There are so many kid-friendly attractions within driving distance of Tulsa. Here are eight low-stress road trips from Tulsa!! Most of these locations are close enough to be an easy day trip, but a couple might be more suited to an overnight stay.

*Please note that hours may changed due to COVID-19 or other factors. Also, advance tickets may be required. Check websites to confirm all details!

1. Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Located less than an hour or so from Tulsa, Bartlesville makes the perfect day trip! Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve is perhaps the premier Bartlesville attraction, but the Price Tower Arts Center, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is also well worth a visit! During the summer, the Bartlesville Kiddie Park offers a low-cost option for families with young kids.

• Bartlesville Kiddie Park (Open seasonally. Closes for the 2020 season on August 29), 205 N. Cherokee Ave., Bartlesville, kiddiepark.net. Hours: Open Fridays and Saturdays starting May 1 until the last day of school, 7-10 p.m. Once school is out, the park is open Tuesdays through Thursdays, 7-9:30 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays, 7-10 p.m.
• Price Tower Arts Center, 510 Dewey Ave., Bartlesville, pricetower.org. Hours: Gift shop open daily, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Exhibition space closed for renovation as of Feb. 16, 2021.
• Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve, 1925 Woolaroc Ranch Rd., Bartlesville, woolaroc.org. Hours: Open Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

2. Bentonville, Arkansas

In addition to miles of hiking and biking trails, Bentonville, Arkansas, boasts both an incredible art museum and a popular children’s museum! For more suggestions, check out this article all about Bentonville!

Photo by Jen Kerckhoff

• Crystal Bridges Museum of Art, 600 Museum Way, Bentonville, AR, crystalbridges.org. Hours: Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Monday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Wednesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Closed Tuesday.
• Scott Family Amazeum, 1009 Museum Way, Bentonville, AR, amazeum.org. Hours: Saturday, Sunday and Monday, 12-2 p.m. and 3-5 p.m.; Wednesday-Friday, 9-11 a.m., 12-2 p.m. and 3-5 p.m. (COVID hours)
• The Momentary, 507 SE St., Bentonville, AR, themomentary.org. Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Closed Monday
• The Walmart Museum, 105 N. Main St., Bentonville, AR, walmartmuseum.com. Hours: Open daily by appointment only, 12-6 p.m.. (COVID hours)

3. Dallas, Texas

Don’t try to do Dallas in a day. But definitely consider putting this vibrant city on your road trip bucket list! Plus…they have an IKEA!

• Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, 8525 Garland Rd., Dallas, dallasarboretum.org. Hours: Open daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Great Wolf Lodge, 100 Great Wolf Dr., Grapevine, greatwolf.com. Hours: Open 7 days a week. Great Wolf is both a water park and hotel, so you can stay overnight!
• LEGOLAND Discovery Center, 3000 Grapevine Mills Pkwy, Grapevine, dallasfw.legolanddiscoverycenter.org. Hours: Varies. See schedule here.
• Nasher Sculpture Center, 2201 Flora St., Dallas, nashersculpturecenter.org. Hours: Closed Monday-Wednesday; Thursday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 pm.
• Perot Museum of Nature and Science, 2201 N. Field St., Dallas, perotmuseum.org. Hours: Thursday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Monday-Wednesday.

4. Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Known for its artistic community, downtown Eureka Springs is a joy to discover. Look for popular landmarks like the Rainbow Staircase and Humpty Dumpty! Check out Tara Rittler’s blog post, “8 Reasons to Love Eureka Springs,” for more travel suggestions.

• Christ of the Ozarks, 935 Passion Play Rd., Eureka Springs, greatpassionplay.org. Hours: Open daily, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
• Onyx Cave Park, 338 Onyx Cave Lane, Eureka Springs, onyxcaveeurekasprings.org. Hours: Call for hours (479.253.9321)
• Thorncrown Chapel, 12968 Hwy 62 West, Eureka Springs, thorncrown.com. Hours: See details here.
• Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, 239 Turpentine Creek Lane, Eureka Springs, turpentinecreek.org. Hours: Open daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

5. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

We are constantly amazed by how much there is to do in Oklahoma City! In addition to some of their incredible museums, plan some time to explore OKC’s shopping districts, including the Paseo and Plaza Districts!

• Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., Oklahoma City, oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com.  Hours: Outdoor grounds are open daily, 6 a.m.-11 p.m.; Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory is open Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
• National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63^rd St., Oklahoma City, nationalcowboymuseum.org. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 12-5 p.m.
• Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Dr., Oklahoma City, okcmoa.com. Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 12-5 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
• Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Pl., Oklahoma City, sciencemuseumok.com. Hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Scissortail Park, 300 SW 7^th St., Oklahoma City, scissortailpark.org. Hours: Open daily, 6 a.m.-11 p.m.

6. Pawhuska, Oklahoma

Have you visited the Pioneer Woman’s Mercantile yet? If not, Spring Break could be the perfect opportunity! We recommend showing up early for breakfast because their pancakes are delicious! After breakfast, pay a visit to the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, where the road is often surrounded by buffalo or other wildlife.

• Osage Nation Museum, 819 Grandview Ave., Pawhuska, www.osagenation-nsn.gov/museum. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, 15316 Co Rd. 4201, Pawhuska, nature.org. Hours: Open daily from dawn to dusk
• The Ben Johnson Cowboy Museum, 201 E. 6th St., Pawhuska, facebook.com/benjohnsoncowboymuseum. Hours: Open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
• The Pioneer Woman Mercantile, 532 Kihekah Ave., Pawhuska, themercantile.com.  Hours: Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Closed Sunday.

7. Springfield, Missouri

When our web editor took a day trip to Springfield, she was impressed at how easy the drive was. Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium was chosen the Best New Attraction of 2018 by USA Today Readers, but there are other things to do in this fun city as well!

You can even do a shark dive at Wonders of Wildlife!

• Discovery Center of Springfield, 438 St. Louis, Springfield, discoverycenter.org. Hours: Monday-Thursday, CLOSED; Friday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (COVID hours)
• Fantastic Caverns, 4872 N. Farm Rd. 125, Springfield, fantasticcaverns.com. Hours: See website for details.
• Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium, 500 W. Sunshine St., Springfield, wondersofwildlife.org. Hours: See schedule here

8. Stillwater, Oklahoma

If someone in your family attended OSU, a quick visit to Stillwater could also be a fun trip down memory lane. Try dining at the original Hideaway or Eskimo Joe’s!

• The Botanic Garden at OSU, 3300 W. 6^th St., Stillwater, botanicgarden.okstate.edu. Hours: November-february, 6 a.m.-6 p.m.; March-October, 6 a.m.-8 p.m.

9. Wichita, Kansas

At 2 hours and 45 minutes from Tulsa, a visit to Wichita may work better as a two-day trip. Popular dining and coffee options include: Milkfloat, Reverie Coffee Roasters, Cocoa Dolce and Old Mill Tasty Shop.

• Botanica, 701 Amidon St., Wichita, botanica.org. Hours: Open Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Exploration Place, 300 N. McLean Blvd., Wichita, exploration.org. Hours: Open daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Open til 8 pm. on Thursdays.
• Old Cowtown Museum, 1865 W. Museum Blvd., Wichita, oldcowtown.org. Hours: Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 W. Zoo Blvd., Wichita, scz.org. Hours: Open daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

You May Also Like:

Family Friendly Museums in Oklahoma–and Beyond

Route 66 Road Trip Tips

Traveling With Kids: Make the Trip as Fun as the Destination!

This article was originally published in February 2020. It was updated in February 2021.