Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Culture

Major attractions

Besides the skyscrapers that cluster in the city's central business district, one of the more prominent landmarks downtown is the Crystal Bridge at the Myriad Botanical Gardens, a large downtown urban park. Designed by I. M. Pei after the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, the Crystal Bridge is a tropical conservatory that contains foliage more akin to the Amazon River basin than the Great Plains of North America. The park has several amphitheaters where live theater and concerts can be seen and heard in the summer. There is also a lake in the middle of the park inhabited by large goldfish. Waterfalls and fountains add life-giving oxygen to the lake as well as an added attraction for visitors.

Related Topics:
Skyscrapers - I. M. Pei - Tivoli Gardens - Copenhagen

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The park is also home to the free Twilight Concert Series (summer) and the city's top festivals, including the annual Festival of the Arts, ranked the second best arts festival in the nation, (April), the annual Downtown Salute (a month-long festival in July complete with parades, free concert acts, and the three-day long Bricktown 4th of July Celebration and Fireworks), and Opening Night (December 31/January 1).

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The Oklahoma City Zoological Park is highly ranked nationally and is the oldest zoo in the Southwest US. It is home to numerous natural habitats, WPA era architecture and landscaping, and hosts major touring concerts during the summer at its amphitheater.

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The Omniplex Museum in the Kirkpatrick Center (named for Oklahoma oilman and philanthropist John Kirkpatrick) is one of the largest Science Centers and General Interest Museums in the country. The Kirkpatrick Center houses many informative exhibits on science, photography, aviation, etc, as well as the Omnidome OMNIMAX theater. The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum has galleries full of priceless western art and treasures and is home to the Hall of Great Western Performers.

Related Topics:
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum - Hall of Great Western Performers

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The Oklahoma City National Memorial in the northern part of Oklahoma City's downtown was created, as the inscription on its eastern gate says, "to honor the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were changed forever on April 19, 1995". The outdoor Symbolic Memorial can be visited 24 hours a day for free, and the adjacent Memorial Museum, located in the former Journal Record building damaged by the bombing, can be entered for a small fee. The site is also home to the National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, a non partisan, non profit thinktank devoted to the prevention of terrorism.

Related Topics:
Oklahoma City National Memorial - April 19 - 1995 - Thinktank

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The Donald W. Reynolds Visual Arts Center is the new downtown home for the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. The museum features visiting exhibits, original selections from its own collection, a theater showing a wide variety of foreign, independent, and classic films each week, and a fine dining restaurant. OKCMOA is also home to the largest and most comprehensive collection of Chihuly glass in the world including the three-story Chihuly tower in the Museum's atrium.

Related Topics:
Chihuly

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The capitol building's dome was recently finished as it was one of the few state capitol buildings that did not have a dome atop the structure. Solomon Andrew Layton's original design for the capitol included a dome, but steel rationing during World War I prevented its completion. The effort to build a dome for the capitol was promoted by city and state leaders in the late nineties, and was completed in 2001.

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Also in downtown Oklahoma City, Ford Center was ranked by concert industry group Pollstar as one of the top ten live music venues in the world in ticket sales, and is home to the city's professional sports teams. The Cox Business Services Convention Center, formerly known as the Myriad, is across the street. The newly renovated art deco Civic Center Music Hall showcases performances from ballet and opera performance to traveling Broadway shows and concerts. Stage Center for the Performing Arts is home to many of the city's top theater companies. The building that houses Stage Center, designed by John Johansen is a modernist architectural landmark, with the original model displayed in MOMA in New York City.

Related Topics:
Ford Center - John Johansen - MOMA - New York City

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Other theaters include the Lyric Theatre and the Jewel Box Theatre, both in midtown and the new 1,200 seat Kirkpatrick Auditorium and 488-seat Petree Recital Hall at Oklahoma City University.

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Six Flags Frontier City is a western themed amusement park with numerous coasters, rides, and games for all ages. The park also hosts a national concert circuit at its amphitheater during the summer. White Water Bay is a Six Flags Water Park located north of Will Rogers World Airport. Of special note, Six Flags Theme Parks, Inc. world headquarters is located in North Oklahoma City.

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Walking trails line Lake Hefner and Lake Overholser in the northwest part of the city and downtown at the canal and the Oklahoma River. Part of the east shore of Lake Hefner has been developed into upscale offices and restaurants, but the majority of the area around the lake is taken up by parks and trails, including a new leashless dog park and the popular postwar era Stars and Stripes Park. Lake Stanley Draper, the city's largest and most remote, offers more of an escape from the big city and has a more natural feel. The city is implementing a new trail system that will be akin to a bicycle freeway system, allowing residents to access all of the natural beauty of the region and still be within stomping distance to city attractions.

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Media

See also: Broadcast Media in Oklahoma City

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The Oklahoman is Oklahoma City's daily newspaper, and is the most widely circulated newspaper in the state. The Oklahomans internet edition is a collaboration with local CBS affiliate KWTV. The Oklahoma Gazette is Oklahoma City's free alternative newsweekly, featuring such staples as local commentary, feature stories, classifieds, restaurant reviews and movie listings. The Journal Record is Oklahoma City's daily business newspaper. Other publications include The Gayly Oklahoman, Oklahoma City's weekly newspaper catering to the gay community, and Vox, the upstart weekly competitor to The Oklahoma Gazette. The Black Chronicle, headquartered on the East side, caters to Oklahoma City's African American community.

Related Topics:
The Oklahoman - CBS - KWTV - Vox

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Sports

Oklahoma City is home to several professional sports teams including the Oklahoma RedHawks minor league baseball team (PCL, AAA), a farm team for the Texas Rangers. Others include the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz arena football team, the Oklahoma City Lightning (Women's Football: NWFA), the Oklahoma Storm (USBL), and the Oklahoma City Blazers hockey team (CHL).

Related Topics:
Oklahoma RedHawks - Minor league baseball - PCL - Texas Rangers - Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz - Oklahoma City Lightning - Women's Football - NWFA - Oklahoma Storm - USBL - Oklahoma City Blazers - CHL

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In what may prove to be a turning point for professional sports in the city, on September 21, 2005, Mayor Mick Cornett announced an agreement with owner George Shinn of the New Orleans Hornets to adopt the city as its temporary home. The team will be known as the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets and will play 35 home games for the 2005-06 season at Ford Center. This will mark the second major league franchise ever to locate in the city. Residents are already showing enthusiastic support for the team and there is already talk about possibly making the relocation permanent.

Related Topics:
September 21 - 2005 - Mick Cornett - George Shinn - New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets - Ford Center

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The University of Oklahoma sport teams are always a large draw in the city as they host numerous sporting events and tournaments every year including the world famous OU Sooners football games, held at Owen Field in suburban Norman. In addition, the NAIA leading OCU Stars play at the new Abe Lemons Arena at Oklahoma City University. OCU also has a top-rated rowing program.

Related Topics:
University of Oklahoma - Owen Field - Oklahoma City University

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The Ford Center, downtown, hosts many events each year including touring concerts, NHL exhibition games, college basketball games for the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University, and other spectator events and conventions. Ford Center was recently selected as the site of the 2005 NCAA Men's Basketball First & Second Round, and will host the Men's and Women's Big 12 Conference Basketball Tournaments in 2007. Nearby Bricktown Ballpark (home of the Oklahoma RedHawks) hosted the Big 12 Baseball Tournament in 2005 and will be the site again in 2006, and 2007.

Related Topics:
Ford Center - NHL - University of Oklahoma - Oklahoma State University

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Other notable sporting events in the city include the World Cup of Softball and the annual NCAA Women's College World Series played at the "Don E. Porter" Hall of Fame Stadium as well as horse races at Remington Park and the many horse shows and equine events that take place at the state fairgrounds each year.

Related Topics:
Hall of Fame - Horse show

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Additionally, Oklahoma City was home to several now defunct sports teams:

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• Oklahoma Outlaws
• Oklahoma Wranglers : Arena Football League - now Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz
• Oklahoma City Cavalry : Continental Basketball Association
• Oklahoma City 89ers : American Association (20th century) minor league baseball - now Oklahoma RedHawks
• Oklahoma City Stars : CHL Hockey Team
• Oklahoma City Coyotes : RHI Roller Hockey Team