Culture of Oklahoma City. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Large and buzzing Oklahoma-City attracts active leisure fans, shopping addicts and night entertainment seekers. Touring fans will be stunned with a vast choice of landmarks and sights to explore in the city. The most visited spot of tourist interest is the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum devoted to the tragic event of the 11th of September, 2011.

The memorial is erected on the place of the Alfred P skyscraper which was totally destroyed in 2001 in a 9/11 terroristic act. Memorial presents monumental twin gates separated with a pool. 168 small chair-shaped monuments are located along the pool. Each chair bears a name of a victim of terroristic act. Next to the monument tourists will find a part of the ruined wall which has got a name of Survivor Wall.

A significant must visit spot of tourist interest and admiration is the Kirkpatrick Center. This is a scale cultural center which hosts several museums. Those tourists craving to get a deeper insight into the history of the city and state of Oklahoma should visit the Oklahoma History Center. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Its vast collection of artifacts tells the visitors about the most significant events in the history of the city. Several halls of the museum keep the collection of art objects. The museum performs as well significant historical collections as well as inestimable archeological findings. To learn the culture of aborigines better tourists can visit the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. A tour through its halls will show great collections of paintings, statues, folks’ costumes and music instruments.

Another remarkable spot in Oklahoma-City to visit is the Oklahoma State Capitol. This is the only Capitol in the country under which oil was located. Those tourists tending more to educating tours and events will love to visit the Science Museum Oklahoma which holds educating lectures for its visitors on the daily basis. All the tourists may take part in exciting scientific experiments and trials. Among the most significant landmarks of Oklahoma-City the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is well worth tourists’ attention. This unique museum will be of great interest for those visitors who are passionate about western film art, cowboys and Wild West adventures. A vast collection is devoted to this trend depicting to the full extent the spirit of the western films art.

Oklahoma City is sure to please fans of modern architecture too. In the city center, you will find the 257-meter-tall Devon Energy Center, the highest building in Oklahoma City. The construction of the office skyscraper was completed in 2012. Another magnificent engineering structure is Skydance Bridge, which is amazingly illuminated at night playing with bright colors passing by. The bridge is always illuminated for holidays, giving them even more charm. For locals, this is a favorite place for photoshoots and walks. Will Rogers Archway built in 1956 is of equal tourist interest.

Due to its originality, the Gold Dome building erected in 1958 never lacks attention. This is the fifth geodesic dome building in the world, which is currently occupied by a bank. For this, it was given the title of "one of the country's most revolutionary bank buildings". The dome's futuristic design was proposed by Buckminster Fuller, and other architects relied on his idea. In 2001, Bank One decided to demolish the building to build a new one in its place, and made a request to the City Council. However, the plans never succeed - not only official refusals but also public pickets prevented this from happening. After numerous trials in 2013, the dome was bought by TEEMCO Company, which planned to turn it into an aquarium, but this was not destined to happen. Today the building is owned by Land Run Commercial Properties.

Of no less interest are local mansions built at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. One of these is the Overholser Mansion dating back to 1903. It was built for Henry Overholzer - the "father of Oklahoma City". Its reconstruction was carried out in 2015 when there was a need for it. Since then, it has been open to tourists who want to get acquainted with the lifestyle of the early 20th century. Its architecture is reminiscent of French castles ("chateau") and is striking with its beautiful stained-glass windows. However, all other details of the interior decoration are no less attractive and sumptuous.

Another interesting mansion in Oklahoma City is the Governor's Mansion, which, as the name suggests, serves as the state governor's official residence. After the construction of the Capitol in 1919, the authorities decided to build a governor's house. The issue of financing was finally settled after 6 years. Thus, the construction of the mansion started in 1927 and was completed in 1928. The company that developed the project was Layton, Hicks and Forsyth whose architects were guided by the Dutch-colonial style of architecture. Tourists have the opportunity to see the mansion inside and out only on Wednesdays. However, in summer, the residence is completely closed to the public.

One should not pass by another interesting mansion - namely, the Harn Homestead where an open-air museum is located today. It allows visitors to learn more about the aristocracy in Oklahoma City in the 19th-20th centuries, as well as hold a wonderful photoshoot or some event (the building is often reserved for weddings). For those looking for a pastoral atmosphere in the city, it is worth mentioning the beautiful Orr Family Farm where you can see lovely animals, feed and play with them.

Oklahoma City would be a great destination for those enthusiastic about religious sights, as it has some wonderful monuments of sacred architecture to offer. An outstanding one is St. Joseph Old Cathedral that was completed in 1931. In 1995, during the Oklahoma City bombing, the building was badly damaged but subsequently restored in 1997. The church itself is a vivid example of the Gothic Revival. One should not also miss St Pauls Episcopal Cathedral built in 1904 in the Norman Gothic style. During the bombing of 1995, the building was damaged too, and it took about two years to rebuild it.

Besides the already mentioned, the city has many beautiful museums. Of special interest is the Museum of Osteology acquainting visitors with skeletons of various animals. This is an amazing place to broaden one's horizons, and children will especially like it. However, they also cannot help but enjoy the Oklahoma Railway Museum demonstrating many trains of various types and times. The most interesting part of the tour is a train ride. It is also worth visiting the American Banjo Museum presenting a huge collection of banjos of various kinds, as well as the 45th Infantry Division Museum. Among the exhibits of the latter are uniforms, military documents, mock-ups, weapons, World War II military vehicles.

Those looking for some cultural time listening to great classical music are always welcome to the OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center Theater. Those wishing to have a nice walk looking at interesting buildings and every moment enjoying the splendor of their architecture and atmosphere should choose Paseo Arts District and Plaza District for these purposes. After all, the city is often associated with these two tourist streets. They also become venues for lots of large-scale festivals and holidays. Well, those who prefer walking in picturesque parks should head go to Martin Park Nature Center that is ready to please the eye of every tourist.