Things to do in Enid
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Enid
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Spring climbs from the 50s to the 80s, digging opens April 1, and May is both wettest and peak tornado season.
Summer is hot and humid with highs in the 90s and often over 100F, best for ballgames and early starts.
Autumn is the best season, with cooler air, the Cherokee Strip Celebration in September and digging to October 15.
Winter is cold and quiet with lows around freezing, focused on museums, theatre and the symphony.
What's on
- Cherokee Strip Celebration Usually a Friday and Saturday in mid September, near the 16 September Land Run anniversary
Lunch on the Lawn Friday and the Saturday parade around downtown, led by longhorns, marking the 1893 Land Run.
- NJCAA Division II World Series Late May to early June
Junior college baseball championship at David Allen Memorial Ballpark that fills Enid hotels.
- Chautauqua in the Park Summer, five nights
Scholarly historical portrayals at Government Springs Park, a tradition dating to 1907 in Enid.
Best things to do in Enid
Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center
The story of the 1893 Land Run told well, with the only surviving 1893 U.S. Land Office in its heritage village.
Railroad Museum of Oklahoma
A volunteer run depot museum where former railroaders give personal tours of cars, layouts and memorabilia.
Leonardo's Children's Museum
Hands on art and science indoors plus Adventure Quest, a huge volunteer built castle playground across the street.
Simpson's Old Time Museum
A handmade Old West town built by local filmmakers, part museum and part movie set, made for photos.
Midgley Museum
A small house museum built around the Midgley family rock and mineral collection, best for rockhounds.
Gaslight Theatre
One of Oklahoma's oldest community theatres in a former vaudeville house, with quality that surprises visitors.
David Allen Memorial Ballpark
A classic downtown ballpark that hosts the NJCAA Division II World Series and offers a cheap, local night out.
Garfield County Courthouse
The courthouse square at the heart of downtown, the stage for parades, festivals and First Friday evenings.
Where to stay in Enid
Downtown and the Square
events, theatre and walking to dinner
Home to the downtown hotel and the Kenwood bed and breakfast, walkable to the square, Gaslight and arena.
West Garriott Corridor
road trippers, families and choice
Enid's hotel row on Owen K. Garriott Road, practical and car based with the widest choice of chain rooms.
Think twice about
- Far east US-412 motel edge
Not a safety warning. You gain nothing there, you are furthest from downtown and the west retail, and properties are the thinnest reviewed in town.
Best restaurants in Enid
On The Sidewalk Bar & Grill
Enid's special occasion room downtown, a small Mediterranean leaning grill known for its rack of lamb.
Callahan's Pub & Grille
The downtown pub Enid gathers in, for fish and chips, burgers, a proper beer list and sharp service.
Napoli's Italian Restaurant
Enid's Italian stalwart, generous red sauce comfort cooking that absorbs families and groups with ease.
MangoTree Cafe
A small Thai cafe whose pho and curries earn the highest average rating of any kitchen in Enid.
Cafe Garcia
A warm, large room Mexican restaurant with a salsa bar, a patio and a long local following.
El Patio Mexican Grill & Cantina
The lively cantina choice for fajitas and margaritas, with the largest review base of any Enid Mexican room.
Swadley's Bar-B-Q
Oklahoma barbecue done properly, where sliced brisket is the first timer order and lunch moves fast.
Five80 Coffeehouse
Downtown's living room coffeehouse for espresso, frozen blended coffee, soups and a relaxed lunch.
Outdoor things to do in Enid
Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge
Dig your own hourglass selenite crystals on white salt flats, the only place in the world where they are found.
Gloss Mountain State Park
Red mesas capped with glittering selenite, climbed by a short trail to a panorama over the Cimarron country.
Alabaster Caverns State Park
A guided tour through a vast gypsum cavern that stays cool, the smartest hot day excursion from Enid.
Meadowlake Park
Enid's family park for lake walks, playgrounds, fishing, paddle boats and disc golf on a slow morning.
Enid Trail
A paved, flat trail linking Government Springs Park toward Meadowlake for walks, runs and easy cycling.
Pheasant Run Golf & Grill
Enid's welcoming public 18 hole course with a range, short game areas and a grill locals rate highly.
Oakwood Country Club
A private Perry Maxwell course founded in 1947, playable through membership, guest or reciprocal arrangements.
Best hotels in Enid
GLō Best Western Enid OK Downtown/Convention Center Hotel
The best located hotel in Enid, a modern downtown property a short walk from the square and arena.
Southard House Bed and Breakfast
A four suite Victorian bed and breakfast in Kenwood, Enid's closest thing to luxury and its couples pick.
Hampton Inn & Suites Enid
Enid's top ranked hotel, a dependable Hampton on the west corridor with breakfast and consistent staff praise.
SpringHill Suites by Marriott Enid
A suite layout hotel on the west corridor, the pick for families and longer stays needing extra space.
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Enid, OK
The value pick that does not feel like a compromise, calm and clean with breakfast included.
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Enid
The budget chain safety net on Garriott Road, pet friendly with friendly staff and clean rooms.
Is Enid expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | $55 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | $110 a person |
| Splurge | $185 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Midgley Museum: a few days ahead
- Gaslight Theatre: a few days ahead
- Stride Bank Center: a few days ahead
- Enid Symphony Orchestra: a few days ahead
- Alabaster Caverns State Park: a few days ahead
- Pheasant Run Golf & Grill: a few days ahead
- Oakwood Country Club: weeks ahead
- On The Sidewalk Bar & Grill: a few days ahead
- Book Southard House weeks ahead for event weekends, as it has only four suites.
- Reserve On The Sidewalk days ahead for Friday, Saturday and Gaslight nights.
- Arrange Oakwood golf weeks ahead through a home club reciprocal, and check Alabaster Caverns tours the week before.
Is Enid safe?
- Spring is peak tornado season, so know your hotel shelter and keep weather alerts on.
- June to August heat regularly exceeds 100F, so hydrate and start outdoors early.
- Vance Air Force Base is not open for casual touring, and jet noise south of town is normal.
Enid travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- PaneVino and Costello's appear in older guides but are listed as permanently closed, so do not plan around them.
- Do not start a Salt Plains dig or Gloss Mountain climb at midday in summer, when heat is a real risk.
- The cheapest motel on the Garriott strip is the most reliably regretted purchase in Enid reviews.
Getting around Enid: public transport and more
- You need a car, as Enid has no visitor transit and sights are spread across a plains grid.
- Downtown parking is easy and largely free, including around the ballpark and Heritage Center.
- Plains crosswinds on US-412 are strong enough to affect high vehicles and cyclists, especially in spring.
Who Enid suits
| Solo travellers | OK |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Enid your trip
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