Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City, the capital of Oklahoma, sits on the Southern Great Plains and is best known internationally for the devastating 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building — a domestic terrorist attack that killed 168 people. The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum built on the site is one of America's most thoughtfully executed memorials, transforming tragedy into a place of genuine reflection and civic meaning. The memorial's outdoor components — 168 empty chairs of different sizes representing each victim, the Survivor Tree (a surviving elm that became a national symbol of resilience) and the Reflecting Pool — create a profoundly moving experience. The museum within is thorough and emotionally measured. The Bricktown entertainment district nearby, developed in a former warehouse area, has waterway boat rides, restaurants and bars. The Oklahoma City Museum of Art holds an outstanding Dale Chihuly glass collection. Stockyards City, the historic stockyard area southwest of downtown, is one of the few genuinely authentic cattle trading centres still operating in the US, with working ranches, rodeo facilities and cowboy culture. The Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum is excellent — an encyclopedic collection of Western American art, Native American artifacts and rodeo history. The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum deserves significant time. Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA basketball) consistently fields a competitive team. Route 66, the original "Main Street of America," passes through the city.