As much as I enjoy living in Oklahoma, sometimes the weather outside is just awful. If you’re like me, sometimes you want to get out of the house and have fun without dealing with the rain/wind/cold. To help, I put together a list of indoor activities around the Oklahoma City Metro. The only hurtle now is the First World Problem of suffering through the long trek from your warm house to the car (life is hard sometimes).
Some of the largest art museums in the metro, both the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in Norman will keep any art and history lover busy for hours. Additional pros for each: The Fred Jones Jr. Museum has free admission year-round, and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art has an attached movie theatre and high-end restaurant.
There are some nice, local options for bowling. Dust Bowl recently opened up in the Midtown District. It’s a completely vintage experience, from the old-school lounge chairs to the pens/paper for keeping score. Ready for dinner and drinks but don’t want to go outside again yet? Take the stairs at the end of the room up to visit the german restaurant, Fassler Hall.
In Norman, HeyDay Entertainment underwent a major remodel and expanded to include bowling. What’s neat about HeyDay’s bowling experience is that the downstairs lanes are all-ages while the lanes upstairs are for adults 21+ only. The upstairs lanes also include “lane-side” dinner service, so you can enjoy a selection of appetizers and entrees from two in-house restaurants and a full bar while you try to break your bowling high score. When your done bowling, head back downstairs for laser tag, arcade games, and indoor ropes course.
Of course we can’t forget RedPin Restaurant & Bowling Lounge in Oklahoma City’s Bricktown District. The city’s first upscale bowling lounge is still a great indoor go-to, and is surrounded by all the shopping and entertainment options in Bricktown (which, unfortunately, do require braving the elements to reach).
Paint a masterpiece, or at least enjoy a drink while you try with painting class. I enjoyed painting my version of Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh at Paint N Cheers in the Plaza District. Another indoor arts option, Pinot’s Palette has several locations throughout the state (and throughout the country for that matter).
If you want a different arts medium, or just feel like recreating your favorite scene from the movie “Ghost”, Paseo Pottery in the Paseo Arts District offers pottery classes. Stop by or give them a call to sign up.
SCIENCE! The Science Museum of Oklahoma isn’t just for kids. There are art galleries and exhibits for people of all ages to enjoy.
Science can also be explored in Norman’s Sam Noble Museum. One of the gallery’s centerpiece exhibits, “The Clash of the Titans,” features the world’s largest Apatosaurus as he extends his long neck as he faces a most fearsome, Oklahoma predator, the Saurophaganax. Be sure to ride in the museum’s glass elevators to meet the Apatosaurus eye to eye, and warm up with a cup of coffee and some desert in the attached Redbud Café.
Want to relax and enjoy a show? The Paramount Building in OKC’s Film Row is host to live music, stand up comedy, movies, improv, game nights, and more. They always have something fun going on.
Go back in time to the golden days of video arcade games! One of the newest and coolest arcades to hit the metro is Flashback Retro Pub. The bar is 21+ only and features 80s themed drinks, music and (of course) a wide selection of old-school arcade games.
Other arcade options in the OKC area include Cactus Jack’s, and both Quail Springs and Plaza Mayor at the Crossroads have arcades inside their climate-controlled malls.
Elevation Trampoline Park has locations in both Moore and Edmond, featuring several separate indoor trampoline courts available for open jump, and games. With over 5,000+ square feet of jumping surface, including floors and walls, all made of trampolines, you will literally be bouncing off the walls.
My favorite local bookstore is Full Circle Bookstore in Oklahoma City. They regularly have activities happening like book signings, poetry reading, and live music. And, of course, a delicious selection of hot drinks, pastries, and sandwiches.
Don’t forget to visit your local library. It’s like a physical location of Netflix for books, magazines, and DVDs, and it’s totally free! If you’re unfortunate enough to lose your power (and wi-fi) during one of our winter storms, you can also hang out there to charge your phone and get your BuzzFeed fix until your lights and heat come back on (be sure to thank a librarian while your there!)
Help make the world a better place by volunteering at a local nonprofit. If you don’t know where to start, visit United Way of Norman’s Volunteer site for a list of agencies and events looking for help in Norman, or Volunteermatch.com to find volunteer opportunities all over the state.
