oklahoma city river tour

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Join us for regularly-scheduled, entertaining, and historically-themed narrated cruises through the heart of downtown Oklahoma City’s Bricktown entertainment district! We also feature private charters and dinner cruises.

Discover Bricktown OKC from a Completely Different Perspective

Located in the heart of downtown Oklahoma City’s entertainment district, Bricktown Water Taxi’s guided tours offer a unique viewpoint for all visitors! Riders get an up-close look at the canal’s many attractions, including historical monuments, colorful murals, and local landmarks. So, embark on your next journey with us through historic Bricktown, where you will explore the Modern Frontier’s past, present, and glimpses of the future!

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We decided to take this tour on a whim and we're lucky enough to get tickets. The guy at the ticket booth was very friendly, helpful, and polite. Our boat ... read more was full. Our driver was funny, knowledgeable, and kind. She answered all the questions the passengers had. We had so many new ideas to check out in Bricktown after the tour. It was very sunny and midday when we went. I was glad I had sunglasses and sunscreen on that day. read less

If you ever get the chance to do this, GO!!! I am not a big water person so I was skeptical about riding but I absolutely loved it! We went ... read more at night and it was so beautiful and the weather was just right for a night time boat ride. Our tour guide Conner was the absolute best! He kept us laughing the whole time. read less

So much more than just a little boat ride! I LOVED our driver! He was both very knowledgeable,as well as funny and involved my children in the tour. The boat ... read more itself was comfortable to ride on as I was dealing with a terrible backache at the time. The ride was smooth and well managed. If your a tourist looking to learn about our Oklahoma history, you will gain an earful as well as relax while surrounded by beautiful artwork depicting what's at the heart of Oklahoma, and made by Oklahoma's own artists. read less

When my family and I went, it wasn’t too busy and they were quick and efficient with everything. The tour was great, and there were so many cool and interesting ... read more murals, statues, and historic buildings! Our tour guide, Connor, was chill, funny, gave a lot of historical facts about Bricktown, and an overall great guy! Definitely a 10/10 experience! read less

If you buy the tickets on line it's only $12 for adults and 9 for kids. We did it at ten too dark for pictures. The ride last 40 minutes. ... read more It was a meat ride with some educational facts about Bricktown and the canal. They drain it once a year and apparently people lose a ton of phones in their. They even found 8 electric scooters. Our guide was very sweet. Still learning on the job so her driving was interesting. You go to the end of the canal and come back. I think they said its 3 or 4 miles. I definitely recommend. read less

Captain Connor was a very informative, relaxed and entertaining guide. In a 40 minute ride, we learned a surprising amount of OKC history and saw many landmarks. Fun for the kids.

I was a little skeptical since this is such a touristy area and every business in the area is a chain BUT it was actually pretty neat. Pricing is high, ... read more but on par with other cities with similar experiences so I would say it’s reasonable. Our guide focused a lot on the history of the area as well as the statues and artwork you wouldn’t see unless you were in the water taxi. I definitely would take time to do this as it helps a really touristy area feel more local. read less

Great value and gentle way to tour, to learn about the creation of Bricktown a.w.a. some Oklahoma history. Tour guide Robert was very friendly and fun to listen to. They ... read more raised the sun/canopy before we started, at our and others’ request (it was hot- thank you!) Tons of art: sculpture, murals, mosaic, huge bronze life-size historical sculptures that blew my mind. Prettiest place we’ve visited so far in the state we’re trying to make “home”! Well worth it! read less

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Oklahoma River Cruises

Cruise the exciting Oklahoma River and you’ll see the city from a whole new perspective. The river continues to receive worldwide acclaim as a venue for competitive water sport events, its incredible economic impact and its role in continuing Oklahoma City’s momentum for excellence. Ferries run from April through November, attracting out-of-towners and locals alike with stunning sunset views on the river’s calm waters.

From May to October, you can enjoy a variety of specialty and themed cruises to tour the river, sip cocktails and commemorate occasions like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Halloween. Oklahoma River Cruises also offers Private Charters , providing a unique venue for your next special event with climate-controlled cabins for up to 35 guests and catering by exceptional local restaurants.

With four boarding locations available, Oklahoma River Cruises is a fun alternative for getting around OKC. The ferry schedule gives you access to bustling Bricktown , Regatta Park in the OKC Boathouse District and historic Stockyards City . Tickets are sold on board or at the Regatta park ticket booth. Ask your deck hand about the snacks and beverages available!

Tickets: Adults: $12 per day Special patrons and kids: $6 per day Special patrons are individuals with disabilities, Medicare cardholders, adults 65+ and kids 7-17. Children 6 and under are free. All children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Landings: Bricktown Landing 334 Centennial Drive

Regatta Park 701 South Lincoln Boulevard

Exchange Landing 1503 Exchange

Meridian Landing 4345 SW 15th Street

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Oklahoma River Cruises - Oklahoma City

Location: 701 S Lincoln Blvd Oklahoma City, OK

Date Aired: 2015-07-18

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25 years ago, Bricktown canal's opening set the course for OKC's revitalization

Of the nine projects pitched for Oklahoma City’s original 1993 MAPS program, the idea of building a “canal” in Bricktown came with little logic or reason in a town that previously stuck to a utilitarian approach to infrastructure. 

Tuesday, July 2, marks the 25th anniversary of the canal, a chance to look back on why it was built, its impact on Bricktown and Oklahoma City, and the challenges and opportunities ahead along a waterway that goes nowhere. 

Before MAPS, downtown was hardly a place where locals or visitors wanted to spend much time. Only one hotel was around to provide visitors with a place to stay. Nightlife was to be found elsewhere. The only attraction was the Myriad Gardens, which opened in 1988.  

The exception was to be found in Bricktown, an entertainment district that got its start in the early 1980s and was home to a handful of restaurants and a couple of bars. It wasn’t much, but in a downtown that city council members had recently declared dead, it was the best thing going. 

Voters were told they could change the downward spiral of their city by investing a five-year, penny sales tax to build a new downtown library, restore the river that divided north and south Oklahoma City, renovate the Civic Center Music Hall and Myriad Convention Center, and build a ballpark and canal in Bricktown. 

The canal starts just east of the BNSF Railway viaduct where it continues between a series of early 1900s brick warehouses. As it turns south into Lower Bricktown, the impact of the waterway is evident with the emergence of Brickopolis and a miniature golf course.  

Lower Bricktown, developed a few years after the opening of the canal, added a 16-screen theater, bowling alley, shops and restaurants to the mix. The final third of canal ends in a park-like setting that is home to the Land Run Monument and Chickasaw Plaza.  

More than 138,000 people paid to ride the water taxis along the canal. The operation is by Chad Huntington, one of the original drivers on opening day for the canal and is a dedicated Bricktown booster. 

Over the past few years, Huntington has transformed the taxis into floating murals by local artists. He routinely books concert cruises and has continued the practice started by water taxi founder Bob Bekoff of training taxi captains to share a mix of history and details of local attractions with passengers. 

Surrounded by locals and tourists on a water taxi ride Friday night, the tour reveals sights, sounds and smells (Mickey Mantle Steakhouse in particular) that together create an exciting chance to experience it all floating along the canal.  

Some of the city’s more ambitious public art displays are located along the waterway, most notably the Centennial Land Run Monument, a sprawling bronze sculpture consisting of 45 heroic size figures commemorating the opening of the Unassigned Land with the Land Run of 1889. 

The waiting area for the water taxis is home to “Inclined,” a bronze sculpture that is a reference to the African American cultural heritage of Bricktown and Deep Deuce. At the Chickasaw Plaza, a sculpture and markers tell tribe's history and land loss following the Indian Removal Act and Trail of Tears. 

Construction is nearing completion on the next highly anticipated addition to the canal with The Truck Yard. The venue will include a restaurant and bar, food truck court, dog-friendly beer garden, outdoor games, public art and live music. It’s a good transition between the park, nearby Bass Pro Shops and Lower Bricktown. 

The city’s investment in the canal can be seen at the Oklahoma Avenue bridge over the canal where a much-needed elevator is under construction. Unfortunately, other parts of the canal are showing the wear and tear of its 25 years.   

An existing elevator to the canal from the plaza overlook along Mickey Mantle Drive was not working Friday night though its doors stayed open throughout the evening. A railing was missing from the adjoining stairway. Elsewhere along the canal, one can see crumbling bits of concrete and dislocated walkway pavers. 

Dozens of lights were dark along the south half of the canal, an issue that isn’t new and yet one must wonder why the problem persists. The darkness makes the park a somewhat dangerous proposition for those choosing to stroll along the waterway. Half of the up-lighting is out at the Land Run Monument. A picturesque waterfall in the heart of the park area is dry.

The ongoing draw for locals and tourists alone shows the value of the waterway. And private investment along the canal appears to be far from done. The Oklahoma Opry is raising $6.2 million for its headquarters and performance hall at 19 E California Ave.  

California developer Scot Matteson is promoting plans to build the biggest addition yet to the district with construction set to start later this year on a $1.5 billion, four-tower development within walking distance of the canal. 

The canal remains a waterway to nowhere, but from the start, it wasn’t about the destination but rather the goal of making Oklahoma City a source of pride. 

“The canal helped transform Oklahoma City from a place nobody wanted to visit to a place people go out of their way to experience,” Huntington said. “In 1999, our guests were almost exclusively locals trying to see what the fuss was about, and now we speak daily to visitors from all over the world.” 

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The Boathouse District along the Oklahoma River offers some of Oklahoma City’s more popular ways to spend time outdoors, enjoy views of the downtown skyline and get active. Located within walking distance of the hotels and restaurants of the Bricktown Entertainment District , the Boathouse District is the focal point for OKC RIVERSPORT ’s rowing, kayaking, running, cycling and fitness programs.

Visitors can rent kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and water bicycles and check out dragon boating. They can zip across the Oklahoma River and back on the SandRidge SkyZip or climb the six-story SandRidge Sky Trail and Slide, an 80-foot adventure course to be climbed while safely fastened in with a harness. Getting down requires sliding down the Sky Slide or dropping via the Rumble Drop.

RIVERSPORT Rapids , the 11-acre whitewater rafting and kayaking center, opened in May 2016. This state-of-the-art aquatic adventure facility is geared for both family fun and elite athlete training, adding even more outdoor recreation opportunities to the list.

The Youth Zone packs in plenty of adventure for the younger set – the Sky Tykes adventure course, the Cloud Bounce, a miniature zip line and the Extreme Air bungee. The Boathouse District playground is free. Be sure to wear close-toed shoes in order to enjoy these activities.