Ever had an interest in bones, skulls and skeletons? Well if you did than you’re going to be highly impressed with Oklahoma City’s Museum of Osteology. It is the ONLY skeleton museum in the US.

The museum has over 300 skeletons on display within it’s 7000 square foot facility. You’l find hundreds of skulls and skeletons from all over the world.

The museum opened it’s door in October 2010 and was built by the founder of Skulls Unlimited Jay Villemarette. It houses the largest privately held collection of osteological specimens in the entire world.

Opportunities for Education

The museum considers education it’s number one priority and has many resources to help children and adults understand the form and function of the skeletal system. On their website you will find a couple of free downloads called Museum Scavenger Hunt that are fund to complete as you make your way around the museum. In addition your will find a whole page devoted to “Reading a Skull“.

In addition there are education programs for kids from Pre-K to 12th Grade. All the education programs are tied to Oklahoma State “Pass” science standards.

Exhibits

There are twelve major exhibits including “What Is a Skeleton”, Primates: Monkey & Apes, Reptiles and Amphibians, Carnivora and Oklahoma Wildlife.

The Museum of Osteology is located at

10301 South Sunnydale Road
Oklahoma City, OK 73160

Tel: 405-814-0006

Click Here to Go to their map and directions page.

If you’ve been to the museum let us know what you think below.

A few days ago I had the opportunity to spend the afternoon at the Science Museum in Oklahoma City with Tyler and Tammy. It has been quite a while since I visited the museum and noticed quite a few more displays. If you have never been to this museum you really should go.

Based around science the display are not only visually interesting but also teach various scientific principles as well. For example the Who Dun It? sponsored by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is a unique exhibit that challenges you to solve a crime as you learn about the many scientific techniques the OSBI uses to help solve crimes. The kids were loving this display due to it’s interactivity, and the way in which the information was presented.

We also had the opportunity to view the movie Extreme in the dome theater. Again if you have never been to see a movie at the Science Museum Oklahoma you really should as this Imax experience will have you totally immersed in the movie in seconds.

Throughout the day there are various live science demonstration that you can attend including the classic liquid nitrogen experiment. Eating a cheese ball dipped in liquid nitrogen is visually interesting and the kids as well as the adults were having a blast. (I won’t ruin the surprise by telling you what happens. you gotta go and see for yourself.)

There is so much to do at the museum that a simple blog post won’t do it justice. Take a day to visit the Science Museum Oklahoma I guarantee you won’t be disappointed and your kids will love you for it.

Address:
Science Museum Oklahoma
2100 NE 52nd St
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73111 US

Visit this page for hours of operation and ticket prices.

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In our continuing series ” Awesome Things to Do in Central OK” we bring you the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA).

OKCMOA is located in OKC’s downtown art district and offers a broad range of exhibits and programs that include lectures, family events, classes, film screenings,and much more.

OKCMOA is also the home of one of the largest and most spectacular Chihuly glass collection in the country.

With 3 floors of exhibits including, the Special Exhibition on the ground floor, that is composed of national and international traveling exhibits. The second and third floor include permanent collections and small rotating exhibits as well as the museums own collection.

Here is video showing some of the 2010 exhibits and activity at the museum.

The museum also has a store, cafe, and  Cocktails on the Skyline, a roof terrace that is open May through October.

Visit the Oklahoma Museum of Art website for more information.

At the suggestion of our friend Amber Hallaba owner of TuffRoof Construction, her company does roofing in OKC, we are spotlighting the Oklahoma City Zoo. When looking at the top 10 zoos in the nation the Oklahoma City Zoo is quite often found on that list. When you consider that it is the oldest zoo in the Southwest with over 100 exhibits it’s easy to see why it’s such an awesome place to take the family.

The zoo has several major exhibits that are wonderful to see and feature beautifully done landscapes that add to the overall experience. Here are just a few:

Butterfly Garden is a 20,000 square foot exhibit created specifically for butterflies. It contains over 15,000 plants designed to nurture the complete life-cycle of the butterfly.

Cat Forest/ Lion Overlook is a 4.2 acre habitat that features the world biggest cats; lions, tigers, jaguars, and snow leopards, Over 4,000 plants help re-create the cat’s natural habitat.

The Great EscApe is a $6.6 million exhibit featuring 18 animals, including: two troops of gorillas, one family of orangutans, and a community of chimpanzees. You’ll find waterfalls, fallen tress, and thousands of plants all making the Great EscApe an awesome exhibit.

Noble Aquatic Center: Aquaticus contains over 1,500 aquatic species from all around the world. This is truly one of the more spectacular exhibits and one of the zoo visitors favorite.

The Children’s Zoo opened in March of 2010. It’s a 2.5 acre area built at a cost of $8.3 million. In the Zoo’s own words “The Children’s Zoo is a place where children can explore, touch, and immerse themselves in a natural environment that will stimulate their imagination, encourage exploration and give them a greater appreciation for nature.” Though we have been to the zoo numerous times the Children’s Zoo is one we have not been to yet but are looking forward to going this year.

The Elephant Habitat is a new exhibit that will open Spring of 2011. This will be a 9.5 acre, $13 million exhibit that can house up to 2 bulls, 4 cows & possible offsprings. This will surely be a popular exhibit.

Hours and Admission: Open daily 9am to 5pm. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Admission is a very reasonable $8 for adults (12-64) , $5 kids (3-11) and seniors 65 and older. Kids under 2 are free. Parking is free and you can re-enter throughout the day with your admission.

Food and Concessions: The Canopy Restaurant is a 300 seat indoor eating facility with a rain-forest theme. You’ll find plenty of variety at the Canopy and in addition there are a several concession stands through out the zoo grounds.

Rides and Amusement: You will find several rides at the zoo such as the Safari Tram and the Centennial Choo Choo. You’ll also find the Sea Lion show. Check the zoo site for the days they are open as it is seasonal.

Address, Directions and Contact Information:

Physical Address (Ideal for GPS Directions):
2000 Remington Place
Oklahoma City, OK 73111

Mailing Address:
2101 NE 50th St.
Oklahoma City, OK 73111

Phone Number:
(405) 424-3344

To get driving direction click here.

If you’ve been to the Oklahoma City Zoo tell us what you thought. Either below in the comments section or on our Facebook page.

Source: OKC Zoo website was used as the source for most of our information.

Our second entry in the “100 Awesome Things to Do in Central OK” is the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. The museum is renowned for it’s collection of classic and contemporary western art. Some of the works that you will find at the museum include such notable artists as Frederic Remington, Charles Russell, as well as James Earle Fraser’s fantastic work ” The End of the Trail”.

But that is only the “tip of the arrow” as there is just so much more your can see and do at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. There is a turn-of-the-century town located in the exhibition wing plus many interactive galleries that will give you insights into the American cowboy, rodeos, Native American culture, and much more.

For the kids there is the Children’s Cowboy Corral, and a great interactive children’s space. In the shop you can purchase all sorts of souvenirs, and  you can dine at the Persimmons Hill restaurant located on premises.

Permanent Galleries

The museum houses 12 permanent galleries including  the William S. and Ann Atherton Art of the American West gallery is “outstanding” and that in my opinion is an understatement. This gallery of 15,000 square contains over 2,000 art pieces including the Gerald Balciar’s 18 foot tall Canyon Princess located at the entrance to the gallery.

You will also find the Fine Arms Gallery, American Rodeo Gallery, the Eldridge Gallery and more. The museum also displays several monumental sculptures.

Excellent Video Gallery on YouTube

The museum staff has put together an excellent YouTube video gallery that I’m sure you will find quite enjoyable. Here is one sample of some of the videos they have uploaded.

Plan Your Visit to the National Cowboy & Heritage Museum

The museum is located at:

NATIONAL COWBOY & WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM
1700 N.E. 63rd Street
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73111
(405) 478-2250

Museum Hours
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Daily
Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day

Admissions

Adults: $12.50
Seniors (62+) : $9.75
Student with valid ID: $9.75
Children (4-12): $5.75
Children (3 and under): Free
Group rates are available. Parking is free.

There is an incredible amount of information on the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum website. I encourage you visit the site to learn more.

If you have been to the museum please share your experience on our Facebook page so other can see what a truly great museum this is.

About the Author: Hello, I’m Ray Roman, Broker-Owner of Ray Roman Realty. If you are looking to buy or sell real estate in Central Oklahoma area we welcome the opportunity to meet with and discuss how we can make your real estate transaction a success. We make the real estate buying and selling process easy for for our clients Tel: 405-538-7168 ray@rayromanrealty.com

We’re going to kick-off our “100 Awesome Things to Do in Central OK” with the Oklahoma City Theatre Company located at 201 N Walker in OKC. We had the opportunity to see their production of “Mousetrap” at the Freede Theater and to say we were impressed is an understatement.

Personally I have seen big productions on Broadway and though they are spectacular there is a lot to be said about the intimacy of a small production and a small theatre.  Just because it’s small does not mean it’s not good. As a matter of fact the Oklahoma City Theatre Company’s production of  Agatha Christie’s “Mousetrap” was excellent and the actors were superb. The adults in our group loved it but what was more amazing was the reaction from our children. Our teen daughter actually said “I’ll never go to the movies again. I love this!”.  Our  8 year-old son was equally impressed and totally immersed in the play. This is  a testament to the power of a live theatre and to the performance of the OCTC.

The OCTC usually performs at the Freede Teater to the City Space Theater. We have been to the Freede but not City Space. If you’ve been to the City Space let us know what you think. As for the Freede Theater we liked the venue as it allowed everyone in the audience to have a great seat.  You can purchase drinks (soda, wine etc.) in the lobby and the prices were very reasonable. The  service was also very good.

2011 Season and Ticket Prices

The 2011 Season is well underway with “Much Ado About Nothing” commencing on February 3rd though the 20th. The following productions will follow:

Native American Play Festival: March 25-April 3, 2011  Cityspace Theatre
New Voices Series: Apr. 20- May 1, 2011      Cityspace Theatre
A Streetcar Named Desire: By Tennessee Williams  July 21-31, 2011  Freede Theatre

Ticket prices are also very reasonable and are as follows: Single tickets are $19 Adults and $16 for students and seniors.  Musicals are $22 and $19. For group rates you can call the box office. Season tickets are also available.

Contact Information for the Oklahoma City Theatre Company

Contact OCTC administration at 405.812.7737
PO BOX 18226, OKC, OK 73104
Ticket office at 405.297-2264
Website: www.octc.org
Facebook page: Click Here

Overall we had a great experience and the kids loved it too. If you are looking for a fun and entertaining night-out with friends and family I highly recommend the Oklahoma City Theatre Company. I’m sure you will have as much fun as we did.

About the Author: Hello, I’m Ray Roman, Broker-Owner of Ray Roman Realty. If you are looking to buy or sell real estate in Central Oklahoma area we welcome the opportunity to meet with and discuss how we can make your real estate transaction a success. We make the real estate buying and selling process easy for for our clients Tel: 405-538-7168 ray@rayromanrealty.com