Oklahoma City

The Myriad Botanical Gardens are a 17-acre floral paradise right in the centre of downtown Oklahoma City. In addition to flourishing plant life, rolling hills, walkways, sculptures, and a sunken lake, the gardens feature the seven-storey, circular Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory.The conservatory is an architectural wonder, home to exotic flora as well as lizards, parrots, butterflies, and fish. Visitors take paths that lead under the conservatory's 35-foot (11m) waterfall and enjoy picnics on the grassy lawns.

Address : 301 W. Reno

Website : www.myriadgardens.com

Telephone : (405) 445 7080

Opening times : Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory: Monday to Saturday 9am-5pm, Sunday 11pm-5pm. Park grounds daily 6am-11pm.

Admission : Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory: $8 adults; $5 children 4-12. Other concessions available. Park entry is free.

The mission of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum is to preserve and interpret the heritage of the American West. Exhibits include works by the finest contemporary Western artists, as well as by Western masters like Charles Russell.The 200,000 square foot (60,960 square meter) complex houses multiple galleries, including cowboy, firearms, and Native American galleries, the Prosperity Junction cattle town replica, the interactive Children's Cowboy Corral, and the Western prairie-themed Persimmon Hill Restaurant.

Address : 1700 NE 63rd Street

Website : www.nationalcowboymuseum.org

Telephone : (405) 478 2250

Opening times : Daily 10am-5pm.

Admission : $12.50 adults, $5.75 children 4-12. Other concessions available.

On the morning of 19 April 1995, Timothy McVeigh killed 168 people when he bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. Where the building once stood stands the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, honouring the victims, survivors, and rescue workers of the Oklahoma City Bombing.The outdoor memorial features symbolic elements including a reflecting pool and a field of empty chairs. It is designed as a haven for those seeking comfort and serenity. The museum chronicles the terrorist attack and aims to teach others about the impact and senselessness of violence.

Address : 620 N. Harvey Ave

Website : www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org

Telephone : (405) 235 3313

Opening times : Outdoor memorial is open 24 hours a day. Museum: Monday to Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 12pm-6pm.

Admission : Outdoor memorial is free. Museum: $15 adults; $12 children 6-17. Other concessions available.

Recognised as one of the top ten zoos in the United States, the Oklahoma City Zoological Park is both a living museum and a botanical garden. Exhibits showcase marine life from around the globe, forest habitats of big cats and bears, and gorilla, orangutan, and chimpanzee enclosures.There are also displays that illustrate island life, showing off animals that live on islands from the Caribbean to Madagascar. Guests can enjoy a food court, a tram, a rock climbing wall, and paddleboats. The zoo dedicates itself to conservation and providing education to the community.

Address : 2101 NE 50th Street

Website : www.okczoo.com

Telephone : (405) 424 3344

Opening times : Daily 9am-5pm, exhibits open until 8pm (May through August).

Admission : $11 adults, $8 children 3-11. Certain attractions involve additional fees.

Visitors to the world's largest stocker/feeder cattle market can watch real Oklahoma cowboys work the livestock or attend a live cattle auction. Stockyards City's Cowtown is home to more than 70 businesses specialising in Western wear, farm and ranch needs, dining, and entertainment. Guided tour buses can be arranged.

Address : 1305 S. Agnew Ave

Website : www.stockyardscity.org

Telephone : (405) 235 7267

Opening times : Cattle auctions held every Monday and Tuesday at 9am.