Altus is a small town and its handful of attractions can be done in a single day. The Museum of the Western Prairie on Memorial Drive is the standout in town — well-curated, free, and a good two-hour stop. The Jackson County Courthouse anchors downtown. For something to do outdoors, drive thirty miles north to Quartz Mountain State Park on Lake Altus-Lugert; that is the only genuinely scenic landscape within easy reach.
Altus Air Force Base is the city's largest employer and a constant aerial presence overhead — open days, when held, are worth catching.