If you’ve lived in Oklahoma long enough, especially if you grew up here, you can pinpoint a few experiences where you just really didn’t feel like you were in Oklahoma anymore. Your first Thunder home game, you probably had to remind yourself once or twice, “Yes, I’m still in Oklahoma.” The first few times you wandered through Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, you might have pinched yourself. OKANA is that feeling writ large. Even after a full staycation there, I still couldn’t quite shake the feeling that we weren’t in Oklahoma anymore. At least not any Oklahoma we’ve ever known — which is, perhaps, exactly the point.
At the end of a bitterly cold week in February, as huge chunks of ice floated in the Oklahoma River through the Horizons District, the decision was made to move the ribbon-cutting indoors. It did nothing to dampen the mood; it seemed fitting to have the celebration inside, where the weather would be pleasant and the water 82 degrees, no matter the season.
During the celebration, Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby said the $400 million project continues the Chickasaw Nation’s commitment to create opportunities for tourism growth and economic momentum in the state.
“Cultural tourism has long been integral to our investment and enterprise strategy. We recognize the significance of the tourism industry for Oklahoma, given its inherent appeal as a destination for cultural tourism, showcasing both First American heritage and world-class attractions,” Governor Anoatubby stated. “We are confident that OKANA, First Americans Museum and Horizons District will attract increased visitation to Oklahoma, functioning as both a destination and a hub for those interested in exploring other regional attractions.”
Additionally, Exhibit C Gallery, also owned and operated by the Chickasaw Nation, has moved its location next to First Americans Museum (FAM) and OKANA. The reimagined 10,000-square-foot First Americans retail gallery features a multi-use gallery space and seven rental art studios for First American artists. The gallery space will work collaboratively to partner with FAM to complement the museum’s programs and activities.
“We are excited for this momentous opening of OKANA,” said Chickasaw Nation Secretary of Commerce Dan Boren. “OKANA is a testament to Governor Anoatubby’s visionary leadership. His foresight, coupled with the strong collaborative relationship we share with the City of Oklahoma City, has been instrumental in realizing the OKANA project. This resort will not only serve as a prominent landmark for Oklahoma and Oklahoma City but will also function as a substantial economic catalyst, driving job growth and generating opportunities for all residents of this region.”
The conference and convention traffic that will be generated means growth and development for the entire area, and the job creation is an economic developer’s dream. According to the Chickasaw Nation, OKANA’s construction phase generated 1,404 annual jobs. The employee count at opening is more than 400, and OKANA is expected to make an annualized economic impact of about $98 million in its first year of operation. Over the next decade, OKANA is projected to drive $1.3 billion in spending and generate nearly $214 million in tax revenue for Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County and the state. Full-time employment is projected to expand to as many as 625 direct and indirect jobs annually.
The economic impact is staggering, but perhaps even more important is the impact the resort will have on how the city is perceived, especially on a national stage. With OKC as an Olympics location already within view, an icon like OKANA is suddenly the only way you can imagine any of that working well. It provides an ecosystem for something as robustly complicated as hosting any part of the Olympics. It gives us new language for how we would even handle the scope of such an event, much less do so with something approaching aplomb.
“We believe OKANA is not only a source of joy and recreation for travelers but also a valuable asset for our community, offering exhilarating water adventures, elevated dining and entertainment,” Managing Director Ken Leone shared. “We’re thrilled to open our doors to both guests and locals to experience the magic of OKANA.”
The operative word in that sentiment is magic. It’s easy to be cynical, but OKANA really is magic, from the jaw-dropping achievement of it all down to the smallest, most thoughtful details. As an adult, it’s rare to be so excited for something, but I’ve been excited about OKANA for a long time. The project broke ground in October 2022, and I’ve watched it go up during my commute. Over the last few months, I found myself unable to look away, quite literally. Several times, I almost missed my exit as I passed OKANA on my right. Finally, one evening around dusk, when all the letters were finally lit, I really did miss it. As I looped back around to get headed in the right direction, I continued to marvel at the sheer achievement of it all. Hopes were high, to say the least.
Impressive space
Pulling up to OKANA for our stay, our kids were absolutely overwhelmed by the size. The waterslides that twist and turn outside the building before charging back in have been the subject of much discussion in our household for months now, but it’s easy to forget just how cool this is for kids to see up close. The imagination of it all, the colors, the scale — it’s a gift to give them such a tangible example of creativity personified in their hometown. We’ve taken our kids to Grapevine, Texas, for both The Gaylord Texan and Great Wolf Lodge; OKANA is like both of those had a bigger, better, bolder baby. You can just imagine the team that spent thousands of hours finding the newest technology, the top examples to emulate, the problems to overcome, the best use of the grand spaces, the smallest details of the guest rooms. We’ve been told for a while that OKANA would redefine family entertainment and luxury. It is a thrill when these great claims are not only met, but exceeded by far.
Four hundred million dollars is a hard number for most of us to quantify, but as you make your way through OKANA, that tally begins to make sense. Obviously, we’ve all thought about the resort and the waterpark, but this is so much more than that. Oklahoma City didn’t just get a gorgeous new hotel and a massive new water park; these are brand-new places to go out, meet up with friends, go on a date. Even one of these restaurants opening would be a big deal all over social media for weeks, but OKANA boasts 13 different food and drink outlets. Beyond that, there is a 20,000-square-foot family entertainment center with interactive arcade games, two-story laser tag and an escape room. Don’t forget 27,000 square feet of conference center space, a full-service day spa and retail. As I roamed the staggeringly impressive space, I came up with a dozen new ideas for the birthday parties, class reunions, family reunions and company retreats. As a parent, the math was simple and profound: I was watching my kids make core memories in real time.
A hundred thousand square feet is a huge number to process, but stepping into the expansive waterpark, you kind of get an idea. As you begin to experience the waterslides — 15 of them, all told — you start to wonder how they packed it all in. Body slides, tube slides and raft slides offer something for everyone. A state-of-the-art wave pool provides an unparalleled experience, and an immersive “lazy” river seems to warrant a more adventurous moniker, at least as you careen around corners and navigate tube traffic. Although we didn’t make it around to these areas, the kiddie pool and the adult section were buzzing with activity and seemed to offer something for everyone.
The food
Within the waterpark is an eclectic collection of food and beverage options: Sliders, a fast-casual burger bar using quality ingredients; Kaya, bringing casual Asian street food inspired by Japanese pubs; Pizza Lab, serving Neapolitan-style pizzas and calzones from a stone hearth oven; The Dive Bar, a casual, indoor venue for guests looking to socialize while enjoying an adult beverage; and Frosty Flamingo, welcoming guests to cool down with Hawaiian-style shave ice complete with a variety of vibrant flavors and toppings. It’s worth noting that these concessions come with resort prices, so plan ahead if you’re on a budget or sending kids on their own. They could rack up some pretty serious damage if unleashed with their wristbands.
Beyond concessions, the culinary experience is shaping up nicely. We enjoyed Jack Rabbit, inspired by Oklahoma’s black-tailed jackrabbit. Everything we had was fresh, expertly prepared and surprisingly priced, especially compared to the concessions pricing. The IPA fish and chips, with hand-cut fries, jalapeño tartar sauce, and fennel slaw ($23), was perfectly fried with a light, crispy crust on the outside and flaky whitefish inside. The Cobb salad, one of the menu’s gluten-free options, was a good value, thanks to an Oklahoma-size portion ($17). The bacon cheeseburger, served on a brioche bun with hand-cut fries ($23), was one of the best burgers I’ve had in a long time, and not much more expensive than you can find locally at a non-resort restaurant. We were also pleasantly surprised by the wine list and cocktail selection. I can see myself going there beyond visits to the resort.
Other concepts include Curveball Kitchen, a baseball-inspired dining experience featuring twists on classic dishes, from a variety of signature mac ’n cheese dishes to elevated franks and patties. Guests are also welcome to perfect their pitch or swing for the fences with high-definition baseball simulators. Video is a hip little taqueria offering freshly made tacos and premium tequila, more quick-service than the sit-down nature of neighboring Jack Rabbit. Finally, Smokehouse Social will serve barbeque and craft cocktails alongside a variety of sports simulators.
The rooms
After a big time at the waterpark, it was time to see our room, which was really the Inkana suite, with two queen beds and one king bed with a semi-private living area. The suite was welcoming and boasted both modern design and thoughtful touches of First American artistic expression. The suite had three 65-inch ultra-high-definition televisions, and it was very easy to log into our streaming apps. Not that we spent much time on screens. The suite features a balcony overlooking the impressive outdoor lagoon. We were excited to see the beach-style pool, complete with a sandy shore, cabanas and a swim-up bar. In total, the resort’s 11-story hotel comprises 404 well-appointed rooms, each offering modern amenities and stunning views of either the riverfront or the lagoon. With 10 distinct room and suite types available, there seems to be a range of options for different sizes of groups and different budgets. Waterpark passes are included for all registered guests.
Our little family of four stayed for one night only. We were pleased to learn hotel guests have access to the waterpark from open to close on both the day of your check-in and your checkout, which is cool. The hard part is packing for such a scenario. Lockers are available for a fee, so you can bring the bare minimum with you if you want to get your waterpark on before the 4 p.m. check-in time. However, if you’ve parked your car with the valet, getting your luggage for check-in will require some creativity. Similarly, if you want to visit the waterpark on the day of checkout, while you technically have waterpark access all day, you’ll need to be out of your room by noon. Maximizing slide time is possible, but if you’d like to avoid the meticulous planning involved in all of that, the easiest plan is to book a minimum two-night stay, which would give you three full days to waterpark to your heart’s content. If it’s within your budget, the perfect plan is a Friday afternoon check-in with room and waterpark access starting at 4 p.m., followed by a full day Saturday before checking out on Sunday. To each their own, and I especially appreciate that there are ways to make lots of different plans work based on your budget (and your wherewithal for complicated logistics).
For those not staying overnight, day passes are available for purchase online or at the front desk, granting access to the waterpark and (when in season) lagoon facilities, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to experience the resort’s offerings. There is a 10% discount for both active-duty military and veterans, and evening passes are available for purchase, with rates starting at $24.99.
OKANA’s outdoor adventure lagoon is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and from what we could see from our ninth-floor balcony, it’s basically ready. This 4.5-acre area is home to an inflatable obstacle course that challenges agility and balance and a unique “fly pool” equipped with a zip line, allowing guests to soar above the water before making a splash. The lagoon’s design seamlessly integrates with the natural beauty of the Oklahoma River. Come for the sand, sun and splash, but stay for the luxury cabana.
Meaningful development
As we gathered up our exhausted, blissed-out children for our 20-minute drive back to the real world to prepare for a full week of school, my thoughts finally landed on something I hadn’t been able to fully articulate until the fun was over. As we made promises to return as often as possible, I thought back on the time that led to this achievement. I’m not a member of one of the 39 tribes that call Oklahoma home; I wouldn’t dare call myself a native Oklahoman. I am merely a fourth-generation Oklahoman, and my progressive family raised me to understand this state in no way began with a land run. But as a fourth-generation Oklahoman, my great-grandmother did raise her children, including my grandfather, during the Dust Bowl and the Depression near Lawton. Books like The Worst Hard Time and, more recently, The Four Winds have shed light on a time that my grandparents and great-grandparents were reluctant to revisit.
Man-made lakes became a central feature in Oklahoma’s topography following the Dust Bowl. These modern marvels helped reshape a region that survived the horrors of the worst ecological disaster of our times. As I enjoyed the incredible fortune of spending the weekend at OKANA with my happy children, I couldn’t help but think of OKANA as another of Oklahoma’s many man-made water wonders. Would my great-grandparents have been able to fathom the North Canadian River, so alive and thriving that it would become an outpost for water sports in the Olympics? Would my great-grandmother, as she scrimped and saved, ever have imagined that one day we’d have acres upon acres of land turned into sea just for our enjoyment and entertainment?
And then I’m reminded that all this fun is just a cover for the real play. This is really about commerce, tourism and economic development. It’s about job creation and diversification, to create a more durable economy than the one before OKANA. It’s about the increased opportunity that comes from raising the bar, from creating opportunity out of thin air, or in this case, a lot of water. It’s about the resilience of the Chickasaw Nation and all 39 tribes that call Oklahoma home. So while I expect our kids will clock many fun days at OKANA and friends will come from all over to see it, and even as I may forget from time to time as I get caught up in the revelry of a girls’ night or the relaxation of a spa day, OKANA is an absolutely audacious play for our future.
In celebration of OKANA’s opening, the resort launched its “DOORSOPEN” booking promotion offering specialty rates of up to 30% off. The offer is valid for stays from February 21 through April 30, 2025, welcoming guests to make a splash this spring.
This article appears in Alcoholmanac 2025.