Best Indoor Activities in Oklahoma City for Families

While there are plenty of outdoor recreational opportunities for families in the Oklahoma City area, this thriving city has just as many things to do indoors. When the winter air turns frigid, or the summer humidity makes you miserable, it’s time to move your activities inside. So pack up the family and spend the day at one of these locations that made our list of Oklahoma City’s top indoor attractions.

Blue Zoo

Everyone in the family will enjoy spending a day at Blue Zoo. This attraction has several interactive exhibits, animal feeding shows, a reptile show, and more. Kids can discover facts about sharks and stingrays from the aquarium’s team of specialists. During the dive show, you’ll learn about scuba diving, interact with the divers in the shark tank and ask them any questions you may have.

The Pirate Shows and Mermaid Shows are highlights of the Blue Zoo experience. Here, kids can watch a live pirate show with swashbucklers and sword fighting or view beautiful mermaids swimming gracefully. Kids of all ages will gain valuable information about sea life, birds, and reptiles from experts in their fields during live shows and presentations. Youngsters will enjoy touching starfish, rays, and other aquatic animals in the interactive touch zones. Families can buy day passes for a one-time visit or annual passes to visit Blue Zoo throughout the year.

Location: 2501 W. Memorial Road.

Contact: 405-666-9844.

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

Step back in time to learn about the history of Oklahoma’s cowboy culture when you visit the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. This museum is one of the nation’s premier institutes that showcases Western history, art, and culture with exhibits, paintings, photographs, and artifacts from an earlier time. Since 1955, the curators and staff at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum have collected and preserved art and artifacts so the public can experience life in the old American West.

As you meander through the museum, you’ll see sculptures portraying horse riders, exhibits dedicated to outlaws, and a collection of cowboy hats that showcases their changing styles. Throughout the year, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum hosts events everyone in the family will enjoy participating in, such as making paper Christmas trees and snowflake ornaments or taking part in the Holiday Craft Grab Bag activity.

After you visit the museum, stop by the gift shop to pick up stunning pieces of authentic Native American jewelry, cowboy-inspired artwork, Western-style clothing, and books perfect for gift-giving.

Location: 1700 Northeast 63rd St.

Contact: 405-478-2250.

Heritage Lanes

Bowling is always a fun family activity and even more exciting when you can experience an afternoon or evening at Heritage Lanes. This bowling alley offers several great specials, such as Endless Bowl, $2 Tuesdays, and Glow Bowl. For a package that has it all, opt for the Family Fun Pack, which includes two hours of bowling time, an arcade game card, a large pizza, and a pitcher of soda. Heritage Lanes also offers bowling league play for both adults and youth, whether you’re a serious or casual bowler.

You won’t go hungry at Heritage Lanes. The snack bar has an extensive menu with items such as loaded nachos, burgers, tacos, and pizza. And, of course, don’t forget funnel cake fries or chocolate chip cookies for dessert. You’re welcome to bring your own bowling equipment to Heritage Lanes or rent shoes for a minimal cost. Heritage Lanes is a fantastic place to hold a special event, such as a birthday party or family reunion, as everyone in the group can bowl and eat together while having a fabulous time.

Location: 11917 N. Pennsylvania Ave.

Contact: 405-755-7575.

Science Museum Oklahoma

One of the top attractions and activities to do on a rainy day in Oklahoma City is to visit the Science Museum Oklahoma. Families can spend hours in this museum exploring the science exhibits with hands-on activities on the Science Floor.

Aspiring engineers will appreciate spending time in the Tinkering Garage, and future astronauts can see what space is like in the Destination Space exhibit. The Science Museum Oklahoma also has outdoor gardens with exhibits describing plant life, an aviation gallery where kids can learn about flight, and a special train exhibit that shows what train travel was like in the early 20th century.

Visiting the Kirkpatrick Planetarium to see shows dedicated to the sky and cosmos will pique your curiosity about the universe. Or step into CurioCity, a 20,000-square-foot hands-on exhibit. This village features exciting and whimsical neighborhoods and will surely light up kids’ imaginations.

Location: 2020 Remington Place.

Contact: 405-602-6664.

Cactus Jack’s

All kids, young and old, will have a blast playing arcade games at Cactus Jack’s. This arcade room — the oldest in Oklahoma City — features over 150 games, from classics such as Pac-Man and Stargate to modern entries such as Area 51 Maximum Force and Ghost Squad. Everyone can try their hand at one of the many pinball machines; choose from the largest collection in Oklahoma. If pinball isn’t your thing, you can take your turn playing air hockey, foosball, or shooting pool at one of the three pool tables.

The team at Cactus Jack’s will even hand out prizes for winners of various games. If you’re looking for a fun venue for a birthday party, consider booking at Cactus Jack’s, where you’ll get a private party room with gaming tokens and prize tickets.

Location: 1211 N. Council Road.

Contact: 405-789-9846.

Preacher Pottery

Put your creativity hat on and head over to Preacher Pottery to learn how to work with clay. The staff at Preacher Pottery holds various classes and workshops aimed toward children or adults. In the beginner pottery course for kids, youngsters will learn the foundations of pottery, including handbuilding, wheel throwing, and glazing techniques. Once their creation is finished, your child can bring the pottery piece home.

Periodically, Preacher Pottery holds a Parents and Kids Duo workshop where you and your child create a themed pottery project together. Kids who learn pottery develop critical thinking skills and build on their fine and gross motor skills.

Location: 7518 N. May, Suite B.

Contact: 405-342-0500.

Our team at Eskridge Chevrolet hopes you enjoyed learning more about these locations where you can enjoy indoor activities as a family. Where do you normally take your kids to keep them entertained? What is their favorite thing to do? If you have a recommendation for other indoor activities for kids, let us know. We always like to learn more about other Oklahoma City businesses.

Aquarium by Happy Come is licensed with CC BY 2.0