Latest news with #OKANA
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Yahoo
Visiting OKANA resort? Here's the best restaurants, shopping and activities in OKC nearby
The newest feature in Oklahoma City's Horizon District, OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark, opens this week. Whether you're coming from far or just as close as Edmond, there's plenty to enjoy in one of Oklahoma's newest districts. The Horizon District, a collaboration between the Chickasaw Nation, OKANA and the First Americans Museum, was unveiled in 2023. It aims to be Oklahoma City's latest 'cultural and entertainment district.' Located on the southeast corner of I-35 and the Oklahoma River, the Horizon District's two main attractions will make it a bustling area in the city. Since it's still a relatively new district, developments are still occurring, but there is still lots to enjoy during a visit to OKANA. Here are some other things to do and restaurants to try near the Horizons District while you stay at OKANA. More: From a tiny hotel to a $400M resort: OKANA was 50 years in the making for Chickasaw Nation Located along the Oklahoma River and near the crossroads of Interstates 35, 40, 235 and 44 is Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum. The museum is dedicated to sharing the collective histories of the 39 federally recognized tribes in the state of Oklahoma. Visitors can explore the cultural diversity of the distinctive tribes and, for many of the tribes now residing in Oklahoma, learn what the process of removal from their ancestral homelands was like 200 years ago. In addition to this history, the museum aims to showcase Indigenous-inspired food and community events that celebrate that same history. Single-day admission for youth (4-12) is $5, while adults (18+) pay $15. Students, seniors, teachers, first responders and tribe members pay $10. Oklahoma's largest indoor and outdoor flea market is just along S Eastern Ave at Old Paris Flea Market. The business has over 450 vendors throughout the property, each with their own business and products for sale. The family-owned and operated company has operated in Oklahoma City for almost 50 years and continues to see visitors, locally and tourists, enjoy the products for sale. Suppose you're looking for more activities in nearby districts. In that case, the Boathouse District includes Bar-K, the perfect bar for families with dogs or those who head to the RiverSport areas like RiverSport's track and mountain bike trail or their rowing facility. The district has an Olympic-level training facility and will help host the 2028 Olympics for all outdoor water sports. The Horizons District is slowly growing so eating outside of the resort has less picks than nearby districts. But still within a 10-minute drive, one can try numerous highly rated restaurants including: Deep Duece Grill, 307 NE 2 St The Gilded Acorn, 120 N Robinson Ave Kitchen No. 324, 324 N Robinson Ave Mickey Mantle's Steakhouse, #7 Mickey Mantle Dr. The area offers many opportunities for outdoor exploration. Regatta Park, Scissortail Park, and Wiley Post Park are all within a 10-minute drive of OKANA and the First Americans Museum. Each surrounding park has a good view of the Oklahoma River and surrounding districts, such as the downtown business district or historic Capitol Hill. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Things to do near OKANA: See top restaurants, shopping and more in OKC
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
OKANA resort, indoor waterpark now open: What you need to know about bookings, day passes
After much anticipation, OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark is now open in Oklahoma City. The $400 million resort, built alongside the Oklahoma River, includes an 11-story, 404-room hotel and a 100,000-square-foot water park, which is more significant than similar hybrid resorts. Developers have noted that the property isn't like anything else in neighboring states. The resort and waterpark offer amenities such as indoor and outdoor waterparks, an arcade, sports simulators, a spa and more. Here's everything you need to know to book a stay at Oklahoma City's new resort. The property has indoor and outdoor water areas, including a 100,000-square-foot indoor waterpark and an almost 200,000-square-foot outdoor waterpark. Although the outdoor lagoon may be closed when the property opens on Feb. 21, the outdoor fun will be perfect for the Memorial Day to Labor Day season. Outside is filled with an adults-only swim-up bar, water slides, a sandy beach and a TV screen. Moving inside, the property's waterpark has 15 different water slides and interactive attractions. When you're not at the park, you can tuck away with their luxury cabanas or slide away to their adults-only space. In OKANARAMA!, guests can enjoy laser tag, immersive escape rooms, a mirror maze and over 80 arcade games. The game hall is not exclusive to hotel guests. The 404-room hotel has three different room types on the property. Junior suites offer a king or double queen arrangement, multi-room suites with multiple beds for groups and families, and a bunk suite, a unit with a separate room for kids with bunk beds. Suites start as low as $143. If you are looking for an after-school getaway or a weekend unwind, you can purchase a day pass to the waterpark, including access to all other amenities. The property also comes with a pedestrian bridge the city is working on installing currently. Day passes start at $39 for Mondays through Fridays, and $59 on weekends. Prices vary and are subject to change. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma indoor waterpark now open: How to book, day passes at OKANA
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
From a tiny hotel to a $400M resort: OKANA was 50 years in the making for Chickasaw Nation
The $400 million OKANA resort that is about to open along the Oklahoma River will represent a powerful boost to Oklahoma City's tourism industry. But for the Chickasaws who made it a reality, the investment is also a reminder of how far they've come from when they started their first business, a humble motel, more than 50 years ago. The Chickasaw Nation is one of Oklahoma's largest employers, with a workforce of 12,856 statewide, of which 2,557 work in Oklahoma City. The tribe operates over 100 successful businesses, including gaming at the world's largest casino, hospitality, tourism, banking, manufacturing, chocolates and an array of other large and smaller ventures. A recent study concluded the Chickasaw Nation's economic impact on Oklahoma totals $5.5 billion. The origins of this success story start with a tribe fighting back against efforts to end the sovereignty of Native Americans throughout the United States. Bill Anoatubby, governor of the Chickasaw Nation, grew up at a time when the tribe's future was uncertain as the U.S. Congress enacted a 'termination policy' to do away with tribes altogether. Anoatubby's Chickasaw heritage was through his father, who passed away when he was still a child. But that didn't cut his connection to the tribe. 'I grew up understanding the importance of connecting with other Chickasaws and First Americans,' Anoatubby said. 'My grandfather on my mother's side had a close relationship with Chickasaws, and he would often use Chickasaw words around the dinner table. He helped me understand that being Chickasaw was something to be proud of.' Such pride was shown as Chickasaw leaders successfully fought back against the termination policy, and in October 1960, the Chickasaw tribal council was re-established. More than 100 Chickasaws gathered at Seeley Chapel near Connerville at a time when tribal budgets were reliant on federal funding and insufficient to address the needs of citizens. 'That is where the movement began,' Anoatubby recalled during his October State of the Nation address. 'They were driven by a vision of sovereignty and self-determination. They were emboldened to proudly embrace our past, evaluate our present and plan for a better future.' Sulphur was a regional destination when the ornate Artesian Hotel was built in 1905. In early years, the hotel served as a 'summer state Capitol' for governors beginning with Charles Haskell. Residents were shocked when the landmark was destroyed in a blaze in 1962 that coincided with a drop in visitors who were once drawn to Platt National Park (now Chickasaw National Recreation Area) and the city's springs. That next year, a group of local and out-of-state investors spent $750,000 to build a new, 72-room motel on the Artesian Hotel site. Glen R. Key, president of First National Bank of Sulphur, took out an advertisement in the local newspaper listing construction of the motel as his top wish for 1963. Sulphur Times Democrat editor Paul John predicted the motel would help the city thrive again. 'Sulphur will once again be a mecca for tourists as in the days of old,' John said. 'Conventions will return to Sulphur and we predict even more motels will be needed to accommodate the growth of Sulphur. The motel opened in May 1964 boasting of mineral baths and a nod to the Artesian Hotel's history. The venture lost money, became a run-down, decaying eyesore and ended up in foreclosure. The Chickasaw Nation submitted a successful bid to buy the motel for $138,000 in 1972. The tribe at the time employed about two dozen people, and annual revenues totaled less than $750,000. The tribe obtained a grant from the Bureau of Indian Affairs for renovations and started a $200,000 makeover while still trying to keep the motel open for guests. As reported in a 1975 article in The Daily Oklahoman, the Sulphur Chamber of Commerce, churches and civic groups pitched in with labor and loaned silverware, dishes and chairs to bring an immediate upgrade while renovations were underway. More: What can you do at OKANA when it opens? A look at attractions and amenities Months passed, and the slow but steady transformation continued with new furnishings, air conditioning and drapes. The pool was enclosed, and the tribe added a men's store, curio shop, health club and beauty salon. Native American art and murals were added, along with the great seal of the Chickasaw Nation. Once the renovation was completed, the motel also operated as the headquarters for the tribe. Anoatubby said the Chickasaw Motor Inn attracted numerous morning coffee drinkers, served as the meeting site for countless local civic clubs, and was a local favorite meeting spot for Sunday afternoon lunch. 'While revenues varied some through the years, it proved to be a very good long-term investment,' Anoatubby said. 'Operating the motor inn helped us understand the potential of business diversification and economic development to enhance the lives of Chickasaws and our neighbors.' More: Sulphur, Chickasaw Nation are using a history of healing to help tornado-ravaged town Dan Boren, commerce secretary at the Chickasaw Nation, grew up knowing Anoatubby through interactions with Dan's father, David Boren, who served as Oklahoma governor and then as a U.S. senator. Dan Boren's ties to the tribe grew as he served as a field representative for then Rep. Wes Watkins. 'There weren't nearly the number of programs, services and infrastructure that there are today,' Boren said. 'There were less employees. Before he was elected in 1987, Governor Anoatubby was lieutenant governor, and he was an employee before that. He was an accountant. There were less than 30 employees when he was employed.' Boren was hired by the tribe just as it was celebrating construction of the new Artesian Hotel, built where the motel and original hotel once stood. By that time, the Chickasaw Nation was undergoing a transformation boosted by the passage of the Indian Gaming Act in 1987. The casino business, however, didn't start immediately. The tribe diversified its investments. The Chickasaw Nation bought Bedré Fine Chocolate in 2000, which was started as a small business in a former elementary school near Ada. The tribe built a new manufacturing plant for the chocolates, where production can sometimes be viewed by visitors to the adjoining store located in Davis. The Chickasaws chose land in Thackerville, just north of the Texas border, to open WinStar casino in 2003, which is now the world's largest gaming destination. 'It was a peanut field,' Boren said. 'It didn't start with what people see today; the largest casino in the world. It started incrementally with a tent. There was a bingo hall. The budget of the Chickasaw Nation was much smaller, so there weren't the resources to build full-scale facilities.' WinStar World Casino and Resort (renamed in 2010) features 1,700 hotel rooms, spread over four towers. Of the tribe's 14,500 employees (including those working outside of Oklahoma), 2,869 are at WinStar. 'We didn't build all of it overnight,' Boren said. 'We built over time with the profits of the gaming.' By growing incrementally, the tribe was able to create a set of 'core competencies' and a labor pool that draws from both Oklahoma and Texas. One misconception among some is that the tribe only employs Chickasaw Nation citizens. 'There are about 80,000 Chickasaw citizens, and there are 14,500 employees, not all of whom are Chickasaw members,' Boren said. 'Some are members of other tribes, some are not tribal members. We employ a lot of non-Native employees ... that goes back into tax dollars, and we're providing a lot of jobs in rural Oklahoma that really make a difference in those communities.' The success at WinStar led to further diversification that included tobacco shops, travel plazas, a publishing company, day care, radio station and an electrical utility. The Chickasaw Nation made inroads into Oklahoma City that included buying Remington Park and Casino in 2010. The tribe then spent millions upgrading the track and grandstand. That investment, in turn, benefited the city. 'Remington Park sends $1.5 million annually to the zoo trust,' Boren said. 'Being in that same geographic area, there is a lot of support that goes from Remington Park to the zoo.' The Chickasaws also paid for naming rights for the Bricktown Ballpark and sponsored construction of a sculpture and monument along the Bricktown Canal that showcases the tribe's history. In recent years, the tribe also bought the former Sportsman's Country Club in northwest Oklahoma City and converted it into a wellness and community center for its citizens. Chickasaw Community Bank, started in 2002, moved into a new Oklahoma City headquarters last year that features a 26-foot-tall Chickasaw Warrior sculpture at the entrance. The tribe's investments now include energy, health care, manufacturing, defense, technology and retail. By 2013, the Chickasaws were already a major player in state tourism in which it promoted attractions along the Interstate 35 corridor, including those in Oklahoma City. And that reputation wasn't overlooked when the tribe took on its biggest investment yet in the state's capital city. Anoatubby was in the room when, at the request of the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation, a panel met to discuss how to best celebrate the legacy and heritage of the state's 39 tribes. From that group meeting in 1986, a road map was chosen by Oklahoma Gov. Henry Bellmon. Years passed as a commission was set up, funding was studied, and then a site was chosen at the crossroads of Interstate 35, Interstate 40 and what was then the North Canadian River. The site took some vision; the MAPS-funded dams, trails and landscaping that transformed the river had yet to be started when the location was chosen in 1998. The traffic count passing the site at the time topped 100,000 vehicles a day, but the property itself was far from picturesque. The river at the time was little more than a drainage ditch thanks to a flood control project completed in the 1950s. The museum was well under construction when state lawmakers balked at providing more funding for its completion. Construction stopped in 2012 with legislators leaving in question the fate of $90 million already spent on the attraction. The state was failing to meet its obligations of an agreement with Oklahoma City to complete the museum, and the city began to look at how to claw back ownership of the property, along with the half-finished museum. Behind the scenes, however, a discussion started between the city and the Chickasaws on how they could take over the project from the state and get the museum finished and opened. The deal struck with the state required the city to provide the tribe with the 140 acres surrounding the museum, and in turn the Chickasaws agreed to complete construction and cover operating deficits of up to $2 million a year for the first seven years after the museum opened. More: Tourism destination planned by Chickasaw Nation has a new name: the Horizons District The First Americans Museum opened in 2021; that same year, the Chickasaws announced their plans to build a $400 million resort on the land surrounding the museum. OKANA, which opens on Feb. 21, is expected to further transform Oklahoma City into a regional tourist draw with a mix of shops, restaurants, entertainment, a 100,000-square-foot indoor waterpark, an 11-story, 404-room hotel, an outdoor recreational lagoon and conference center. Oklahoma City, in addition to providing the land for OKANA, also provided $102.2 million in tax increment financing assistance, a landing for the Oklahoma River Cruisers and a pedestrian bridge linking the resort with trails along both shores of the waterway. Discussions, meanwhile, continue on the possibility of building an aquarium as part of a future phase for OKANA, and more development is likely along the west half of the property abutting I-35. In the meantime, the Chickasaws also invested in the purchase and $15 million renovation of the city's historic Skirvin Hilton Hotel. More: Anoatubby: We've made it our practice to work closely with our neighbors in government Mayor David Holt, himself a member of the Osage Nation, praised the Chickasaws not just for their investment in the city, but also their philanthropy ranging from United Way to scholarships at area universities. The Chickasaws, Holt said, have taken on a role that was once historically held by a handful of energy companies. 'Their impact on our visitor economy is becoming quite significant,' Holt said. 'And they've quietly invested in other endeavors in and around Oklahoma City. Their name is almost always at the top of the sponsor list for any major event or effort in this city.' Steve Lackmeyer started at The Oklahoman in 1990. He is an award-winning reporter, columnist, author of seven books about the history of Oklahoma City and a member of the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame. He covers Oklahoma City real estate, urban development, transportation and economics for The Oklahoman. Contact him at slackmeyer@ Please support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a subscription today at This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKANA resort opening a symbol of Chickasaw Nation's impact in Oklahoma
