Stand at the brick circle on the pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks between Archer Street and First Street, and say something. You hear your own voice come back to you; the person standing across from you hears an echo too, but not the same one. That is the Center of the Universe, and it is a good introduction to a city that rewards a slow walk more than a checklist.
Tulsa suits travellers who like art deco streetscapes, Western and Native American art, live music history and green space without long queues. It also asks something of you: the Greenwood District and the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre are central to understanding the city, and the Greenwood Cultural Center is where you begin.
This guide covers the sights and experiences worth your time, with practical notes on when to go and what to pair with what.
Top things to do in Tulsa
1. Greenwood Cultural Center
This center promotes the history of Tulsa's Greenwood District, which was home to one of the worst racially motivated massacres in American history, in 1921. Special performances are often held here. It is the essential first stop for understanding the city.
It is open Monday to Saturday, 9AM to 5PM. Pair it with a Tulsa Drillers game at ONEOK Field, which is also in the Greenwood neighborhood.
2. Gilcrease Museum
Touted as the "Museum of The Americas", it holds one of the world's largest collections of Western and Native American art and artifacts, with changing exhibits on a yearly basis. The gift shop has a good collection of art, jewelry, music and books.
It is open daily 10AM to 5PM, with tours at 11AM and 2PM. Admission is $8, donation optional. Give it a half day rather than an hour.
3. The Philbrook Museum of Art
Housed in a former residence of local oilman Waite Phillips, the Philbrook has changing exhibits, a sculpture garden, art and artifacts from around the world, and a gift shop unlike anything else in Tulsa.
It is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday to Sunday 10AM to 5PM, and Thursday 10AM to 8PM. It sits one block east of Peoria Avenue at 27th Place, which makes it easy to combine with Woodward Park.
4. Woody Guthrie Center
On East Reconciliation Way, this center covers the life and work of Woody Guthrie. It sits on the same street as the Bob Dylan Center, so the two make a natural pair for a music-focused afternoon.
Check ahead for current hours before you build a day around it.
5. Bob Dylan Center
Also on East Reconciliation Way, the Bob Dylan Center is a short walk from the Woody Guthrie Center. Treat the two as one outing rather than two separate trips.
Check ahead for current hours before you go.
6. Creek Council Oak Tree
At 18th Street and Cheyenne Avenue, this is where the Lochapoka Creek Indians kindled a ceremonial fire in 1836 using live coals carried from their Alabama homeland. The oak served as Tulsa's first town hall, first conference room, first church and first court of law, and it symbolizes the spirit of the city's early settlers.
It is an outdoor site, so visit in daylight. It is a short stop, best folded into a morning that also takes in Woodward Park.
7. The Center of the Universe
At the top of a pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks from Archer Street to First Street, west of the Jazz Depot and immediately north of the Williams Center Tower, this brick circle produces an unusual acoustic effect. Stand on the opposite side of the circle from someone else and you hear their echo but not your own; stand at the center and you hear yourself echo while others hear nothing.
Overlooking the area is a large, totem-like steel sculpture called Artificial Cloud. It is free, quick and best combined with a downtown walk.
8. Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame
Housed in the Art Deco-style Union Station Depot at 111 E 1st St, this venue holds many local jazz performances. Admission is by donation.
It is open Monday to Friday, 9AM to 5PM. It is close to the Center of the Universe, so see them on the same downtown wander.
9. Tulsa Air and Space Museum
The collection highlights include a WWII German jet engine, an F-14 Tomcat, two of Burt Rutan's experimental aircraft, a locally built gyrocopter by Spartan Aeronautics, and Art Deco sections of the original Tulsa International Airport Terminal. There are also historical and interactive exhibits.
It is open Tuesday to Saturday 10AM to 5PM and Sunday 1PM to 5PM. Pair it with the Tulsa Zoo, which is nearby.
10. Tulsa Zoo
The zoo has zebras, giraffes, elephants, penguins and reptiles, plus a Children's Zoo, a Tropical American Rain Forest, a Wildlife Carousel and a Zoo Train. It is open daily 9AM to 5PM.
Adult admission is $8, seniors 55 and over $6, children 3 to 11 $4, and children 3 and under free. Combine it with the Oxley Nature Center, which sits in the woods behind it.
11. Oxley Nature Center
Hidden in the woods behind the Tulsa Zoo, the center has several habitats, including a mini-prairie, a marsh with a walkover, ponds and woods, with plenty of opportunity for bird-watching. It is open almost all year.
Because it is an outdoor site, go in daylight and bring what you need for walking.
12. Woodward Park
At the southeast corner of 21st and Peoria, Woodward Park is at its best in spring, when the roses bloom in the Tulsa Rose Garden. It is a short distance from the Philbrook Museum of Art, so see them together.
13. Turkey Mountain
An excellent location for hiking and mountain biking, with lots of side trails to explore and great views of Oral Roberts University and Downtown. Go in daylight and allow more time than you think you need if you take the side trails.
14. Tulsa Botanic Garden
The garden's mission is to promote the beauty and importance of plants and nature. It is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday to Sunday 10AM to 5PM, and Thursday 10AM to 8PM, and closed Monday.
Admission is $8 for ages 13 and up, $4 for children 3 to 12, and free for children under 2. It is reached via the L. L. Tisdale Parkway north to the Gilcrease Expressway, then west to N 41st West Ave, north to 43rd Street North, west onto Tulsa Botanic Drive and 0.7 mi to the entrance.
15. The Gathering Place
A huge park with a lot of attractions, open 9AM to 8PM. It works well as an unhurried half day, and is a good choice if you are travelling with children.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at the Greenwood Cultural Center when it opens at 9AM, then walk to the Creek Council Oak Tree at 18th Street and Cheyenne Avenue. Continue to Woodward Park at 21st and Peoria.
Afternoon. Spend the middle of the day at the Philbrook Museum of Art, which is one block east of Peoria Avenue at 27th Place. If time allows, add the Gilcrease Museum, open until 5PM with tours at 11AM and 2PM.
Evening. Head downtown to the Center of the Universe at the pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks, then walk to the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in the Union Station Depot, west of the Center of the Universe. Finish on East Reconciliation Way at the Woody Guthrie Center and the Bob Dylan Center if they are open, or catch a Tulsa Drillers game at ONEOK Field in the Greenwood neighborhood.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see Woodward Park?
Go in spring, when the roses are blooming in the Tulsa Rose Garden.
Is the Center of the Universe worth a detour?
Yes, and it costs nothing. Stand on the opposite side of the brick circle from someone else and you hear their echo but not your own; stand at the center and you hear yourself echo while others hear nothing. The Artificial Cloud sculpture overlooks the area.
Which museums sit close enough to combine?
The Woody Guthrie Center and the Bob Dylan Center are both on East Reconciliation Way. The Philbrook Museum of Art is one block east of Peoria Avenue at 27th Place, near Woodward Park. The Oxley Nature Center is in the woods behind the Tulsa Zoo.
What should I know before visiting the Greenwood Cultural Center?
It is open Monday to Saturday, 9AM to 5PM, and special performances are often held there. It covers the history of the Greenwood District and the 1921 massacre, so allow time to read and reflect rather than rushing through.
Pick your dates, check the current hours for the museums and centers above, and start building your Tulsa days around them.