Oklahoma Aquarium

The centerpiece of the aquarium is its walk-through shark exhibit, where a clear tunnel passes through a large tank so that visitors are surrounded on the sides and above by swimming sharks. The star attractions are bull sharks, a powerful species that can live in both salt and fresh water, and seeing them at close range is a genuine thrill.

The exhibit is designed to bring people face to face with animals that most will never encounter in the wild, and to replace fear with fascination. Watching the sharks move so near, separated only by glass, is the kind of experience that stays with visitors, and it is the reason the aquarium has become a signature Tulsa-area destination.

For all the draw of the sharks, one of the aquarium's real strengths is its focus on Oklahoma's native aquatic life. The state is laced with rivers, lakes, and wetlands, and the aquarium devotes exhibits to the fish, turtles, and other creatures that live in them, from big catfish and gar to the smaller species that fill Oklahoma's waters.

That local focus turns a fun outing into a lesson about the ecosystems just outside the door. Visitors leave with a better sense of the life hidden in the state's own rivers and reservoirs, and of why those waters are worth protecting. It is a reminder that an aquarium can celebrate the wonders close to home as well as the exotic ones.

The aquarium sits along the Arkansas River in Jenks, a town just south of Tulsa that has grown into a lively riverside destination. The setting makes for an easy day out, with dining and shops nearby and the river close at hand, and the aquarium is an easy trip for anyone based in the Tulsa area.

Green Country, the northeast corner of Oklahoma, is one of the greenest and most water-rich parts of the state, with lakes, rivers, and rolling hills. An aquarium here feels right at home, and it makes a natural pairing with Tulsa's other attractions across the river.

Just across the river lies Tulsa, one of Oklahoma's great cities, with its art deco architecture, the Philbrook Museum of Art, and the towering Golden Driller. The aquarium fits easily into a Tulsa-area itinerary, an accessible, kid-friendly stop amid the region's museums, parks, and river attractions.

This corner of Oklahoma is part of Green Country and the Cherokee Nation, whose government seat lies to the southeast, and the wider region carries a deep Native history. Between the sharks, the native-fish exhibits, and the easy riverside setting, the Oklahoma Aquarium offers something for nearly every visitor to the northeast of the state.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.