Tulsa's Verdant
Parks and Rich Culture May Surprise You
Jametlene Reskp via Unsplash | The Golden Driller, the sixth-tallest statue in the United States, located in front of the Tulsa Expo Center since 1966.
Population 411,867
Size: 202 square miles
Elevation: 722 feet
Sunshine: 227 days
Best Day of the Year: Juneteenth—one of the largest celebrations in the country
Tulsa has rolling hills hold verdant parks, vibrant culture and one of the nation’s highest concentrations of art deco architecture—see a fine example of the latter at Boston Avenue United Methodist Church (built in 1929). From there, meander paths through riverside Gathering Place park, then it’s back on-route for lunch at Wildflower Cafe, a modern iteration of the classic Route 66 diner, lit out front by a handsome new neon. The city’s iconic Meadow Gold sign (circa 1934) also shines on nearby thanks to a yearslong restoration effort. Indeed, Tulsa’s stretch of 66 reflects a mixed energy of vintage cool and retro modern, like the 21-foot-tall muffler man at Buck Atom's Cosmic Curios.
Local to Know
“Mother Road Market is Oklahoma’s first and only nonprofit food hall. We have about 17 businesses. Not all went through our Kitchen 66 incubator kitchen but a good amount did. The next step is that we hope they move up and out at a location on Route 66.”
Carly Fussell, Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation
Be sure to make time for a visit to Greenwood, the site of the devastating racist mob violence of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre, today the district is thriving once more as a center of culture and Black-owned businesses, like literary stop Fulton Street Books & Coffee. Nearby, Tulsa’s deep music roots bear fruit at a trio of interpretative centers dedicated to major forces of nature: Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan and Leon Russell. Dinner showcases a thriving food scene: tiki drinks at Saturn Room, followed by a locavore’s choice meal at FarmBar. Round out the day with a show at Cain's Ballroom, the rare place haunted by both Bob Wills and Sid Vicious.
Route 66
Field Guide
Get the full Route 66 experience with our Field Guide full of roadside attractions, pie pit stops, motor lodges and more.
