A review of the new OKANA Resort & Waterpark in Oklahoma City

A review of the new OKANA Resort & Waterpark in Oklahoma City

by Zaki ghassan


Oklahoma City may be the 20th largest city in the country (and, apparently, the Horse Show Capital of the world!), but it’s rarely mentioned in mainstream “Must See” bucket lists. To that, we say neither was Orlando, Florida, before Disney thunked down its empire in 1971 and called those fated 25,000 acres of marshland home. A sprawling property owned by Oklahoma’s native Chickasaw Nation, the OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark opened in March, and—with a 100,000-square-foot indoor waterpark, multiple restaurants, and a 4.5-acre adventure lagoon that’s so big you’ll feel like you’re lakeside—it’s a destination bound to put OKC on the map.

Here’s everything you need to know about OKANA Resort—as well as what to do in Oklahoma City when you’re dried off and ready to explore.

OKANA Resort is the Oklahoma waterpark everyone is talking about
Photo courtesy OKANA Resort & Waterpark

What is OKANA Resort?

OKANA—named by combining the Chickasaw words ‘Oka,’ meaning water, and ‘inkana,’ meaning friend—is a 40-acre indoor (and outdoor) waterpark resort that opened March 6, 2025.

Designed for families, the $400 million project aims to be a major tourist draw, featuring an 11-story hotel, a large arcade (with a mirror maze, laser tag, and escape room), 13 food and beverage spots, an impressive indoor waterpark and a giant outdoor lagoon with a sandy beach and various water adventure attractions. It is reportedly one of the state’s largest tourism developments in recent years and the largest indoor waterpark in the state.

Fun Fact: The OKANA Lagoon is now the fourth-largest pool in the country.

Photo: Melissa Heckscher

Where is it?

Located about 20 minutes northeast of Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport and on the outskirts of downtown OKC, OKANA sits along the Oklahoma River in the city’s up-and-coming “Horizons” district. Though it’s not quite walkable, a pedestrian bridge and walkway are under construction and will eventually connect OKANA to other trails that lead downtown.





here’s everything you need to know about okana resort & indoor waterpark—as well as what to do in oklahoma city when you’re ready to explore.

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