Downtown Oklahoma City

So you’re in the Horse Show Capital of the World, but you’re keen to see some art, dine out somewhere nice and listen to some music. Well, there's one place all these needs can be met: Downtown Oklahoma.

Oklahoma City is spread out over a large area, but fortunately, most of the action happens within the Downtown area and its smaller neighborhoods. Book a hotel room here and you'll be within walking distance of many of the city's highlights.

If you're after a bit of intellectual or aesthetic stimulation, you couldn't find a better place to begin than the excellent Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Spend a few hours in the galleries here, then head just a minute or two down the street for some musical evening fun. You can choose between the Civic Center Music Hall and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic; both are just a stone's throw away.

To the southeast is the buzzing Bricktown neighborhood, a former warehouse district on the rise. It’s now home to some great places to eat, drink and generally soak up those laid-back OKC vibes. In addition to the lively nightlife here, which includes plenty of bars within easy walking distance of one another, there are some novel daytime attractions too. Be sure to check out the American Banjo Museum; even if banjos aren't your thing, they will be after this. And take a scenic stroll along the Bricktown Canal afterward.

Oklahoma City also has a serious side. The impact of the tragic bombing that took place here in 1995 can still be felt over two decades on. Pay your respects to the people who lost their lives in the attack at the moving Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, which stands on the site of the bombing.