OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark opened February 21, 2025 on the Oklahoma River in OKC's Horizons District — a $400 million, 11-story resort with 404 rooms, a 100,000-sq-ft indoor waterpark kept at 82°F year-round, and a 4.5-acre outdoor adventure lagoon. Day passes and evening passes let non-guests visit the waterparks.
Key Takeaways
- OKANA opened February 21, 2025 in the Horizons District as a $400 million, 11-story resort with 404 rooms.
- The 100,000-square-foot indoor waterpark stays at 82 degrees all year and includes a wave pool, a lazy river and 15 water slides.
- OKANA sells day passes and evening passes, so you do not need to be an overnight resort guest to use the waterparks.
- Room types range from 420 to 720 square feet, so larger families often need two rooms with no kitchen or laundry.
This guide covers what OKANA is, what's inside, how the rooms measure up for a bigger family, and the math on staying near OKANA versus at OKANA.
You're planning the trip your kids have asked about since OKANA's waterpark started showing up all over their feeds. You don't have to be a resort guest to ride the slides, because OKANA sells day passes. And for a family of four or five, a furnished house minutes away can sleep everyone with a real kitchen and laundry while you still buy those passes.
The indoor waterpark runs year-round at 82°F, so there's no season to beat. Resort rooms and peak-weekend day-pass slots still fill fastest around school breaks, holidays, and summer. Lock your dates early either way.
What Is OKANA Resort in Oklahoma City?
OKANA is a $400 million resort and indoor waterpark that opened February 21, 2025 in Oklahoma City's Horizons District. It sits on the Oklahoma River next to the First Americans Museum, minutes from downtown, and Benchmark Resorts & Hotels manages it.
The building rises 11 stories with 404 rooms and suites across ten room types. It's the biggest new family attraction the city has added in years, which is why "okana resort" searches have exploded across Oklahoma and beyond.
Inside the indoor waterpark
The centerpiece is a 100,000-square-foot indoor waterpark held at 82 degrees all year. There's a wave pool, a lazy river, and 15 water slides: body slides, tube slides, raft slides, and kiddie slides. Add an adults-only Soothing Springs pool, a Splash Falls kiddie area, and luxury cabanas for rent.
The outdoor adventure lagoon
Added in summer 2025, the 4.5-acre outdoor adventure lagoon has plunge pools, an inflatable obstacle course, and a swim-up bar. OKANA calls it the fourth-largest pool in the United States. It's a real warm-weather draw on top of the year-round indoor park.
Everything beyond the water
OKANA is built to hold a family for a full day, rain or shine. Away from the pools you'll find:
- OKANARAMA!: a 20,000-sq-ft family entertainment center with an arcade, laser tag, and escape rooms.
- A day spa with seven treatment rooms.
- 13 dining outlets, including Curveball Kitchen, Jack Rabbit, Chido, and Smokehouse Social.
- Retail shops and an outdoor amphitheater.
When Did Each Part of OKANA Open?
The indoor experiences came first, and the outdoor lagoon followed in warm weather.
| Date | What opened |
|---|---|
| February 21, 2025 | Resort opens — 404 rooms, 100,000-sq-ft indoor waterpark, OKANARAMA!, dining, spa |
| Summer 2025 | 4.5-acre outdoor adventure lagoon (plunge pools, inflatable obstacle course, swim-up bar) |
| Year-round | Indoor waterpark stays at 82°F; day and evening passes available to non-guests |
Can You Visit OKANA Without Booking a Room?
Yes. OKANA sells day passes and evening passes (5 p.m. to close) for the waterparks, so you don't need to be an overnight resort guest to ride the slides. That one fact makes the "stay near, play at OKANA" plan work.
Since the waterpark is open to pass-holders, lodging and your OKANA visit become two separate decisions. You can sleep somewhere that fits the whole group and still spend a full day, or an evening, at the park. Pass pricing changes and isn't published here. Check OKANA directly for current rates and any capacity limits on peak days before you plan around them.
Are OKANA's Rooms Big Enough for a Large Family?
OKANA's ten room types range from 420 to 720 square feet. That's a comfortable hotel room, and plenty for a couple or a small family. With three or four kids, or two families together, the square footage tells the story: you're often booking two rooms, with no kitchen and no laundry between them.
Put a family of five in a single 500-square-foot room and everyone shares one bathroom, eats every breakfast at a restaurant, and has nowhere to wash wet swimsuits. Stretch that across three or four nights and the trip changes shape.
| Feature | OKANA resort room | Furnished house nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 420–720 sq ft | Whole house; homes sleep 2 to 16+ |
| Sleeping a group of 5–8 | Usually needs 2+ rooms | One home, private bedrooms |
| Kitchen | No full kitchen | Full kitchen |
| Laundry | No in-room laundry | In-home laundry (dry those swimsuits) |
| Meals | 13 on-site dining outlets | Cook in, or eat out — your call |
| OKANA waterpark access | Included with stay | Buy day or evening passes |
What Does a Family Weekend Near OKANA Cost?
For a group of five or more, a furnished house plus OKANA day passes often comes in cheaper than two resort rooms, and everyone gets more space. Here's a hypothetical with the math shown.
A family of five wants three nights near OKANA over a school break. A furnished BnB OKC house books from our published rates of $225–$425/night depending on the home and size, with up to 35% off on stays of 4+ nights when you book direct. Take a mid-range home at $250/night for three nights. That's about $750 for the whole house, with one kitchen, in-home laundry, and private bedrooms for everyone.
Then buy OKANA day passes for the five of you and spend a full day at the waterpark, or an evening from 5 p.m. to close if you want the shorter pass. The family stays under one roof. You cook a couple of breakfasts and skip restaurant lines, dry the swimsuits overnight, and still ride every slide.
Compare that with two resort rooms for three nights plus resort dining for every meal. We can't publish OKANA's current room or pass rates because they change, so confirm them directly. The pattern holds anyway: the more people and nights, the further a whole-house stay stretches your budget.
Planning an OKANA trip for the whole crew? See furnished homes near the Oklahoma River and downtown that sleep your entire group — with a kitchen and laundry — then buy your OKANA passes separately.
How to Plan a "Stay Near OKANA" Family Trip, Step by Step
- Pick your OKANA day. Choose a full day pass or an evening pass (5 p.m. to close), and check current pass pricing and peak-day limits on OKANA's site.
- Count your group. Total heads and note who needs a real bed. That sets the home size, since our homes sleep 2 to 16+.
- Book the house direct for 4+ nights when you can. Direct booking saves up to 35% on stays of four or more nights.
- Plan meals around the kitchen. Cook the breakfasts and eat out for the fun stuff. You'll skip restaurant lines on pool days.
- Pack for water. Bring extra towels and a laundry plan. In-home laundry means dry swimsuits by morning.
- Confirm drive time. Homes near downtown, the Paseo, Plaza District, and Lake Hefner put OKANA minutes away. Map your route before you go.
What to Check Before You Book
- Current day-pass and evening-pass pricing, plus any peak-day capacity limits.
- How many rooms your group would need at the resort, given 420 to 720 square feet each.
- School breaks, holidays, and summer weekends, when rooms and pass slots fill fastest.
- Drive time from your home to the Horizons District.
When Is Staying at OKANA the Right Call?
A resort room wins for some trips, and we'll say so plainly. Book OKANA directly when:
- You're a couple or a party of one or two, and a 420–720 sq ft room is more than enough.
- You want waterpark access from your door with zero driving, and the all-in resort experience (spa, OKANARAMA!, on-site dining) is the point.
- It's a one- or two-night splurge where convenience beats square footage.
A furnished house nearby wins for a family of four-plus, two families splitting a trip, or a group that would otherwise book several rooms, especially when a kitchen, in-home laundry, and private bedrooms matter more than walking straight to the slides. You still get OKANA. You sleep with more room and cook when you want.
If you're weighing OKC lodging rules for a longer stay, our guide to OKC short-term rental rules covers what's legal and what changed. Coming from the south metro? See the Norman short-term rental license rules too.
How Does OKANA Fit Into a Bigger OKC Trip?
OKANA sits in the Horizons District on the Oklahoma River, next to the First Americans Museum and minutes from downtown, so it slots neatly into a wider OKC visit. Pair a waterpark day with the Paseo Arts District, Plaza District, Bricktown, or a Thunder game at Paycom Center.
If your dates overlap with the city's big 2026 draws, plan lodging early. The Route 66 Centennial in OKC and event weekends push demand across the metro. If you're comparing hotel taxes, our note on the Norman hotel tax increase is worth a read before you book. For how the city is tightening rental oversight, see our coverage of the OKC Airbnb enforcement crackdown.
BnB OKC operates 11 furnished homes across the metro with a 9.5 out of 10 average across 1,580 verified guest reviews on Airbnb and Vrbo, and two homes hold Airbnb's "Guest Favorite" badge. Check-in is 4:00 PM and checkout is 11:00 AM. Several homes are dog-friendly, and we offer monthly rates on 30+ night stays.
The Bottom Line
OKANA's waterparks are open to pass-holders, so where you sleep is your own call. Pick your OKANA day and pass type, then compare two resort rooms against one whole house with a kitchen and laundry for the same nights. Book your home direct at our homes page or call/text (405) 870-2146, then buy your passes and go.