Oklahoma Frontier Vacations

Cowboys, Indians, Forts and More

If a vacation on the frontier offers appeal, then Oklahoma is the ideal spot for a vacation with the flavor of the Old West. The Sooner State offers Western history, Native American tradition, and sweeping scenery that summons images of the past. One of the last states in the continental United States to join the union in 1907, Oklahoma retains an independent spirit and celebrates its’ pioneer heritage. 

Oklahoma City is the state’s largest city and offers many opportunities for a look back at the state’s frontier history. Begin at the Red Earth Indian Center, part of the many faceted Omninplex at N.E. 52nd Street and Martin Luther King Avenue for an in-depth look at the state’s earliest inhabitants. The Red Earth Indian Center features exhibits and artifacts that date from prehistoric times to the present. Each June, the Red Earth gathering draws Native Americans from around the country to one of the nation’s largest Native American events and powwows. The Omniplex also houses an air and space museum, art galleries, greenhouse and historic gardens, a science museum, and a photography hall of fame museum. 

Another local history venue is the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center just west of I-35 and I-44 on 63rd Street. A thirty-two acre complex features a huge collection of pioneer artifacts, Western art, exhibits on both pioneer and Native American life, and a rodeo hall of fame. The Oklahoma National Stockyards on Exchange Avenue are the largest in the state as well as among the world’s largest. The stockyards district is home to much more than cattle and processing plants. For the best steak in town, visit the Cattleman’s Steakhouse in Stockyards City. The restaurant dates to 1910 and the steaks are tender, fresh cut, and of the finest grade.