Wynnewood

Small south-central Oklahoma town near the Arbuckle Mountains, known from the Tiger King exotic animal park.

Wynnewood is a small town of about 2,300 people in south-central Oklahoma, straddling US-77 between Oklahoma City and the Arbuckle Mountains. The town gained unexpected fame as the home of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, the zoo featured in the Netflix documentary Tiger King. The park has changed hands and names several times since the show aired.

More enduringly, Wynnewood sits near the northern edge of the Arbuckle Mountains, one of the oldest mountain ranges in the United States. Turner Falls, about 20 miles south near Davis, is Oklahoma's tallest waterfall and a popular swimming hole. The Wynnewood Refinery, one of the oldest continuously operating refineries in the United States — in operation since the 1910s oil boom — is an unexpected piece of industrial history.

The town itself is quiet, with a few restaurants and shops along Main Street. Wynnewood works best as a stopping point on the drive south toward the Arbuckles, the Chickasaw National Recreation Area, or the casinos and lakes around Sulphur.

Guide

Getting There

Wynnewood sits on US-77, the main highway running south from Oklahoma City through the Arbuckle Mountains toward Texas. From Oklahoma City it is about 70 miles south — roughly an hour's drive. The town is a logical stop if you are driving between Oklahoma City and the Arbuckle recreation areas around Davis and Sulphur.

There is no public transit serving Wynnewood. A car is essential for visiting the town and the surrounding area.

Guide

Things to Do

Wynnewood is a small town, and most reasons to visit are tied to the surrounding landscape of the Arbuckle Mountains rather than the town itself. The handful of local attractions worth knowing about are listed here.