As a follow-up to my post about Route 66 in Tulsa (which can be found here) I want to highlight other sights in the city that aren’t on the route itself, but provide a guide to what else the city of Tulsa has to offer for travelers interested in the city’s history and a few cool photography locations. Enjoy!
Architecture
Skyline
Tulsa’s downtown skyline features a variety of architectural styles, from modern to Art Deco to Gothic. Take to the streets and keep your eyes looking up; it’s easily walk-able and there’s always something new to discover.
Boston Ave Methodist
Boston Avenue Methodist was built in 1929 and is one of the finest examples of ecclesiastical Art Deco in the country. 1301 S Boston Ave
Fire Alarm Building
Built in 1931 and once housed the central reporting station for the Tulsa Fire Department. 1010 East Eighth Street
ORU
Oral Roberts University started construction in 1963 with a futuristic bent on Tulsa’s rich architectural heritage. 7777 S Lewis Ave
Tulsa Union Depot
The Union Depot (built by the Public Works Administration) served as Tulsa’s central railway station from 1931 until 1967. It currently houses the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame. 111 East 1st St
Center of the Universe
Although it isn’t architecture related, the Center of the Universe is right next to the Union Depot and worth a visit. In the middle of the bridge going over the train tracks, there’s a round brick spot. If you stand in the middle and speak aloud, your voice echoes all around you…however nobody else can hear the echo but you! It’s a lovely little acoustic anomaly.
Spotlight Theater
Tulsa’s Spotlight Theater, originally known as the Riverside Music Studio, was designed by Bruce Goff and built in 1928. It houses the longest-running stage performance in North America, running ‘The Drunkard’ consistently since 1953. 1381 Riverside Drive
Westhope
Westhope is a Frank Lloyd Wright house built in 1929. 3700 S Birmingham Ave
Notable Neon
Sheridan Lanes
3121 S Sheridan Rd
Moody’s / Pioneer
1137 S Harvard Ave
The Brook
3401 S Peoria Ave
Stokely Event Center
Cain’s Ballroom
423 N Main St
Atlas Life Building
PSO
3100 Riverside Dr (across the river)
Jim’s Coney Island
Mayo Motor Inn
416 S Cheyenne Ave
Museums
Woody Guthrie Center
This museum is dedicated to one of America’s most well-known folk artists. They have also hosted many great traveling exhibitions. 102 E Mathew B Brady St
Philbrook
Once the palatial estate of oilman Waite Phillips, this Italian Renaissance villa now houses a fine art museum and beautiful manicured gardens. 2727 S Rockford Rd
Gilcrease
The world’s largest collection of art and artifacts from the American West. 1400 N Gilcrease Museum Rd
Tulsa Historical Society
Museum dedicated to preserving and presenting the history of the city. Woodward Park and the Tulsa Rose Garden are also in the same area. 2445 S Peoria Ave
Greenwood Cultural Center
Dedicated to preserving the memory of the casualties of the 1921 race riot in Tulsa. Sidewalks throughout the Greenwood district tell pedestrians about the hundreds of businesses that once stood before they were razed to the ground in Tulsa’s darkest historic chapter. 322 N Greenwood Ave
Tulsa Air and Space Museum
Showcasing the history of air travel, from vintage aircraft to the space age. Tulsa has had an American Airlines maintenance base for many years and there’s a full AA airplane on site. 3624 N 74th E Ave
Tulsa Children’s Museum
Interactive science museum for kids of all ages. 560 N Maybelle Ave
Other
Outsiders House
Centerpiece from the 1983 movie based on S.E. Hinton’s novel, based in Tulsa. 731 N St Louis Ave [photo credit newson6.com]University of Tulsa
TU is what brought my wife to town, so I gotta at least mention it! It’s actually on Route 66, not far from the Campbell Hotel. They have the largest collection of James Joyce outside of Ireland, too. 800 S Tucker Dr
The Gathering Place
The Gathering Place is a 66-acre park that took four years to build. It’s a stunning addition to the city’s River Park system that is the result of the largest public park gift in U.S. History. It’s hard to really put into words how amazing it is – you just have to see it for yourself. 2650 S John Williams Way E
Whether you’re in Tulsa for a single afternoon or a whole week, I hope you see something that makes you spend a little more time here than you anticipated. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but should provide some ideas for your time here. I purposefully didn’t delve into restaurants to visit, since there are SO MANY choices, but feel free to e-mail me and I would be happy to suggest some!
Rhys Martin was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1981. In 2009, he sold everything he owned and left the country, living out of a backpack for ten months. He discovered a passion for photography while traveling throughout Southeast Asia and Europe.
After returning home, he looked at his home town and Oklahoma heritage with fresh eyes. When he began to explore his home state, Rhys turned his attention to historic Route 66. As he became familiar with the iconic highway, he began to truly appreciate Oklahoma’s place along the Mother Road. He has traveled all 2,400 miles of Route 66, from Chicago to Los Angeles. He has also driven many miles on rural Oklahoma highways to explore the fading Main Streets of our small towns. Rhys has a desire to find and share the unique qualities of the Sooner State with the rest of the world.
Cloudless Lens Photography has been featured in several publications including This Land, Route 66 Magazine, Nimrod Journal, Inbound Asia Magazine, The Oklahoman, and the Tulsa World. In 2018 he published his first book, Lost Restaurants of Tulsa.
Rhys loves to connect with people and share his experiences; ask him about enjoyable day trips from Tulsa, locations along Route 66, and good diners or burger joints along the way.
View all posts by rhysfunk
The Rose Garden has been blighted by disease; there was an issue a while back with folks bringing in contaminated tools and it spread throughout the garden. Really sad. The Tulsa Historical Society sits next to the Rose Garden, though, and I did mention that. Hopefully the Rose Garden is able to restore their grounds and return to their former beauty.
Hi, Rhys, you might try a photo of Central High School, prior to it being moved somewhere else and the PSO folks taking over? I went to school there in ’67 and ’68 and each time I pass by I am drawn to the beauty it has become, and the memories it holds for me. I am loving your blog and am getting all inspired to go visit my hometown with new eyes.
That’s a good call! I love that building but have yet to capture it in a way that satisfies me. I’ll need to spend some time downtown and keep working at it. Here’s one I took earlier this year that’s close; hope you like it! http://i.imgur.com/w5BjY4U.jpg
Rhys' Pieces 
You forgot Woodward Park and The Tulsa Municipal Rose Garden, what’s left of it. Of course, it is a city property and in deplorable condition.
The Rose Garden has been blighted by disease; there was an issue a while back with folks bringing in contaminated tools and it spread throughout the garden. Really sad. The Tulsa Historical Society sits next to the Rose Garden, though, and I did mention that. Hopefully the Rose Garden is able to restore their grounds and return to their former beauty.
Hi, Rhys, you might try a photo of Central High School, prior to it being moved somewhere else and the PSO folks taking over? I went to school there in ’67 and ’68 and each time I pass by I am drawn to the beauty it has become, and the memories it holds for me. I am loving your blog and am getting all inspired to go visit my hometown with new eyes.
That’s a good call! I love that building but have yet to capture it in a way that satisfies me. I’ll need to spend some time downtown and keep working at it. Here’s one I took earlier this year that’s close; hope you like it! http://i.imgur.com/w5BjY4U.jpg