Scissortail Park is a 70-acre public park on the south edge of downtown Oklahoma City, open daily 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. with free entry. The 36-acre Upper Park opened in 2019 with a 3.7-acre lake, boathouse, playground, sprayground, dog park and the Great Lawn stage; the 34-acre Lower Park opened in 2022 across the Skydance Bridge with sports courts and fields. The free OKC Streetcar stops at the park's northeast corner.
You have a Saturday in Oklahoma City, two kids who need to run, a dog in the back seat and no interest in paying for a theme park. Scissortail Park is the answer locals give, and it is the one we give guests staying in our homes. It is free, it is downtown, and on a good day it swallows an entire afternoon.
This guide is the practical version: what is in each half of the park, what the boathouse and rink cost, where to park without a ticket, how the streetcar fits, and which events are worth planning a visit around. Figures come from the park's own site and the city's MAPS 3 pages as of November 2026; seasonal hours change, so confirm before a special trip.
The Saturday farmers market runs May through October, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the boathouse opens in early March. The SPARKLE holiday walk runs Thursday through Sunday evenings from November 19 to December 13, then nightly December 17 to 31. Outside those windows the park is still open, but the thing you came for may be closed.
What Scissortail Park Is and How It Got Built
Scissortail Park is the signature project of MAPS 3, the one-cent, limited-term sales tax Oklahoma City voters approved on December 8, 2009 as a $777 million capital program. The park's budget was $132 million, and it was built in two phases on land that used to be surface parking, warehouses and the old I-40 alignment south of downtown.
The Upper Park, 36 acres between the new Oklahoma City Boulevard and Interstate 40, opened on September 27, 2019. The Lower Park, 34 acres on the far side of the highway running toward the Oklahoma River, opened on September 23, 2022. The Skydance Bridge, a pedestrian bridge shaped after the state bird, connects the two halves over I-40. A nonprofit, the Scissortail Park Foundation, runs the park under an agreement with the city's economic development trust.
The address is 300 SW 7th, between Hudson and Robinson. The park holds Level II accreditation from the ArbNet arboretum program, which tells you something about how seriously the planting is taken; the gardens and the woodland walk are the quiet reason adults keep coming back after the kids have outgrown the playground.
What's in the Upper Park
The Upper Park is where visitors spend most of their time, and it packs a lot into 36 acres. The lake sits at the center, the lawn and stage anchor the north end near the Convention Center, and the children's areas cluster on the east side.
| Feature | What it is | Cost and hours (park site, fall 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Lake and Scissortail Boathouse | 3.7-acre lake with pedal boats, canoes and kayaks | $15 per boat for up to 30 minutes; season opens in March; Fri 4 to 9 p.m., Sat and Sun 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Children's Playground and Play Pavilion | Large playground with nature play area | Free; open dawn to dusk |
| Scissortail Sprayground | Interactive water fountains kids run through | Free; park hours 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.; seasonal operation |
| Sky Rink | Seasonal outdoor roller rink | Sundays 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; $9 with quad skates, $11 with inline skates, $6 with your own; 2026 season ended Nov 1 |
| Dog park | Fenced off-leash area | Free; park hours |
| Love's Travel Stops Stage and Great Lawn | Six-acre lawn and performance stage | Free except ticketed shows |
| Gardens, woodlands, picnic grove | Accredited arboretum collection and shaded picnic areas | Free |
| Restaurant | Sit-down restaurant at the park | Check hours before you go |
The boathouse is the thing most first-time visitors skip and then wish they had not. Fifteen dollars gets a boat for half an hour: an ADA-accessible pedal boat seats up to four with a 564-pound total weight limit, a canoe seats three at 720 pounds, a single kayak takes one rider up to 300 pounds and a tandem kayak two riders up to 400 pounds.
Rentals close when the temperature is under 50 degrees, wind tops 20 mph or lightning is within eight miles, which in Oklahoma means a spring afternoon can shut the dock with no warning. Park members get one free rental per visit.
The Sky Rink is the odd one out on the list because it runs on Sundays only, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The 2026 season closed on Sunday, November 1. Groups of ten or more and military guests get a dollar off, and the park asks groups to book by phone in advance.
What's in the Lower Park
The Lower Park is 34 acres of athletic space, and it is quieter than the Upper Park almost every day of the year. You reach it on foot across the Skydance Bridge, which is itself worth the walk for the view back toward the skyline at dusk.
Down here the park has a full soccer field, a sports pavilion, pickleball courts, a futsal court and two basketball courts. The Move Your ScissorTAIL sports and wellness program runs out of this end. Families with a teenager who wants a real game, rather than a playground, come to this half; so do guests staying a month downtown who want a free place to shoot baskets after work.
One thing to know: the Lower Park sits on the far side of I-40 from the streetcar stop and the garages, so plan on a ten-minute walk each way from wherever you parked or got off. Strollers handle the bridge fine; it is a gentle grade with no stairs.
Getting to Scissortail Park: Parking, Streetcar and Walking
Parking at Scissortail Park is limited and the park's own site says so, which is why it points visitors to the streetcar, bikes, scooters and rideshare first. Here is how the real options compare for a family.
| Option | Cost (published, fall 2026) | Good for / watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Metered street parking on S. Hudson, OKC Boulevard, S. Robinson | Rate posted on each meter; enforced Mon to Fri 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 2-hour max | Quick weekday visits; free evenings and weekends, but spaces go first |
| Convention Center Garage, 15 SW 4th | $2 per hour or $10 per day | Closest garage; enter off Shields; a block from the Scissortail platform |
| Sheridan Walker Garage, 501 W. Sheridan | $2 per hour or $10 per day | Short walk north; pairs with Myriad Gardens |
| Arts District Garage, 431 W. Main, and Century Center Garage, 100 W. Main | $2 per hour or $10 per day | Farther walk; good when the closer garages fill for a Thunder game |
| OKC Streetcar, Scissortail Park platform | Free | Park's northeast corner; every 12 to 15 minutes; last car 10 p.m. Sunday |
| Rideshare drop-off | Typically $10 to $20 from most downtown and Midtown addresses | Easiest with a stroller and a cooler; surge after big events |
The meters are the detail that trips up visitors. Downtown meters are enforced Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a two-hour maximum and payment through the Flowbird app or the meter itself, and they are free on the listed holidays. That makes a Saturday morning at the farmers market free to park if you find a space, and a Tuesday lunch visit a two-hour clock.
The four garages are the reliable answer for anything longer. Each sits a block from a streetcar platform, and a garage receipt is a 24-hour ticket for two on RAPID and the streetcar. Our OKC streetcar guide covers the loop in full, and the Paycom Center parking guide explains what happens to these same garages on a game night, since the arena is a few blocks north.
Scissortail Park Events Worth Planning Around
The park runs a steady calendar of free and low-cost events, and a few of them are big enough to shape a trip. The ones below are published on the park's site for the 2026 season; dates for 2027 will post there.
- Saturday Farmers Market, May through October: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the corner of Oklahoma City Boulevard by the Promenade, with a spring preview market in April. Come before 10 for parking and produce.
- Walking Club: 8 to 9 a.m. on scheduled weekday and weekend mornings through the fall; free and open to anyone.
- Night Market at Scissortail Park: an evening vendor market the park schedules through the warm months; check the events page for the next date.
- SPARKLE Holiday Walk: 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., Thursdays through Sundays from November 19 to December 13, then nightly December 17 to 31, with Sparkle Holiday Markets on Saturdays November 28 and December 12.
- NYE Party in the Park: Thursday, December 31, 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on the Great Lawn.
Ticketed concerts on the Love's Travel Stops Stage are a separate category. When a national act plays the Great Lawn, the Upper Park's north end closes to general use for the evening, the Convention Center Garage fills early and the Scissortail platform is packed after the show. If you only want the park, pick a different night; if you want the show, see our notes on things to do in OKC in summer for how concert and tournament weekends stack up downtown.
Making a long weekend of it? A furnished home with a yard and a kitchen turns a park day into an easy trip: pack lunch, bring the dog, drive in once. Our homes are a short ride from downtown and all of them take up to two dogs.
What a Park Day Costs: A Worked Example
A family of four with a dog can spend a full Saturday at Scissortail Park for under $60, and most of that is lunch. Here is a hypothetical for a family of four staying three nights in one of our homes north of downtown.
They drive in at 9 a.m. for the farmers market and park at a street meter on S. Robinson, which is free on Saturday. Breakfast tacos and fruit from the market run about $28. The kids spend an hour on the playground and the sprayground, which costs nothing.
The dog gets the dog park while one parent watches. At noon they rent a pedal boat for 30 minutes, $15. Lunch from the market and a cooler from the house covers the afternoon. They walk the Skydance Bridge to the Lower Park, shoot baskets, and walk back for the lawn before heading home at 4.
Total out of pocket: roughly $43, plus gas. Had they parked in the Convention Center Garage the day rate adds $10 and the total lands near $53. Had the same family done the park on a Thunder night, the garage would have been $15 event parking and the platform a crowd, which is why we tell guests to check the arena schedule before picking a park day.
Visiting With Kids, Dogs and Strollers
Scissortail Park was designed with small children in mind, and the layout shows it: the playground, Play Pavilion and sprayground sit together on one side so a parent can watch both from one bench. The playground runs dawn to dusk rather than the park's full 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. hours, so a late-evening visit means the lawn and the lake path, not the slides.
Bring water shoes for the sprayground and a change of clothes; the fountains are designed to soak. Shade is thin on the lawn in July and August, when OKC highs sit in the low to mid 90s, so plan the park for mornings and evenings in summer, exactly as our things to do in OKC with kids guide lays out for the whole city.
Dogs are welcome on leash throughout the park and off leash inside the fenced dog park. The sprayground and playground are for kids, not dogs. If you are traveling with a dog, every one of our homes takes up to two dogs for a one-time $150 pet fee, and the dog-friendly Oklahoma City guide lists the other places in town that welcome them.
How to Plan a Scissortail Park Visit, Step by Step
- Check the events page at scissortailpark.org for markets, concerts and closures on your date.
- Check the Thunder schedule if it is a weeknight; a home game changes parking and the streetcar crowd.
- Pick parking: a street meter for a short weekend visit, the Convention Center Garage at $10 a day for a long one, or the free streetcar from a downtown stay.
- Pack for water: towels and a change of clothes for the sprayground, and $15 cash or card for a boat.
- Walk the bridge to the Lower Park in the late afternoon when the skyline light is best.
When Scissortail Park Isn't the Right Pick
Scissortail Park is the right call for most families and most visitors, and there are days it is not. In a July afternoon the lawn is an oven and the sprayground is the only comfortable spot; Myriad Botanical Gardens two blocks north has the Crystal Bridge conservatory and more shade. On a concert night the Upper Park is partly closed. In January the boathouse and rink are shut and the park is a walk, a nice one, and nothing more.
If your group wants a lake for swimming or a long bike ride, Lake Hefner on the northwest side is the local pick, and several of our homes sit near it. If your kids want rides and animals, the Adventure District in the northeast has the zoo and the science museum. The park is at its best as the free anchor of a downtown day, paired with the streetcar and a Bricktown dinner.
Where to Stay for a Scissortail Park Trip
A downtown hotel puts you on the streetcar loop and a short walk from the park, which is the simplest plan for one or two nights. For three nights or more with kids and a dog, a furnished home usually wins on space and cost: a kitchen for the cooler and breakfast, laundry for the sprayground clothes, a yard for the dog, and one car trip into downtown instead of three.
Our homes are spread across the metro and we will tell you honestly which fit. Capitol Manor, Plaza Manor and Classen Manor are each about five to eight minutes from the park by car. The lake homes and the Gaillardia homes are 20 to 25 minutes out and better for a trip with a pool at the center. The full table is in our drive times from BnB OKC homes guide, and our where to stay in Oklahoma City guide walks through the districts.
Across Airbnb and Vrbo our homes hold a 9.5 out of 10 average over 1,580 guest reviews, and booking direct on 4 or more nights saves up to 35 percent against marketplace pricing. Our dogs policy is on every home page: all homes, up to two, one-time $150 fee, no other animals.
Terms You'll Hear, Decoded
- Upper Park: the 36-acre north half between Oklahoma City Boulevard and I-40, with the lake, lawn, playground and boathouse.
- Lower Park: the 34-acre south half across I-40, with the sports fields and courts.
- Skydance Bridge: the pedestrian bridge over I-40 that joins the two halves.
- Great Lawn: the six-acre lawn in front of the Love's Travel Stops Stage, where concerts and the NYE party happen.
- MAPS 3: the 2009 voter-approved sales-tax program that paid for the park, the streetcar and the Convention Center.
- Sprayground: the park's name for its interactive fountain play area.
Frequently Asked Questions About Scissortail Park
These are the questions guests ask us before a park day. Hours, prices and event dates belong to the park and change by season, so confirm anything time-sensitive at scissortailpark.org or the park office at (405) 445-6277.
Your Next Steps
- Confirm your date against the park's events page and the Thunder home schedule.
- Decide how you'll arrive: street meter, a $10 garage day, or the free streetcar from a downtown stay.
- Book a home that fits the trip. See our OKC homes or call or text (405) 870-2146 and tell us you want a park-and-downtown weekend with the dog.
Sources: park size, phases, features and funding from the Scissortail Park Foundation; hours, boathouse, rink, market and parking details from the park's own pages; meter hours from the city's transit and parking agency; the streetcar platform location from visitokc.com. Figures as of November 2026.