Things to Do in Bixby

Check out the seating chart and call ahead to reserve the best available seats. Your two tickets will be waiting at will call on the date of your chosen performance.

Whiling away their vacation in a Swiss Alps chalet, Joe and Beth Henretty noticed a peculiar sound: nothing. The entire town moved at a pace much slower than that of their home in the States; without a car in sight, residents simply strolled to their destinations. Inspired by this way of life, Joe and Beth imported the car-free philosophy to Tulsa in 2005, buying their own bicycle cab and christening their new business Golzern Pedicabs after the chalet in which they'd stayed. Today, the duo and their two fellow drivers shuttle riders to and from concerts or obedience-school reunions while working solely for tips—both as an accommodation to any budget and as a further homage to Switzerland's laid-back lifestyle.

For a flat fee, the business—also known as Tulsa Pedicabs—captains tours that bounce among Tulsa's local eateries, where passengers sample fare at each stop and, sometimes, carry out agendas of their own. Once, on one of Joe's tours, a man proposed, and the Henrettys honored the occasion by pedaling the couple to their hotel on their wedding day—much like the Swiss nuptial tradition of dragging cans behind a saddled yak.

Broken Arrow Lanes facilitates pin-crushing revelry throughout the week with youth and adult leagues and open-bowling hours on 36 lanes. Flat-screen televisions suspended above each lane display players' scores and heated debates between news pundits and teleprompters. The alley also envelops a pro shop, a redemption-based game room, and a full-service dining area, where patrons can snag handheld meals such as burgers, sandwiches, and pizza slices but not bowling balls.

In 1926, oilman Waite Phillips commissioned a Renaissance-style villa on his 23 acres of Tulsa land. Finished in 1927, the structure served as his home until 1938, when Phillips decided to focus on a different kind of oil: oil painting. He converted his 72-room mansion and all 23 acres into the Philbrook Museum of Art, which houses an extensive collection to this day.

Its international pieces range from African word sculptures and an 18th-century Chinese porcelain docai vase to funerary objects flanking an Egyptian mummiform coffin. From its homeland, the Philbrook showcases Native American basketry and paintings spanning the 18th through 21st centuries, including 15 works by Andrew Wyeth. Outside, the museum's remaining acreage hosts a lush garden whose trails run alongside native Oklahoma plants and plants that relocated to Oklahoma after college.

Along with permanent and rotating exhibitions, the Philbrook stakes its claim as a cultural hub with interactive, enlightening programs and events. In the summer, these include daytime art camps for six- to 12-year-olds and a nighttime film series that screens features in the garden.

When the Tulsa Talons bolted for San Antonio in 2011, the city lacked a professional indoor football team for the first time in more than a decade. That didn’t last long, however. The Oklahoma Defenders promptly filled the role in 2012, playing their inaugural season as part of the American Football League. In 2013, the team left the AFL to join the Champions Professional Indoor Football League. The move to the CPIFL was complemented by the addition of radio broadcasts of every game, letting fans listen in whenever a big tackle is made or the opposing coaches settle a tie by jousting each other atop offensive linemen. At their games, Defenders keep fans pumped up with plenty of off-the-field entertainment, including appearances from mustached mascot Billie the Regulator.

My Little Dollhouse’s team of playtime experts creates a pastel-hued paradise for kids. A hand-painted stage is the focal point of the playroom and provides a spot for kids to model princess costumes as music plays and a disco ball glints and shimmers. Little ones can also play in and out of playhouses or receive manicures at the nail-painting station.

In addition to open playtime, My Little Dollhouses also hosts themed birthday parties during which guests have access to the center’s cache of costumes and accessories in a private party room and can put on a fashion show or dance. Staff members take all the guesswork out of setting up and cleaning up, and they furnish partygoers with baked treats, balloons, and party favors.