All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Thirty-nine tribal nations are headquartered in Oklahoma—which gets its name from two Choctaw words “okla” and “humma” meaning honored people. And now a new museum is dedicated to telling their and other tribes' stories: The First Americans Museum (FAM) opened September 18 in Oklahoma City, the state’s capital and largest city.
The highly interactive FAM museum has been many years in the making, and initial exhibitions aim to to share the history of all 39 tribes in Oklahoma today through sight, sound, and touch. The museum features a gallery with a selection of works from the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, commissioned pieces from Indigenous artisans throughout the museum, a restaurant focusing on Native-inspired cuisine, and a museum store featuring items from First American artists and companies. Visitors to the museum will learn about and see the history of First Americans, from pre-European contact to forced removal to present-day, when tribal nations are regaining sovereignty and the right to self-governance.
“This is our shared American story,” says Shoshana Wasserman, deputy director for FAM, who descends from Thlopthlocco Tribal Town and Muscogee Creek peoples. She notes that within state's 39 tribal nations there are 12 distinct linguistic families. The hope is that visitors may explore other parts of Oklahoma and individual tribal nations and cultural sites after visiting FAM, from Cherokee Nation in the northeast to Tuskahoma's Choctaw Nation Museum.
What to do in Oklahoma City
Beyond the new First Americans Museum, there is something for everyone in OKC, from art to adventure lovers. Head to The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum for Western-based art and artifacts (check out “Tattoos: Religion, Reality, and Regret,” on display through 2022), the Plaza Walls murals in the Plaza District, or Factory Obscura, a quirky artist collective creating immersive experiences that are not to be missed.
Oklahoma may be landlocked, but the capital has a thriving Boathouse District along the Oklahoma River that offers an assortment of water sports for guests of all ages and abilities. Activities include whitewater rafting, paddle boarding, and even indoor skiing and snowboarding with Riversport OKC. For great views, head south to the Wheeler District to take a ride on the Wheeler Ferris Wheel. The ferris wheel was the original Santa Monica Pier Ferris Wheel, and was purchased by developer Blair Humphreys through eBay in 2008 for more than $1 million.
Other sites to see for families or the young at heart include the Oklahoma City Zoo & Botanical Gardens, a living museum of 1,900 animal species and expansive botanical gardens, and Science Museum Oklahoma, the state's only hands-on science museum and one of the largest science museums in the nation. Visitors to the city should also head to the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, which honors the memories and legacies of the lives lost in the 1995 bombing.
What to eat
Head straight to the Asian District, an enclave with Asian restaurants and stores. An influx of Vietnamese immigrants to OKC in the 1970s helped create this thriving district. Try VII Asian Bistro for the pho or Super Cao Nguyen Grocery Store. For some quick bites while walking around the Plaza District, pick up a grilled cheese at The Mule or a slice of pizza at Empire Slice House.
For dinner, head to the Paseo Arts District, a Spanish-style artist community home to more than 80 artists as well as restaurants, a coffee house and boutiques. In Paseo, there are dining options like Paseo Grill, which serves classic American cuisine with an international flare, or Frida Southwest, which is inspired by Oklahoma, Santa Fe, and northern Mexico foods.
Where to stay
For those looking to continue OKC’s famed art space inside the four walls of a hotel, there is the 21c Museum Hotel, which has art pieces throughout the property. Located in the Arts District, 21c occupies the historic Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant. In the downtown area, there is the historic (and restored) Skirvin Hilton Hotel. Since 1911, it has hosted movie stars, NBA players, politicians and musicians, including Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Shaquille O’Neal, and Charles Barkley.
For historic charm, Bradford House is a chic boutique hotel with 36 rooms and the former house of William L. Bradford, who moved to the area in the late 1889 from Kansas. At first home to some of Oklahoma City’s most well-heeled residents through the roaring 1920s, then after having served as convalescent housing during the Second World War, the building’s most notable residents through the turbulent 1960s and 1970s were artists, actors and politicians. Firsthand accounts tell of having hosted Hollywood film star Rock Hudson on more than one occasion, as well as a then-presidential candidate Jimmy Carter on his successful run to the White House. Husband-and-wife owners Jason and Sara Kate Little started the project before the pandemic hit, traveling near and far to find the perfect decor for the rooms and common areas and photos for the walls. The property's restaurant and bar offers a seasonal menu with a variety of cocktails and wines to complete the experience.
