easy to overlook or even not acknowledge exist because they’re not flashy enough in the eyes of some to promote the city in a desirable light, but in general, once you stop fighting what the city has always been, it becomes a lot easier to appreciate what it is now and what it’s striving to become.

This just feels like actively searching for something to be upset about for no reason.

this

Not even 7 inches in the middle of August deters him:

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/bison081524a.jpg

I mean…who cares if we got 7 inches when we could’ve had 8 or 12? So disappointing

What is OKC's biggest attraction? Like, we don't have a good amusement park, a large or grand mall, a famous horse track, or really anything that draws tourists. That, to me, is the next thing OKC needs to work on. We have the WCWS, for a week a year.

We need a large festival here. Louisville has 2 really, REALLY large music festivals every year (Louder than Life and Bourbon and Beyond). With the new hotel tax coming in (hopefully), we need something here that takes advantage of it.

Just my opinion. I know OKC is on the upswing, and growing in a healthy way. But we need some attractions or festivals to get tourism dollars in droves.

Remington Park is a good and well-respected horse track. Thoroughbred season is starting this weekend and will run into December. We have good racing with good and well known trainers.

But, more importantly, Oklahoma is Quarter Horse country, and the spring meet at Remington is as good as any in the country for Quarters. They aren't as sexy and famous as Thoroughbreds, but they are huge in the Hispanic community. The Heritage Place Futurity, which runs at the end of the Quarter Horse meet, is a million dollar race for two year olds. The stress of how two year old horses, that have something like 5 races in their lives, and are going to run for a quarter mile with a half million dollars for the winner, makes for one of the most amazing paddocks on Earth.

Again, Oklahoma is about ground zero for Quarter Horses. And the Fairgrounds and Remington Park are both vital parts of that large segment of the entire horse world. Heritage Place might be the most important Quarter Horse brokerage anywhere.

I personally don't care for Quarters, but I am smart enough to realize they add up to big money for OKC.

Don't forget we have some great little districts to spend a few hours in. We are outside Portland right now and have spent the last few days exploring farmer's markets and the downtown areas of the towns. Great afternoon to spend a few hours walking around Plaza or Paseo hitting the little shops and having a bite and glass of wine. Mentioned events.......the Arts Festival is one of the top art shows in the country. The Paseo festival is a big draw also. Although not glamorous and arguably the quality isn't the same but the Great State Fair of Oklahoma (which this year is adding a german beer garden). What about DeadCenter film festival or Red Earth or Prix de West at Cowboy Hall of Fame. Just because we may not have a big festival of your preference doesn't mean we don't have a lot to do and a lot of activities that draw people to OKC.

Another draw is the State Capitol building. When my husband and I travel, we like to tour the buildings which are free history lessons with (almost always) beautiful buildings with fantastic art as a back drop. Last week I toured the State Capitol building in Denver Colorado. There were people from all over the country as well as China and India on the tour. I wish our capitol had tours on the weekend.
https://oklahoma.gov/governor/about/oklahoma-state-capitol.html

It’s always the same usual suspects, too.

There are some posters that, if I didn't know better, I'd swear are bots.

Every single person I know or have just met, is blown away by our downtown area. The top comments are always, it's clean, there's enough to do and walkable.

We even had friends that were moving from Phoenix to Missouri. Arrived early afternoon in OKC, stayed at the Fairfield. Hung at scissortail with their kids, dinner, bed, farmers market in the morning and then back on the road. They were blown away by how cool it was. Said Phoenix there's nothing really to do with kids except baseball and the kids museum, but not really walkable. ABQ was a dump and stayed on the outskirts.

The biggest draw is the downtown/Bricktown/thunder/memorial/scissortail/The National area.

Only a handful of cities have as cool of a setup, especially at the price point OKC offers. It's not a weeks worth of fun, but for 2 days it's awesome.

Remington Park is a good and well-respected horse track. Thoroughbred season is starting this weekend and will run into December. We have good racing with good and well known trainers.

But, more importantly, Oklahoma is Quarter Horse country, and the spring meet at Remington is as good as any in the country for Quarters. They aren't as sexy and famous as Thoroughbreds, but they are huge in the Hispanic community. The Heritage Place Futurity, which runs at the end of the Quarter Horse meet, is a million dollar race for two year olds. The stress of how two year old horses, that have something like 5 races in their lives, and are going to run for a quarter mile with a half million dollars for the winner, makes for one of the most amazing paddocks on Earth.

Again, Oklahoma is about ground zero for Quarter Horses. And the Fairgrounds and Remington Park are both vital parts of that large segment of the entire horse world. Heritage Place might be the most important Quarter Horse brokerage anywhere.

I personally don't care for Quarters, but I am smart enough to realize they add up to big money for OKC.

We recently watched a new documentary on AppleTV about the Zetas Cartel, their involvement in quarter horse breeding and the money laundering centered around that. There's a lot of ties to Oklahoma/OKC and Remington throughout the doc, I'd definitely recommend it.

KOCO must’ve been reading this thread.

https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-city-tourists-economy-report-boost/61917303

^

It's press from the CVB just in advance of next week's hotel tax increase.

Yeah, the final paragraph leaves little doubt that that’s why this was written. I just thought the timing was funny, though understandable given how it relates to an upcoming vote.

One place often overlooked by locals apathetic to western history and culture is the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Part of me really wishes it and the First American Museum were next to each other but FAM is in an ideal location for visibility and it’s also not like it’s a far drive between the two - maybe around 10 minutes. Those two museums are some of the most unique draws in the entire country.

Something else that ‘s easy for locals without an interest to overlook is the livestock industry. I don’t feel like finding the statistics on it but every time I drive by the fairgrounds, there’s regularly aluminum livestock trailers lined up around the western edge of the fairgrounds. On that same note, the Oklahoma National Stockyard is a fun experience for anyone with an interest in that lifestyle.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum is also a place that I see mentioned a lot by visitors and those looking to visit. It has almost been 30 years since it happened so - as crass as it sounds - I’m not sure how much it’s in the minds of outsiders, and it’s among the most unfortunate “tourist attractions” a city can have, but it really is a moving tribute to such a terrible event that shaped our city in the 21st century.

Another place that might be less of something to draw people from outside Oklahoma City to come here but is nevertheless a cool place is the 45th Infantry Division Museum. Not to mention in that area is the Oklahoma Firefighter Museum and the Oklahoma Railway Museum. Like I said, none of those are draws to the city in and of themselves, but they’re pretty neat places if someone finds themselves in Oklahoma City looking for some more uniquely local things to see.

A smaller place that almost always goes under the radar of locals that really adds to the identity of Oklahoma City is the American Banjo Museum in Bricktown. Shoot, even the Oklahoma History Museum and State Capital are unique draws that really expand on what Oklahoma City and Oklahoma has become. Something else in that area that even I didn’t learn about until somewhat recently is the Harn Homestead. Really unique for a place in the middle of the city.

I’m always for Oklahoma City becoming more attractive but it’s a shame more people don’t realize just how interesting the city already is. I know some of those things are easy to overlook or even not acknowledge exist because they’re not flashy enough in the eyes of some to promote the city in a desirable light, but in general, once you stop fighting what the city has always been, it becomes a lot easier to appreciate what it is now and what it’s striving to become.

The city needs a Museum pass. Something like $120 and you can enter all museums for a week.

The city needs a Museum pass. Something like $120 and you can enter all museums for a week.

That would be a good idea. I've used "City Pass" in Chicago before and you essentially pay one price for up to 5 attractions. I think it's two set attractions and then you can choose 3 more from a list of 10 or so.

There's also NARM. When you buy a membership to, say, OKMOA, you have member access to a whole network of museums across North America. The five in the metro are OKCMOA, OCAC, the Western Heritage Museum, Edmond Historical Society, and Fred Jones Museum of Art.

This feels like a Reddit or City-Data post that jaded people from Omaha or Wichita would love to read and weirdly be happy about.

The internet….

From yesterday’s Journal Record (https://journalrecord.com/2024/08/okc-tourism-generates-4-5b-from-24-1m-visitors/):

By : Kathryn McNutt//The Journal Record//August 19, 2024//

OKLAHOMA CITY — Research conducted by Tourism Economics found that visitors to Oklahoma City generated an economic impact of $4.5 billion from 24.1 million visitors in 2023.

“It really validates tourism is on the rise. We hit again high-water marks across the board,” said Zac Craig, president of Visit OKC.

Visitor volume increased 4% over the previous year, and those 24.1 million visitors spent $2.7 billion on food and beverages, lodging, entertainment, transportation and shopping.

[quote]Visit OKC released its Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Annual Report to city officials detailing how Oklahoma City’s remarkable growth in recent years has positioned OKC in a new competitive tier when it comes to attracting larger conventions, sporting events and leisure visitation.

That direct spending generated another $1.8 billion in indirect and induced impacts, resulting in a total economic impact of $4.5 billion in the Oklahoma City economy, according to the report from Tourism Economics.

The total economic impact sustained 34,897 jobs for $1.4 billion in total labor income and generated $358 million in state and local tax revenues in 2023.

Local tax revenues from visitor activity rose to $216.4 million with sales taxes, property taxes, room taxes and fees supporting local government revenues, Craig said.

“That’s pure economic development at its finest,” he said. “We don’t have to pay for their kids to go to school or deposit money into their 401K.”

But they may come to college here, choose to retire here or move their business here, Craig said.

“Today’s visitors become tomorrow’s residents. Tourism impacts perceptions of our city which intersects with economic development as new businesses look to relocate here,” said Christy Gillenwater, Greater OKC Chamber president and CEO.

Craig said there still is real opportunity for growth that could benefit both residents and visitors.

An example is the $400 million OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark that is on track to open by spring break 2025 along the Oklahoma River.

“It will be another year-round tourism generator. It’s really going to be spectacular for us. It will bring a brand new consumer to the market,” Craig said.

“I see tourism in Oklahoma City as a growth stock. Now is the time to keep investing,” he said.

City residents will decide whether to increase the city’s hotel tax by 3.75% on Aug. 27 to boost convention and tourism promotion. If approved, it would generate $11 million per year for Visit OKC, Craig said.

A portion of the new tax dollars (11.7%) would be used for capital improvements at the Oklahoma City Convention Center and the OKC Fairgrounds, where the 216,164-square-foot OG&E Coliseum is under construction.

“The fairgrounds continues to be our cash cow. It’s so instrumental for us,” Craig said.

Equine and livestock shows on average involve a much longer stay, often 7-10 days, and bring in some of the highest-spending visitors, Craig said. They’re not just buying clothing but also furniture and even RVs, he said.

Maximizing all the first-tier assets coming online takes financial incentives and tourism promotion to “elevate our brand and expand our reach,” Craig said.

Visit OKC reports its initiatives have demonstrated a large return on investment, with every dollar yielding $68.55 in return for the city. This ROI underscores the critical role that Visit OKC plays in promoting tourism, which is Oklahoma’s third-largest industry, Craig said.

Just another reason to vote yes on the hotel tax, common OKC W

I’m told the new shrine on the south end of the city has become a bigger tourist attraction than a lot of folks initially imagined.

I’m told the new shrine on the south end of the city has become a bigger tourist attraction than a lot of folks initially imagined.

It's gorgeous and I've had lots of friends and family want to check it out. What frustrates me about it though is imagining it closer to Capitol Hill and/or the river. Still very glad we have it though.

I think living here it is easy to think there is nothing to do. I, personally, get caught in my same regular things and rarely venture out to do things new to me, besides restaurants.

I will say I agree about the music festival part. I am kind of surprised OKC doesn't have a larger music festival of some sort. I know the Tulsa area has Rocklahoma and the Born and Raised festival, both in September, but would love for OKC to do something that's pretty big.

Back in 2014, they did OKC Fest which was mostly red dirt and country bands and then they tried it again in 2015, but I think that was the end of that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMAgqv5Pz8I