GET CULTURED
Tulsa is “sneaky-cool,” with world-class cuisine, museums, venues, and outdoor attractions. Tulsa calls itself “the most welcoming city in America,” and takes great pride in making sure every visitor feels accepted, safe, and valued. Come see why it’s quickly becoming a cultural hub of America.
Nestled among some of the most beautiful homes in Tulsa in the midtown area, Philbrook Museum of Art is the former home of oilman Waite Phillips, who gifted his 72-room mansion and surrounding 23 acres of grounds to the city of Tulsa as an art center for the city. Today, Philbrook is home to one of the most diverse, varied art collections in the country, and routinely hosts world-class exhibits. The beauty doesn’t stop when you step outside, either. The 25-acre Philbrook gardens were named “the most beautiful place in Oklahoma” by House Beautiful magazine and boast sensory gardens, sitting spaces, and varied views of nature.
TAKE A STROLL
A park like no other, Gathering Place offers amazing attractions and world-class programming for all ages with no entry free. It is a two-time winner of USA Today’s Best City Park, offering a wide-ranging, full calendar of events year-round, as well as the state-of-the-art Chapman Adventure Playground, Williams Mist Mountain and splash pad, Charlie’s Water Mountain, sports courts and skate parks, and acres of green space. It is perfectly suited for group travel with its wide-open spaces and varied attractions.
Connected to Gathering Place, Zink Lake is a 3-mile recreational lake located just outside of downtown Tulsa. The lake, along with the connected Tulsa Wave Park and Williams Crossing pedestrian bridge spanning the water, was officially opened over Labor Day weekend of 2024. While not a swimming lake, Zink Lake welcomes any non-motorized watercraft, as well as fishing from the banks. Tulsa Wave Park is made up of seven different “play zones” that vary based on intensity and rider skill level. Williams Crossing spans the width of the lake, connecting Gathering Place to the west bank of the river and the rest of Tulsa’s trail system. Along the banks, seating and walking trails provide opportunities to enjoy the scenery and environment for those who would prefer to stay dry.
EMBRACE THE PAST
Two attractions in one, the Bob Dylan Center and Woody Guthrie Center are located next door to each other and provide unprecedented looks into the lives and work of two titans of American music history. The Woody Guthrie Center came first, opening in 2013, and when Dylan—who had no previous connection to Tulsa—saw the quality of facility dedicated to his musical mentor and hero, he decided his archives should be housed in the same town. Both attractions offer a variety of special tours, exhibits and programs all year long, focusing on various aspects of the music industry directly and indirectly connected to Guthrie and Dylan.
Tulsa was officially designated the “Capital of Route 66” in July of 2024, as Cyrus Avery, known as the Father of Route 66, was a Tulsan. The city offers 28 miles of the Mother Road within the city limits through numerous districts both east and west of downtown. The Meadow Gold District is home to eclectic shops and restaurants, and in the neighboring Market District, Oklahoma’s first non-profit food hall, Mother Road Market, serves as an anchor and is a three-time USA Today Best Food Hall winner. East of downtown, near 11th Street and Peoria, TulsaRama is scheduled to open in the fall of 2025 as an Art Deco museum, Route 66-era ice cream shop, and Tulsa-themed gift store. Tulsa’s stretch of Route 66 offers glimpses of nostalgic Americana of the past as well as forward-thinking entrepreneurship of the future along every foot of the 28 miles.
Visit Tulsa
662-415-1244
visittulsa.com
Lead image:
Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza on Route 66
Photo courtesy of Visit Tulsa
