8 minute read
ATTRACTIONS
GREG BOLLINGER
GATHERING PLACE
Named the Best New Attraction by readers of USA Today, one of TIME Magazine’s “World’s Greatest Places” and Favorite Park by readers of TulsaPeople Magazine, Gathering Place is 66.5 acres of pure fun.
From the medieval towers of the Chapman Adventure Playground to the architectural gems inside the Williams Lodge welcome center and numerous water features in between, the park represents a $465 million collaboration of more than 80 corporate and philanthropic organizations. Best of all, admission is free.
Enter the park from Riverside Drive, which runs beneath two land bridges on the west side of the park. Sports courts invite basketball, volleyball, street soccer and street hockey players. A skateboarding park is the perfect spot for bored teens.
Visitors of all ages will enjoy rotating art installations, family programming, walking trails and varied dining options.
Just to the south is Gathering Place’s neighbor, Discovery Lab, an interactive kids’ science museum and play center. See p. 52 for more.
2650 S. JOHN WILLIAMS WAY, 918-779-1000, GATHERINGPLACE.ORG
Aaru is home to the world’s first publicly accessible Omnideck, which allows guests to travel 360-degrees in a virtual reality world while tethered for safety. The virtual reality arcade is also popular for tabletop games and gathering with friends. A small cafe and bar fuel patrons for gaming sessions.
7 N. CHEYENNE AVE., AARU.GAMES
ADMIRAL TWIN DRIVE-IN
The 1951 drive-in shows a double feature every night during the summer months or as weather permits. Sound is transmitted through your radio, so sit in your vehicle or bring lawn chairs and blankets. A concession stand sells typical movie treats as well as hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken strips.
7355 E. EASTON ST., 918-878-8099, ADMIRALTWINDRIVEIN.COM
CREEK COUNCIL OAK TREE
The birthplace of Tulsa, this tree is where the Muscogee Locvpoka Tribal Town established their new home with a ceremonial fire in 1836, using live coals they carried from their Alabama homeland over the Trail of Tears. Today, it is preserved as a park that includes an ethno-botanical garden and several commemorative sculptures.
EAST 18TH STREET AND SOUTH CHEYENNE AVENUE, TULSAPRESERVATIONCOMMISSION.ORG/ NATIONALREGISTER/BUILDINGS
EXPO SQUARE
The site of myriad events throughout the year, including the Tulsa State Fair, prominent livestock shows, craft shows, consignment events and a recurring flea market. Welcoming visitors to the venue is the iconic Golden Driller, a 76-foot-tall, 43,500-pound monument to Tulsa’s oil industry.
4145 E. 21ST ST., 918-744-1113, EXPOSQUARE.COM
FAIR MEADOWS
See live horse racing on the Fair Meadows track during summer meets and simulcast racing from tracks around the nation in the state-of-the-art racing and sports bar.
EXPO SQUARE, 4609 E. 21ST ST.; 918-743-7223; EXPOSQUARE.COM/FAIRMEADOWS
In its glory days, Tulsa’s Greenwood District stretched for 35 blocks and was the largest and richest of Oklahoma’s more than 50 Black communities — so wealthy, in fact, that Greenwood
BUCK ATOM’S COSMIC CURIOS
With his piercing blue eyes and rugged good looks, the 21-foot-tall space cowboy outside Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios can’t be missed. Buck is a “Muffler Man,” a large, fiberglass sculpture originally used as advertisement in the 1960s. His likeness now finds a home on souvenir items like T-shirts, magnets, coffee cups and stickers, which can all be purchased at the 350-square-foot gift shop along the Mother Road.
Ninety percent of the shop’s stock comes from Oklahoma artists, makers and craftsmen, and all of it celebrates Tulsa, Oklahoma or Route 66. There’s also a unique selection of vintage tchotchkes and knickknacks — an ode to the “curio” part of the business.
GUTHRIE GREEN
Filling one square block where a truckyard used to be, Guthrie Green is an urban park and entertainment space with action happening nearly all year long, including live music, yoga and other events. Surrounded by local eateries, bars, ONEOK Field and arts organizations, this patch of land is the social sun in the center of the Tulsa Arts District. All events are free, thanks to the vision of benefactor the George Kaiser Family Foundation. In the spring and summer, Food Truck Wednesday brings a plethora of lunchtime food choices to the Green every week. 111 E. RECONCILIATION WAY, GUTHRIEGREEN.COM
Continued from p. 18 was known as “Black Wall Street.” Shops bustled by day and clubs wailed blues and jazz by night. Today, the Greenwood Cultural Center and the Mabel B. Little Heritage House — the area’s only home built in the 1920s that still stands — present a permanent history of the district.
322 N. GREENWOOD AVE., 918-596-1026, GREENWOODCULTURALCENTER.COM
OKLAHOMA AQUARIUM
With eight exhibit galleries and more than 1 million gallons of water, you can see the many mysterious and wonderful creatures of the ocean that now make their home right here in Oklahoma.
In the Polynesian Reef exhibit, visitors are invited into an exotic South Pacific coral reef surrounded by more than 500 colorful tropical fish of approximately 75 species.
Various species of sharks swim over visitors’ heads as they walk through an underwater tunnel. Another highlight is Sea Turtle Island, which has three viewing levels and an underwater observation station for children that allows them an up-close look while remaining dry.
300 AQUARIUM DRIVE, JENKS; 918-296-3474; OKAQUARIUM.ORG
ONEOK FIELD
Home to the Tulsa Drillers — an AA affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers and four-time Texas League Champions — ONEOK Field is in the midst of downtown restaurants and trendy clubs.
Tulsa’s professional soccer team, FC Tulsa, also plays at ONEOK Field. The club is part of the United Soccer League and plays home matches between March and October.
201 N. ELGIN AVE., 918-744-5901, TULSADRILLERS.COM, FCTULSA.COM
RIVERWALK TULSA
Located along the Arkansas River in Jenks, Riverwalk Tulsa is great destination to play, dine and gather. Guests will enjoy eclectic shops and restaurants, outdoor fireplaces and more.
300 RIVERWALK TERRACE, JENKS; RIVERWALKTULSA.COM
ROUTE 66 HISTORICAL VILLAGE
A replica of the original Red Fork Train Depot joins an oil derrick commemorating the 1901 oil discovery that started Tulsa on its path to become the one-time “Oil Capital of the World.”
From 1942-1947, the Frisco 4500 provided passenger service daily from St. Louis to Tulsa to Oklahoma City, and for years greeted visitors at the Tulsa Zoo. Today the restored locomotive awaits guests eager to learn about the history and development of Tulsa’s oil, refining and transportation industries.
3770 SOUTHWEST BLVD., 918-770-9906, FACEBOOK.COM/ROUTE66VILLAGE
SAFARI JOE’S H20 WATER PARK
Cool off with towering water slides, a wave pool, a lazy river and a children’s pool. At Reptile World, visitors can see and touch real, exotic species.
4707 E. 21ST ST., 918-749-7385, SAFARIJOESH2O.COM
TULSA BOTANIC GARDEN
The Tulsa Botanic Garden sits on 170 acres of prairie and woodlands, with the rolling Osage County hills offering panoramic views of sunrises, sunsets and skyscrapers. The Children’s Discovery Garden is a fantastical wonderland featuring a tree fort and a hidden grotto.
Continued from p. 20
Sixty acres of nature trails and impressive floral terraces display a diverse collection of ornamental and flowering plants. Learn about updates to the master plan at the visitor center; when the garden is complete, guests will be able to explore numerous sites, including a lotus pool and an all-seasons garden.
3900 TULSA BOTANIC DRIVE, 918-289-0330, TULSABOTANIC.ORG
TULSA GARDEN CENTER, WOODWARD PARK AND MUNICIPAL ROSE GARDEN
A wooded 45 acres in the heart of Tulsa, Woodward Park boasts flora and fauna that attracts nature lovers all year long. At the Tulsa Garden Center, you’ll find a Victorian conservatory and 3-acre arboretum. Its Teaching Garden is a demonstration garden that gives visitors a chance to improve their gardening skills.
2435 S. PEORIA AVE., 918-576-5155, TULSAGARDENCENTER.ORG
TULSA PORT OF CATOOSA AND MARITIME EDUCATION CENTER
The Tulsa Port of Catoosa is the head of the 445-mile McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System linking Tulsa with the world and foreign ports by way of the Mississippi River and Port of New Orleans. The port’s maritime education center has hands-on displays and exhibits that teach children and adults about the port’s functions and purpose.
5350 CIMARRON ROAD, CATOOSA; 918-266-2291; TULSAPORTS.COM
TULSA ZOO
The 84-acre zoo features nearly 3,000 animals in exhibits ranging from an African penguin habitat to an immersive tropical rainforest to the Helmerich Sea Lion Cove and the Mary K. Chapman Rhino Reserve.
At the 5-acre Lost Kingdom, visitors have excellent views of Malayan tigers and other Asian mammals and reptiles that are critically endangered. You’ll also find a petting zoo, live animal presentations, the Safari Train and a gift shop.
6421 E. 36TH ST. N., 918-669-6600, TULSAZOO.ORG
USA BMX
The new national headquarters for USA BMX opened in Tulsa in 2022. The expansive site hosts clinics, coaching, weekly practices and racing on a local and regional level, and several championship competitions. It is also home to the National BMX Hall of Fame.
490 N. LANSING AVE., USABMX.COM
Completed in 1929, Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, 1301 S. Boston Ave., was designed by local art instructor Adah Robinson and drafted by architect Bruce Goff.
