From the ‘everything old is new again’ department, we bring you Nostalgic OKC. This carefully curated assortment of places to go, adventures to experience, fab food and drink, fun and games and super-rad vibes is as close as you can get to time travel, in the best possible way.
Winchester Drive-In Theatre
Winchester Drive-In Theatre is an OKC movie-lovers’ tradition since 1968. It’s an old-fashioned drive-in theater, with Chester the giant neon cowboy waving you in. The season runs March through October, on Friday and Saturday nights. Here’s how it works: call the movie hotline (yes, really!) to hear what’s playing that weekend. The box office is cash-only, but there’s a handy ATM. Concession offerings are robust, or for a fee, you can bring in your own snacks. Color-coded poles ensure that taller vehicles park behind shorter ones.
North Pole City
If you need a little Christmas, right this very minute, North Pole City is here for you from September through January. It’s brought the razzle-dazzle of glorious holiday spirit to OKC for more than 30 years and is filled with lavish displays, collectibles from around the world, Christmas décor guaranteed to turn Scrooge’s frown upside down and a merry staff whose good cheer is contagious.
Good Times
Didn’t you just love a cold Capri Sun after soccer practice as a kid? Good Times has a surprise for you: boozy juice pouches! We’ve sampled all of them and especially love the Rim Punch (rum, peach liqueur, pineapple, orange and cran). There are retro frozen drinks, a classic American bar food menu, a great patio and good vibes.
Frontier City
You’ll spot the Prairie Schooner ride and Diamondback roller coaster from the highway well before you arrive. Frontier City has been thrilling Oklahomans with its 55 acres of rides for all ages plus great food and Wild West, stunt and other shows from March to September. As September becomes October, Fright Fest begins, with truly scary haunted mazes, scare zones, frightful live shows and more…if you dare.
Science Museum Oklahoma
Locals may slip and call it by its former name (Omniplex), but these days our beloved Science Museum Oklahoma is the state’s only hands-on science museum and, at more than 390,000 square feet, one of the largest in the nation. It’s a Smithsonian Affiliate and is home to the Love’s Planetarium, Science Live! Performances and KidSpace, where safe, hands-on stations ignite curiosity in little minds in endlessly entertaining ways. Splash at the water table, climb aboard a real tractor and go crazy with face painting. It’s a great place to burn off some energy!
The SOUNDBAR
The SOUNDBAR in Automobile Alley is a haven for lovers of vinyl records, great music, a cool vibe and a music-inspired selection of mocktails, cocktails and beers. We love the ‘A Spoonful Weighs a Feather’ mocktail – ginger syrup, lemon, honey and soda - inspired by OKC’s The Flaming Lips’ song ‘A Spoonful Weighs a Ton.’ You’ll love the theme nights, like the recent Neil Deal, featuring tunes by Neil Young, Nils Lofgren, Nils Cline, Neil Diamond, Neil Sedaka, Harry Nilsson, Nile Rodgers, “Shaq” O’Neal, Neal Schon (Journey), Niels Pedersen, Fred Neil and Neil Finn (Crowded House).
Sauced on Paseo and Flashback RetroPub
Spend a happy few hours eating pizza, drinking delicious beer and playing your favorite retro arcade games and pinball machines from the ‘80s and ‘90s, plus skee-ball, Nintendo 64 and more at Up Down in the Plaza District or Sauced on Paseo. You could also head for the Flashback RetroPub in Film Row, which has 100 arcade games plus skee-ball, Sega Genesis, and all things Nintendo: NES, Game Cube, 64 and Super. ALSO…it’s got the only Killer Queen arcade game in Oklahoma and a slew of cleverly named drinks.
Sherri's Diner
Since 1988, Sherri’s Diner has been serving up classic American diner goodness to hungry locals, and now you’re in on the secret. Open from 6 or 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sherri’s will fill your belly with hearty portions of pure comfort food like pancakes, a massive pork chop breakfast, burger baskets and home-made pies. Pro tip: Wednesday is meatloaf day.
Ready for even more retro fun? Keep the throwback vibes rolling with our guide to Quirky & Kitsch Attractions Along Route 66 in Oklahoma City.
