Day in Muskogee: Exploring Honor Heights Park
My mom and step-dad came to visit a couple weekends ago. Although they had to drive back to Wichita on Sunday, my stepdad remembered loving the Azalea Festival at Honor Heights Park in Muskogee and was willing to make the extra 45-min drive there and back. We just missed the festival dates (April 1-30), but decided to make the trip anyway. Although the azaleas weren’t at their peak, we still had a great time!
The Papilion
Unfortunately, the park’s biggest attraction, The Papilion, was closed. According to their website, the gardens surrounding the Butterfly House open in April. The Butterfly House itself opens Mother’s Day Weekend through September 30. Hours of operation are 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday-Saturday, and Sundays from 1-4 p.m. Looking in from the outside, there was a children’s garden, so definitely a kid friendly place.
About the Butterfly House: “This unique structure serves as an open air captive sanctuary for many varieties of Oklahoma native butterflies and gives visitors an up close and personal experience. Watch the amazing metamorphosis of butterflies hatching daily throughout the summer months.”
Although the building was closed, there were a couple of fun photo ops out front.
I’m a butterfly!
Big fan of a good photo op
Other than The Papilion, there’s a fantastic playground. At least part of it is accessible, with a nice, wide ramp. There’s also a splash pad, lakes, walking trails, etc. Joss didn’t want to leave the playground, naturally!
Yoga by the lake
Amish Country Store and Restaurant
On the way to Honor Heights, we passed by the Amish Country Store and Restaurant. Since it was right off the highway, it seemed like a good place to eat lunch before heading home! The food was delicious – my stepdad especially loved his barbecue sandwich. Plus, they have a fun market full of a variety of pickled goods, interesting jams, baked goods, fudge, etc.
Of course, the biggest Muskogee attraction is probably The Castle. They also have the USS Batfish at War Memorial Park, which we may have visited if they didn’t have to drive back to Wichita later in the day. Let me know in the comments what we should do on our next Muskogee trip!