The Woody Guthrie Center preserves and promotes the life and legacy of one of America's most influential singer-songwriters, Woody Guthrie (1912-1967). To center features an interactive museum with many of Guthrie's items on display including musical instruments, original artwork, and notebooks and lyrics. There are photographs and memorabilia on display as well, and visitors can also hear samples of his music and watch a short biographical film. The center also honors the legacy of Guthrie's son, Arlo, who became an internationally known songwriter and activist in his own right. Many of his items are on display including the guitar he played at Woodstock, original handwritten lyrics, and some of his photographs. Another highlight of the center is the archives, which contains the largest collection of Woody Guthrie primary materials in the world. The archives also contains materials of singer-songwriter Phil Ochs (1940-1976) who was known for music and social activism. The center also offers a variety of events and educational opportunities.
Now a residential building known as the Tribune Lofts, the former Tulsa Tribune Building was the home of the city's afternoon newspaper of the same name from 1924-1942. The paper was founded in 1919 and this building was the state's first purpose-built newspaper plant. For the first time in Oklahoma, newspapers printed at this plant utilized the "gravity system" which had become widely adopted by some of the largest newspapers around the country such as the New York Herald. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
One of the most mysterious sites sought by visitors to Tulsa is the Center of the Universe/Artificial Cloud installation on the Boston Avenue pedestrian bridge downtown.
Constructed in 1931, this historic Art Deco-style train depot is now home to the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame. The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame was founded by an act of the State Congress in 1988. Tulsa has always been a nexus for musical influences in the state, and as such made an ideal hometown for the Hall of Fame. Noted inductees include Kay Starr, Chet Baker, Oscar Pettiford, Jimmy Rushing, Howard McGhee, Frank Mantooth, Barney Kessel, Charlie Christian, Patti Page, and Jay McShann. It is the goal of the organization to promote the “Kansas City” style of jazz, which was shaped in large part through the participation of Oklahoma’s jazz musicians, venues such as Cain’s Ballroom, and Oklahoma’s all-Black communities in El Reno, Greenwood, Langston, Clearview, and Boley.
The Mid-Continent Tower is one of Tulsa's iconic skyscrapers. Rising to a height of 527 feet, it features 36 stories and is topped by a unique copper roof. Although it appears as if it were built all at once, it is actually two buildings. The first 16 floors were constructed in 1918 and that building was called the Cosden Building, which was the city's first skyscraper. It was built by oil industrialist Joshua Cosden on the very site of Tulsa's first schoolhouse. The additional 20 floors were constructed 1984 as a separate structure, cantilevered over the original. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 for its Neo-Gothic and Sullivanesque architecture and the fact that it represents Tulsa's emergence as an important economic center thanks to the oil industry.
Built in 1928 by successful oil businessman Waite Philips (1883-1964) to house offices, the Philtower is one of Tulsa's most notable landmarks. It stands at 323 feet high and has 24 floors; floors 12-20 were renovated into apartments in 2004. As constructed by an oilman, Philtower represents the emergence and growth of the city's booming oil industry. The building is also significant in that it introduced Art Deco architecture to the city. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 for its association with Phillips, the oil industry, and its architecture. Phillips also built a mansion here in Tulsa called Philbrook, which is now the Philbrook Museum of Art.
Situated in the lobby of the historic Philcade Building is a small but unique museum called the Tulsa Art Deco Museum. It is operated by the DECOPOLIS store across the street, which sells Art Deco-inspired gifts. The museum's exhibits are in the lobby's window displays and each showcases a specific collection of items. These include clothing worn by local sewist Sigrid Hinkle, cardboard picture frames, the Blane Snodgrass Private Collection (this features a number of different items), 1980s Art Deco, Egyptian Art Deco, fishbowl stands, smoke stands, yearbooks, and orginal objects from the Tulsa Club Building.
Holy Family Cathedral was built in 1914 and remains one of Tulsa's well-known landmarks. It was designed in the Gothic Revival style and was the tallest structure in the city when completed. Its three spires represent the three members of the Holy Family; the tallest one reaches a height of 251 feet. Other notable features include stained-glass windows and one of the largest Gothic altars in the country. The cathedral was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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This short walk through downtown Tulsa starts at the Woodie Guthrie Center and takes users south down Boston Avenue with stops at the Tulsa Tribune Building, Union Depot, the Tulsa Art Deco Museum, and other landmarks. More entries will be added soon.
