Nestled within the green rolling hills that stretch along the Arkansas River, Tulsa, the second-largest city in the US state of Oklahoma, was settled between 1828 and 1836 by the Lochapoka Band of the Creek Native American tribe and there are a lot of best things to do in Tulsa. To this day, most of the Tulsa area is still actually a territory of the Muscogee Creek Nation. Travelers visiting Tulsa for the first time should check out the Gilcrease Museum to learn more about the Native American’s that helped establish this landlocked East Oklahoman city almost 200 years ago.
In 1921, a horrific and historically significant massacre broke out in Tulsa when angry mobs of the city’s white residents attacked black residents and destroyed businesses and homes in Tulsa’s Greenwood District. This race riot is considered one of the worse incidents of racial violence to ever take place in the United States. If you’re not all that familiar with this dark chapter of history, the Tulsa Historical Society and Museum is a great place to learn all about this and other significant events that have shaped Tulsa’s past.
Aside from it’s rich and, at times, troubling history. Tulsa is a bustling metropolis that has a vibrant and lively nightlife and many exclusive shopping destinations ranging from high-end to the peculiar. It’s a town packed full of top-tier world-class attractions that are well worth you and your family’s time.
Tulsa is the kind of city that has a lot going for it – albeit in a somewhat unassuming way. It’s home to two art museums, several professional opera and ballet companies, and one of the densests concentrations of art deco architecture in the country.
Join Viewcation as we take a closer look at some of the top best things to do in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The Center Of The Universe
Conveniently located right downtown, this attraction is perfect for visitors traveling on a budget. While it might not look like anything all that special, when you stand at the center of it’s well-worn concrete circle and sing, speak, or make any kind of sound at all, that noise will echo back at you, seemingly even louder.
According to local legend, a foghorn could be sounded in the center of this circle, and those outside of it wouldn’t be able to hear it. While this seems like a bit of an exaggeration, your voice does indeed sound extremely distorted when heard from outside of this mystifying circle. Many people have tried to get to the bottom of this acoustic mystery, but there is no clear consensus as to what causes it. The effect is theorized by some, however, to be caused by the unique way that sound reflects off a circular wall, which in this case is a concrete planter.
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Philbrook Museum Of Art
Housed in an Italian-style villa, this enormous art museum features numerous exhibits from European, Asian, American, African, and Native American artists. It’s surrounded by 23 acres of gardens, making it one of the most beautiful places in Tulsa to explore.
The 72-room former mansion was once owned by the oil magnate Waite Philips and is considered to be one of Tulsa’s permier tourist attractions.
In addition to it’s permanent exhibits, the Philbrook museum also regularly changes its temporary exhibits throughout the year. You can either explore on your own or take a guided tour of the facility. And before you leave, make sure you take a moment to enjoy the serene and meditative areas outside. There are many outdoor sculptures to appreciate along the trails that stretch across the grounds.
Woody Guthrie Center
If you have a few hours to spare and have an appreciation for folk music, then head on over to the Woody Guthrie Center.
Woody Guthrie was an American singer-songwriter whose music focused on themes like anti-fascism, labor unions, and activism. His body of work includes iconic songs such as God Bless America, and This Land is Your Land. Guthrie’s lyrics and impact on the music industry are wel preserved here in exhibits that teach visitors about the Oklahoma native’s background and his unique interpretation of American life.
The center displays artwork, photos, and books about the artist. They also have special exhibits throughout the year that cover other musicians.
Gilcrease Museum
History buffs will appreciate this museum which focuses on the history Tulsa’s Native American founders and the American West. Here you will find treasured works of art such as the original Thomas Moran paintings and the bronze statues of Frederick Remington.
The museum boasts 350,000 historic artifacts ranging from pottery to artwork and even Native American regalia. Classes are also offered at the museum, so if you want to try your hand at basket weaving or vase making, you should consult with their website to see when these classes are held.
The Tulsa Zoo
One of the best things to do in Tulsa, Oklahoma is the Tulsa Zoo’s primary focus is on educations and conservation, whuich is readily apparent when exploring it’s grounds. The zoo’s animal habitats allow you to get closer to the animals than you ever could in the wild.
Featuring 85-acres of animal habitats and accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Tulsa Zoo has regularly been included on lists of the city’s top attractions. In 2005, it was named as “America’s Favorite Zoo” by Microsoft Game Studios while they were promoting their Zoo Tycoon 2 computer game.
The Tulsa Zoo’s Lost Kingdom exhibit features animals like Malayan tigers, Chinese alligators, and komodo dragons. Over at the Robert J. LaFortune Wild Life Trek, guests can see chinchillas, seahorses, and grizzly bears.
The Rainforest exhibit is a naturally inspired re-creation of a central and South American rainforest environment. Animals featured here include jaguars, anacondas, sloths, and black howler monkeys.
The Tulsa Zoo also has a petting zoo where children can get up close and personal with Katahdin sheep, Anglo-Nubian goats, miniature horses, and Guinea forest hogs.
Tulsa Air And Space Museum & Planetarium
Oklahoma’s rich aerospace history comes alive at this museum, where visitors can see vintage airplanes, interact with hands-on displays, and experience what it’s like to visit a state-of-the-art planetarium.
The 50-foot, 3D planetarium dome takes guests on a high-flying journey through the heavens while visiting strange, alien galaxies some 70 million light-years away.
Visitors can also sit in the cockpit of an F-14A Tomcat Fighter Jet before putting their flight skills to the test at the museum’s flight simulators. The potential for fun and adventure at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum is endless.
The Cherry Street Farmers Market
One of our favorite best things to do in Tulsa during the warmer months is visiting this bustling outdoor market where dozens of vendors converge every Saturday between April and October. Not only will you be supporting local area businesses when shopping here, but it’s also a very unique place to shop as well. You can find seasonal local produce items, fresh-cut flowers, crafts, and other locally made goods.
The Oklahoma Aquarium
Right outside of Tulsa, you’ll find one of the best aquariums in the country. The Oklahoma Aquarium is a an excellent place to visit for children or adults looking to enjoy the aquatic life. Guests can see the worlds largest exhibit of bull sharks that swim all around you as you stroll through the shark tunnel. Additionally, the aquarium is home to thousands of species of fish, amphibians, reptiles, and aquatic mammals.
The Golden Driller
Known as the Golden Driller, this 76-foot tall statue of a bare-chested golden man wearing a belt bearing the word Tulsa on it’s buckle, was built more than 60 years ago to honor the workers of the petroleum industry during the time period in Tulsa’s history when it was known as the oil capital of the world.
The Abundant Life Building
One of the most unusual attractions and best things to do in Tulsa is this massive, windowless, abandoned concrete building that sits empty on the south side of downtown.
Built in 1958, this once futuristic yet now decaying and dilapidated structure was once the world headquarters for Oral Roberts Ministries. Oral Roberts was a very prominent and controversial evangelical preacher who had millions of followers back in the day. He was one of the major proponents of the disputed prosperity doctrine, which claims that God blesses his people with abundance and wealth.
The exterior of this building is covered in marble, diamond-shaped facets adorned with gold. Inside the windowless building, there was a television studio where Roberts would broadcast his message to the world. The Abundant Life building also had a banquet hall and auditorium
After moving his operation to a new campus, the Abundant Life building was completely abandoned by the early 70s. It’s laid empty ever since despite occasionally being considered for revitalization.
Cave House
Located just a few blocks west of downtown, Tulsa’s Cave House has a very unique history dating back roughly a hundred years. In the 1920s, it was built as the Cave Garden restaurant. Back then, they would serve food during the day at picnic tables, but after dark, it turned into a speakeasy.
Guests hoping to knock a few adult beverages back would go through a secret tunnel through the fireplace that emptied out into a giant room under the hill. This secret tunnel and room have since been sealed off for unexplained reasons.
These days, the cave house is a museum of sorts dedicated to preserving Tulsa’s history. Guided tours can be arranged if you call in advance.
Well, that about wraps up our little tour of Tulsa. Which Tulsa-area attraction are you most excited to visit? And if you’ve been there already, can you think of any other sight or attraction that you think our viewers should know about? Let us know in the comments section down below.
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