Hidden Gems

If your kids happen to get tired of the three playgrounds at Edmond’s impressive Hafer Park, there’s always the sparkling fishing pond.

7 An abundance of play structures makes Stars & Stripes Park ideal even on crowded weekend days. Plan extra time at the park to explore the paved trail that surrounds Lake Hefner.

Many people are aware of RIVERSPORT Adventures’ impressive riverside amenities, but their attractions on Lake Overholser are worth a visit too. A zipline, canoe rentals, a climbing wall and stand-up paddle boards are just of the few things you’ll find.

Little River Park and Little River South in Moore offer two pirate-themed play areas, a large splash pad, walking trails and two fishing ponds.

There’s no better way to watch the seasons change than from the walking trails winding through the trees at George M. Sutton Wilderness Park in Norman.

Here’s what our readers voted as their favorite destinations for outdoor fun in OKC in our annual Family Favorites Awards.

Oklahoma City Zoo

Frontier City R

IVERSPORT Rapids

BY HANNAH SCHMITT. PHOTOS PROVIDED

Enlighten your kids and spark their imagination with a trip to Harn Homestead in Oklahoma City. The original Land Run property is littered with historic structures that help visitors get a glimpse of early Oklahoma life.

One part art museum and one part natural history museum, SKELETONS: A Museum of Osteology reveals the beautiful science below the surface of every living thing. View hundreds of skeletons of creatures from across the globe, from tiny mice to a giant humpback whale.

A LITTLE FARTHER OUT:

Settled among a gypsum canyon a little more than an hour northwest of Oklahoma City in Watonga is Roman Nose State Park. Breathtaking hiking trails make for a great day trip, but overnight visitors have the luxury of choosing to pitch their own tent, stay in the park’s impressive lodge with modern amenities or rent a teepee for an authentic Oklahoma experience.

Fancy new theaters get all the attention but there’s something special about sharing the nostalgia of a drive-in theater with your kids. Oklahoma City’s Winchester Drive-In shows double features (many of them kid-friendly) and has an impressive snack bar.

It’s one of the most unique pieces of land in Oklahoma but many people don’t even realize Little Sahara State Park exists. The Waynoka park, located about two and a half hours northwest of the metro, boasts almost 2,000 acres of towering sand dunes that transport visitors to a desert oasis.

Kids and kids at heart adore a stop at the Toy & Action Figure Museum in Pauls Valley, about an hour and a half south of the metro. Wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling action figures have beckoned more than 50,000 visitors from all 50 states to this small Oklahoma town.