15 Best Things to do in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Here’s a list of the 15 best things to do in Tulsa, Oklahoma along with famous landmarks, museums, and other points of interest.

Philbrook Museum of Art

Philbrook Museum of Art is not only known for its extensive collection of Native American Art but also for its beautifully maintained formal gardens.

The museum focuses on a great collection of basketry, pottery, jewelry, and paintings from Native American Artists but also offers smaller collections depicting art from around the world.

The Cave House

The Cave House is a unique attraction that is hard to categorize. This unique structure was built in the 1920s and initially served as a restaurant.

According to local stories the Cave House was also used as a speakeasy and had secret tunnels that were used for nightly meetings. Later the Cave House and its curving stucco walls became private homes. 

Its current owner known as the ”Stick Lady” has turned it into an ”art” museum, presenting her interesting creations and the often historic furniture of the house to interested guests.

Center of the Universe

Tulsa offers another unique destination, the so-called ”Center of the Universe”. The interesting name refers to an acoustic phenomenon. Every sound that is made from the inside of the marked circle gets echoed back louder than it was made.

Many people have tried to come up with a rational explanation for this phenomenon but failed. Don’t miss the chance to come here and make up your own theories.

Gilcrease Museum

Gilcrease Museum houses the largest collection of art of the American West, making it a must-visit when coming to Tulsa. Apart from the American West, an ever-increasing display of art from South America can be found here.

The museum is just as much about art as it is about history, studying the various artworks is a great way to get an idea of what life was like here centuries ago.

Gathering Place

The Gathering Place is a beautiful park located right at the banks of the Arkansas River. The highlight of the park is a fantastic adventure playground that is a dream come true for children.

The architecture of the park’s buildings is very modern and futuristic and greatly complements the natural beauty of the greenery. Taking a walk along the numerous paved footpaths is a sure way to relax the mind and reload your internal battery.

The Gathering Place is also home to some great eateries and hosts a number of events during the year.  

Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame

Jazz is deeply ingrained into the culture of Oklahoma and the region. The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame is a great example of the significance this music genre has in Tulsa and the United States.

Situated in the Union Depot in downtown Tulsa, the venue strives to educate residents of the city and guests from afar about the history and cultural heritage connected to Jazz music.

The Jazz Hall of Fame offers many live concerts, arts programs, and community meetings.

Blue Dome Entertainment District

Tulsa’s most charismatic neighborhood is called Blue Dome Entertainment District and encompasses many buildings of great historical and architectural relevance.

The Blue Dome, the namesake of the entire district, was built as an Oil station in the 1920s and acts as the highlight of the area. The best time to visit the neighborhood is at night when it becomes a lively party hotspot featuring many bars, restaurants, and night clubs.

Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium

The Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium, in short TASM, is the perfect place for aviation lovers and space explorers. The venue offers a fascinating collection of historic aircrafts such as an American Airlines MD-80 and a Soviet MiG-21.

People interested in space will find the Martian exhibition interesting and enjoy the great planetarium connected to the museum.  

BOK Center

The Bank of Oklahoma Center is a first-class multi-purpose venue located in Tulsa. Interestingly, the BOK Center was designed by César Pelli, the architect responsible for the world-famous Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur.

Needless to say, the venue is an architectural masterpiece and absolutely breath-taking. The Tulsa Oilers, a mid-level ice hockey team, play their home games here.

They are part of the East Coast Hockey League and offer you a great chance to experience the American ice-hockey culture in an authentic way.

Tulsa Botanic Garden

Tulsa Botanic Garden, located just 13 km north of Tulsa. It is made up of 170 acres of beautiful greenery. The garden is led by a noted horticulturalist that puts a special emphasis on promoting the importance of plants and creating a more sustainable world.

Apart from its educational value, the Tulsa Botanic Gardens offer great recreational value. Where plants and wildlife are allowed to prosper, people will also rejoice and that is exactly the reason why the garden’s facilities are such an oasis.

And to make the Tulsa Botanic Garden a real pleasure for all members of the family, a Children’s Discovery Garden was added recently. Children can explore nature here and learn more about plants.

Vintage Sewing Center and Museum

Another interesting museum in Tulsa is the Vintage Sewing Center and Museum. It features a fantastic collection of historic sewing machines and educates about the art of sewing and the textiles being used.

What makes a visit so interesting is that some of the exhibits can also be used by the visitors. Trying out sewing with one of the vintage machines is great fun and makes the museum experience really come to life.

The center also offers many educative courses, a great way to learn sewing, which could also be a fun activity for the whole family. 

Boston Avenue Methodist Church

One of the religious centers of the city of Tulsa is the Boston Avenue Methodist Church. The construction of the magnificent building was completed in 1929 and since then the church acts as a great example of ecclesiastical Art Deco architecture.

Despite being almost 100 years old the building still looks futuristic to this day, making it one of the best-known monuments of Tulsa.

In addition to its impressive appearance, the church community is very friendly and inclusive and welcomes all guests into their services and sermons.

Holy Family Cathedral

The Cathedral of the Holy Family is characterized by a classic Gothic Revival style of architecture that makes it resemble many of the great traditional European catholic churches.

The three sharp towers of the structure are a well-known part of Tulsa’s skyline and make the church a real monument of the city and a symbol of Christianity.

Its unpretentious, white interior is very classical and underlines the religious significance of the Holy Family Cathedral.

Route 66 Historical Village

Tulsa is situated on the historic Route 66 and offers a historic village to showcase the rich history of the iconic highway. The village is an open-air museum that reminds its visitors of the city’s early days.

The venue is a great place to learn about Tulsa’s oil and refining industry and other aspects of the region. One of the highlights of the village is the restored steam engine Frisco 4500, don’t miss it.

Some of the restored rail cars can also be accessed and explored on the inside. Especially children love climbing into these old-time capsules.   

ONEOK Field 

ONEOK Field is home to the Tulsa Drillers, a local Baseball team with a loyal following of enthusiastic fans. The Drillers are playing in the AA Texas League (minor league baseball).

Apart from baseball, there is also plenty of soccer to be enjoyed at the ONEOK Field, the FC Tulsa plays its home games here.

The team is playing in the USL Championship, the second division in American professional soccer. The ONEOK Field has a capacity of nearly 8000 and was inaugurated in 2010. It is not a huge stadium but offers a modern and comfortable sports experience.

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