Car Hire Oklahoma City - Mini guide to Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City literally began with a gunshot signalling the start of the famous Land Run of 1889 and the opening of the territory to settlers. Today it is the capital and largest city in the state of Oklahoma, and boasts all the conveniences of a modern metropolis while still maintaining an authentic Wild West spirit and sense of adventure.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial graces the downtown site where the Federal Building, which was destroyed by a terrorist bomb in April 1995, once stood. It includes rows of empty bronze-backed chairs, one for each of the 168 victims.

The National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center is a good place to get an idea of typical settler life in the West. Here you’ll find exhibits with many paintings, photographs and artefacts. Main attractions include the Cowboy Gallery, the John Wayne collection and a stroll through a life-sized reproduction of a frontier town. Additionally, the State Museum of History offers a comprehensive overview of the region’s past.

Also worth seeing is Harn Homestead and 1889er Museum, a home and gardens that were restored by descendants of the men and women who made the Land Run of 1889.

The whole family can enjoy Frontier City Theme Park, which features a variety of rides, shows and entertainment. The park is home to the state’s biggest Ferris wheel, and there are performances by legendary country artists during the summer.

The Omniplex is a huge complex comprised of several museums and galleries. Kirkpatrick Science and Air Space Museum is a good place to learn about the stars and space travel, while the Red Earth Indian Center is the place to discover Native American Indian culture. Nearby, Oklahoma City Zoological Park is one of the oldest and best zoos in the country.

In downtown Oklahoma City, the beautiful Myriad Botanical Gardens are centred on a lovely, fish-filled lake fed by stunning little streams. The Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory is popular with visitors. It houses exotic plants, butterflies and flowers from around the world, and it also has an impressive waterfall.

Historic Bricktown provides limitless options for dining and night-time entertainment. It also has its own brewery, which doubles as a pub and restaurant, and displays giant glass tanks of beer.

The major suburbs in Oklahoma City are: Bethany, Del City, Choctaw, Edmond, Midwest City, Moore, Spencer, The Village, Valley Brook and Yukon.