Spring break is often a financially stressful time, so here’s a list of affordable, close-by locations for a good daycation.
Place: Sequoyah State Park
Drive Time from Tulsa: Less than an hour.
Phone: (918) 772-2046
Hours Of Operation: The park is open 24/7, though certain activities may have specific hours.
Cost: Admission to the park free is free; food prices and recreational activities vary.
Why You Should Visit: Located on Gibson Lake, Sequoyah State Park is one of Oklahoma’s best state parks. Visitors can enjoy hiking, the nature center, fishing, trail rides, golfing and — wait for it — golf.
Place: Woolaroc
Drive Time from Tulsa: Less than an hour.
Phone: (918) 336-0307
Website: www.woolaroc.org
Hours of Operation: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Cost: $12 admission fee.
Why You Should Visit: The Woolaroc museum and wildlife preserve has long been a staple of Tulsans childhood field trips, but it’s well worth the revisit. Highlights include the “Animal Barn,” bison, a massive art collection and shrunken heads.
Place: Tallgrass Prairie
Drive Time from Tulsa: An hour-and-a-half.
Phone: (918) 287-4803
Hours of Operation: From dawn to dusk.
Cost: Free.
Why You Should Visit: Oklahoma is home to the largest protected tallgrass prairie on earth. The Tallgrass Prairie once spanned across fourteen states, but only four percent of what originally existed still stands today. Visiting the prairie is like going back in time — a look at what Oklahoma was like in its undisturbed, bison-filled glory.
Place: Great Salt Plains State Park
Drive Time from Tulsa: Two-and-a-half hours.
Phone: (580) 626-4730
Hours of Operation: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. every day.
Cost: Free.
Why You Should Visit: A long time ago, the entirety of Oklahoma was submerged under water, and the Great Salt Plains State Park stands as a reminder of that fact. The lake where the Great Salt Plains is located contains salt left from the ocean during prehistoric times! If you squint hard enough, you can pretend you’re at Palm Beach.
Place: Bricktown
Drive Time from Tulsa: An hour-and-a-half.
Phone: (405) 236-4143
Website: www.bricktownokc.com
Hours of Operation: Varies.
Cost: Varies.
Why You Should Visit: Everyone knows Tulsa is cooler than OKC, but if you’re looking to explore a little, the Bricktown district in Oklahoma City is a good place to do it. Similar to the Tulsa Arts District, Bricktown is a district chock full of things to explore. On the way there, be sure to stop at Pops, an old-timey soda shop that’s an Oklahoma icon.
Place: Crystal Bridges Museum of Art
Drive Time from Tulsa: Two hours.
Phone: (479) 418-5700
Website: www.crystalbridges.org
Hours of Operation: Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Monday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Wednesday through Friday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Cost: Free.
Why You Should Visit: Founded in 2005 by the Walton Family Foundation, Crystal Bridges is a world-renowned art museum featuring art from Georgia O’Keefe, Mary Cassatt and Norman Rockwell. There’s even an art piece made entirely of candy, and yes, you are invited to eat it. Additionally, the entire town of Bentonville, Arkansas, is charming, with nature trails, a really good coffee shop and the 21c Hotel, a hotel that doubles as an art museum.
