Tulsa
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Wikipedia-Article "Tulsa"
Tulsa is the second-largest city in Oklahoma. As of the revised 2004 census report, the city had a total population of 387,807, with 930,842 in the greater metro area. Tulsa is the 45th largest city in the United States and the 93rd largest city in North America. It is the county seat of Tulsa County.
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Nickname:
“Oil Capital of the World” “America's Most Beautiful City” "T-Town" "Where the South Meets the West" |
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| Founded Incorporated |
1836 1898 |
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| County | Tulsa County | ||
| Borough | {{{borough}}} | ||
| Parrish | {{{parrish}}} | ||
| Mayor | Bill LaFortune | ||
| Area - Total - Water |
483.9 km² (186.8 mi²) 10.9 km² (4.2 mi²) 2.24% |
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| Population - City (2004) - Density - Metropolitan |
387,807 /km² 930,842 |
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| Time zone | Central (UTC –6) | ||
| Coordinates WGS-84 (GPS) |
36.131294° N 95.937332° W | ||
| Website: www.cityoftulsa.org | |||
History of Tulsa
- Main article: History of Tulsa, Oklahoma
Indian Territory: 1830-1882
What was to ultimately become Tulsa was first a part of Indian Territory, which was created as part of the relocation of Eastern tribes of Native Americans. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced Native Americans to surrender their lands east of the Mississippi River to the Federal Government in exchange for land in Indian Territory. The Lochapoka Creek settled the current Tulsa area between 1828 and 1836 after they had been driven from their native Alabama.
Throughout the 19th century the tribes were forced to accept a number of treaties that further reduced the size of their lands and introduced new tribes into Indian Territory. Much of modern Tulsa is located in the Creek Nation, with parts located in the Cherokee Nation and Osage Nation.
Railroads: 1882-1901
In August, 1882, the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway, later called the Frisco, completed the extension of its line to Tulsa to serve the cattle business, the city's first industry. Tulsa, during this time, was referred to as "Tulsey Town," derived from "Tulasi," a Creek word meaning "old town". Not coincidentally, Tulasi is same word as from which Tallahassee, Florida takes its name; Florida is the original home of the Creek people.
Throughout the 19th century, the Native American tribes were made to accept a number of treaties that further reduced the size of their lands and introduced new tribes into Indian Territory. White settlers continued to push forward, more railroads moved into the territory, and in 1892 the land was officially opened and all tribal members were forced to accept individual allocations of land.
Oil boom: 1901-1907
Tulsa changed from a small Indian town to a boomtown with the discovery of oil in 1901 at Red Fork, a small community southwest of Tulsa. Wildcatters and investors flooded into the city and the town began to take shape.
In 1905, the Glenn Pool oil field was discovered. This strike created such a large supply of crude oil that it forced Tulsans to develop storage tanks for the excess oil and gas and, later, pipelines. It also laid the foundation for Tulsa to become a leader in many businesses related to oil and gas, in addition to being the physical center of the growing petroleum industry. Eventually, Glenn Pool established Oklahoma as one of the leading petroleum producing regions in the United States. Many early oil companies chose Tulsa for their home base.
Statehood: 1907-1915
By the time Oklahoma achieved statehood in 1907, Tulsa had a population of 7,298.
Second oil boom: 1915-1930
By 1920 the population boomed to 72,000. The second surge of oil discoveries occurred between 1915 and 1930, and firmly established Tulsa as the "Oil Capital of the World."
Another community that flourished in Tulsa during the oil boom was Greenwood. It was the largest and wealthiest of Oklahoma African American communities and was known nationally as "Black Wall Street". The neighborhood was a hotbed of jazz and blues in the 1920s. The scene in Greenwood was so hot that story has it that in 1927 while on tour, Count Basie heard a dance band in a club in Greenwood and decided to focus on jazz.
Race riot: 1921
The early 1900s were filled with achievements fitting for a young city in a growing nation, but this period was not without tragedy. In 1921, the Tulsa Race Riot occurred, one of the nation's worst acts of racial violence. Thirty-five blocks of businesses and residences were burned in the Greenwood District of north Tulsa and as many as 300 persons were left dead, a large majority of whom were black.
Oil bust and recovery: 1982-Present
Following the "Oil Bust" of 1982-84 the title of "Oil Capital of the World" was relinquished to Houston. City leaders worked to diversify the city away from a largely petroleum-based economy, bringing blue collar factory jobs as well as Internet and telecommunications firms to Tulsa during the 1990s. Showing that petroleum is still an important part of Tulsa's economy, an abundant supply of natural gas also helped the recovery. Especially since World War II, the aviation and aerospace industries have also been an important part of the Tulsa economy.
Many key families and people played important roles in the history of Tulsa including the Perryman Family, the Phillips family ((Frank Phillips, who founded Phillips Petroleum Company, and his brother Waite Phillips)), J. Paul Getty, William G. Skelly, the Warren family, the Murphy family, the LaFortune Family, the Bartlett family, Thomas Gilcrease, and Charles Page.
Tulsa today
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Tulsa's districts and neighborhoods
Tulsa is a unique city with many striking structures built in the 1920s and 1930s by oil barons. Downtown in particular has many landmark buildings. Tulsa is world renowned for its Art Deco landmarks, including the Philtower, the Mayo Hotel, Boston Avenue Methodist Church, Christ the King Catholic Church, and the Adams building. Known for a time as "Terra Cotta City", Tulsa hosted the International Sixth Congress on Art Deco in 2001.
Downtown
Downtown Tulsa is in the northwest quadrant of the city and is ringed by an expressway system called the inner dispersal loop. Downtown's buildings include many large office towers. The BOK Tower (formerly One Willliams Center) is the tallest building in Oklahoma and was designed in 1975 by Minoru Yamasaki & Associates, the same architect who designed the World Trade Center in New York. This structure is very similar to a single tower from the WTC in looks and construction. Other notable buildings include the art deco Midcontinent Tower and the Tulsa National Bank buildings.
The Tulsa Performing Arts Center, occupies a half city block in Tulsa's historical downtown. The PAC is the design of Minoru Yamasaki, architect of the World Trade Center. It houses five theatres and a beautifully appointed reception hall. More than a quarter of a million people visit the Center each year to attend a performance from one of Tulsa's seven acclaimed musical and dramatic companies including the Tulsa Opera, Tulsa Ballet Theater, and a variety of symphonic groups. The PAC hosts a multitude of cultural events through the fall, winter and spring.
Continuing its rich architectural history, in 2004 the City of Tulsa broke ground on a new 18,000 seat events center designed by renowned architect César Pelli. Tulsa-based BOK Financial has purchased the naming rights to the new facility and when completed, the arena will be known as the BOK Center.
Another unique local downtown landmark is the "Center of the Universe", which is located on the arched pedestrian bridge, next to the old Tulsa Union Depot (the future home of the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame). To experience the acoustic phenomenon of the Center of the Universe, all one needs to do is to stand in the middle of the circle on the arch of the bridge and speak. This part of downtown is always fairly empty of people, especially at night, and is a good place for urban exploration. At the bottom of the steps, next to the train tracks, is a sewer grate which, as legend has it, leads eventually to Tulsa's defunct system of underground tunnels, which supposedly stretch throughout downtown.
Brady Arts District
The Brady Arts District is located just north of the Center of the Universe and inludes most of the northern section of downtown Tulsa. The Brady District contains many of Tulsa's historic entertainment venues, including The Brady Theater, built in 1914. Known affectionately as the 'Old Lady on Brady', it is rumored to be haunted by the Ghost of Enrico Caruso, who performed there in 1920, and reportedly caught the cold that led to his death of pleurisy in 1921.
North of the Brady on Main Street is the Cain's Ballroom, the home of Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys and the Light Crust Doughboys. To many, Cain's is the cornerstone of western swing music in the United States; it is also one of only two still-surviving venues from the Sex Pistols' infamous 1978 USA Tour. (They played at Cain's on January 12, 1978; the spectacle of the Pistols--playing in front of a hall lined with sepia-toned blow-up photographs of Bob Wills, Ernest Tubb, and other c/w legends--was one not to be forgotten by those in attendance at what was later termed the best performance of the Pistols' brief U.S. tour. Two days later at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, Johnny Rotten would walk off stage as a Sex Pistol for the last time). Today, Cain's leads a thriving existence by attracting an eclectic mix of country, rock, "jamband," jazz, and roots music. The district is also the location of many local artists' galleries, restaurants, and bars such as the popular Caz's, Gypsy Coffeehouse, and The Bowery.
Blue Dome District
Another popular downtown entertainment district is the Blue Dome, named for a distinctive, domed building in the area in the eastern section of downtown. While some of the bars that opened there have since closed, current venues include Tsunami Sushi Bar, THE Route 66 Diner, Arnie's Bar and McNellie's Public House.
Tulsa's gay/lesbian community is energized by the establishment of the cornerstone of a gay district east of downtown, and have recently opened a Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transexual activity center.
Greenwood Historical District
The Greenwood Historical District is just north of downtown and east of the Brady District. In 1921, thirty-five blocks of businesses and residences were burned in this district during the infamous Tulsa Race Riot. The Oklahoma State Legislature passed laws in 2001 aimed at revitalizing Greenwood, setting up a scholarship fund for college-bound descendants of riot victims and appropriating $2 million for a riot memorial. As of 2004, two blocks of the old neighborhood have been restored and are part of the Greenwood Historical District. It is now home to the Greenwood Cultural Center, the Tulsa Race Riot Memorial, and the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, as well as Oklahoma State University - Tulsa and Langston University-Tulsa.
Uptown
Uptown is the region just to the south of Downtown. Here you will find the Hotel Ambassador, a Tulsa landmark, which began life as a temporary housing facility for oil tycoons who were building their mansions. Functioning as a full-service hotel these days, it gives its guests a taste of the luxury of the glory days. The Sobo bar district in this area at 18th and south Boston is quite popular. Doubleshot Coffeehouse, Mercury Lounge, Dalessandro's Restaurant, and Vintage 1740 Wine Bar are popular destinations in SOBO.
The Arkansas River
The Tulsa area boasts nearly 40 miles of river shoreline along the Arkansas River. River Parks lines more than 20 miles of that stretch, spread along the banks of the 1/4 mile wide channel. River Parks is a popular destination for outdoor recreation. Miles of asphalt-surfaced recreation trails weave past picnic areas, playgrounds, fountains and sculptures. The park's landscape ranges from manicured lawns to the rugged terrain of the Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area. Recreation in River Parks includes fishing, rowing, kayaking, disc golf, hiking, biking and horseback riding.
During the spring, summer, and early fall concerts, festivals and the state's largest free fireworks display (on the Fourth of July) are popular draws to the river.
Midtown
Midtown is a unique and largely residential district in the heart of the city. This area consists mostly of homes built in the early 1900's and has a wide variety of American styles ranging from the Craftsman bungalow to the ranch-style home to Greek Revival. The neighborhood is even home to a relocated saltbox home from colonial New England. Schools in this part of the city include Bishop Kelley High School, Cascia Hall Preparatory School, Edison High School, Elliot Elementary, Francis Scott Key Elementary, Robert E. Lee Elementary, Patrick Henry Elementary and Undercroft Montessori. Woodward Park, located in Midtown, is known for its azaleas and gardens and is a popular destination for photography and picnics. Other popular Midtown Parks include LaFortune Park, Darlington Park and Whiteside Park.
Utica Square is both a unique shopping center and another neighborhood built with lots of Oil Wealth. It's the most popular midtown shopping area and is mixed with national retailers, such as Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Local retailers include many clothing boutiques and Tulsa's oldest department store, Miss Jackson's. Several of Tulsa's most acclaimed restaurants are also located in Utica Square including the Polo Grille and the Wild Fork.
Located directly behind Utica Square is Tulsa's only Reform Jewish institution, Temple Israel. Temple Israel was founded in 1914 and currently has a membership of approximately 500 families. Temple Israel is a Reform Congregation affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), the national organization of Reform Judaism. Tulsa's conservative synagogue, B'nai Emunah is also in Midtown.
Some of the other major shopping centers in this part of the city include the Promenade Mall, Highland Park Shopping Center, Southroads, Ranch Acres, The Farm Shopping Center, and The Plaza. OU-Tulsa is across the street from the Promenade Mall at 41st and Yale, on the southern edge of Midtown.
In northeast Midtown, the Tulsa State Fairgrounds, now called Expo Square, is home to several unique Tulsa landmarks. In addition to the site being home to the minor league baseball Tulsa Drillers, the Art Deco Expo Square Pavilion, the Fair Meadows horse racing track, and the annual Tulsa State Fair, it boasts the Expo Center, the largest clearspan building in the world, providing 354,000 square feet (33,000 m²) of column-free space under a cable-suspended roof. In front of the Expo Center is the Golden Driller, standing 76 feet (23 m) tall. Built in 1966 as a symbol for the International Petroleum Expo, the statue serves as a reminder of Tulsa's oily past.
The Expo Center is also home to the annual Darryl Starbird Rod and Custom Show. Held in early February, it is touted as 'The World's Largest Indoor Car Show' and often draws around 1,500 custom and classic cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Antique car auctions are also held here and draw many visitors from across the nation.
Cherry Street
The Cherry Street Neighborhood is in Midtown Tulsa, located near three of Tulsa's designated Historic Districts: the Swan Lake, North Maple Ridge, and Yorktown neighborhoods. The Cherry Street District is set near downtown in the northern midtown area, defined by a portion of 15th Street dubbed "Cherry Street." Visitors to this neighborhood find great local restaurants, boutique shops, art galleries, antique shops, funky vintage stores, and even a scooter shop now filling old storefronts built in the 1920s & 1930s, as well as some fabulous old homes in the surrounding residential areas.
Maple Ridge
The Maple Ridge Historic District is just south of downtown in Midtown. This neighborhood contains 'Black Gold Row', where the fabulous mansions built by the oil barons in the 1920s still stand, long after their original owners have gone.
Brookside
Brookside, like Cherry Street, is another popular shopping and entertainment district in Midtown. This area extends from the Arkansas River east to Peoria. Its defining strip is South Peoria between 31st and 41st Streets, where visitors find a variety of shopping delights, and is home to more than 35 restaurants and nightspots (many with patio seating), featuring everything from sushi to old-fashioned burger and root beer stands. There are also plenty of swanky boutiques, decor shops, and art galleries for window shopping. The atmosphere is chic and eclectic. Scenic Riverside Drive, which parallels the east bank of the river, and River Parks, the park that stretches along the riverbank, are also popular sections of Brookside.
Terwilleger Heights
Terwilleger Heights is located immediately south and west of Utica Square bordered by 21st Street, 31st Street, Utica Avenue and Peoria Avenue. This area has early 1930's homes both grand and small, full grown trees, winding streets and is adjacent to the Philbrook Museum of Art and Woodward Park.
Kendall-Whittier
To the east of downtown is Tulsa’s oldest suburban shopping area and is noted for its abundance of red brick. The artsy, historic, and recently restored Circle Cinema is located in this area. The Kendall-Whittier shopping area and surrounding neighborhoods are now popular with Tulsa’s rapidly growing Hispanic community. Just east of this area is the University of Tulsa.
South Tulsa
Southern Hills
Southern Hills is an exclusive neighborhood on the south side that is centered around the Southern Hills Country Club. Southern Hills Country Club has been the home to 13 major golf championships including four US Opens. Many of the original homes in this neighborhood were sprawling suburban homes built in the ranch style.The campus of Oral Roberts University with its very distinctive futuristic architecture is in this area.
71st Street Corridor/Woodland Hills
Woodland Hills is a both a region in the southeast part of the city and the state's largest shopping mall. The area around the mall is a massive shopping district with all the usual stores and traffic that reaches for miles along 71st Street from Tulsa into Broken Arrow. Most, though not all of the businesses in this area are chains, ranging from big box stores like BestBuy and CompUSA to restaurants like Krispy Kreme and Famous Dave's.
East Tulsa
East Tulsa is a suburban-style area. This region includes several growing multi-ethnic communities with booming Hispanic and Asian populations. The parts of East Tulsa that fall in Union and Broken Arrow School districts are increasingly attracting high-income professionals looking for suburban life within the city limits. Eastland Mall is in this area.
North Tulsa
North Tulsa is the traditional home of Tulsa’s African-American community. Tulsa’s African-American high school during the segregation era, Booker T. Washington High School, in this area was recently judged to be the 58th best high school in the nation by Newsweek. Further to the northeast, close to Tulsa International Airport, are Mohawk Park, which includes the Tulsa Zoo, and the new Tulsa Air and Space Center.
West Tulsa
West Tulsa is another reminder of Tulsa’s oil-rich past. Two huge oil refineries remain in operation to this day on the west bank of the river. This large industrial area gives way to wooded and hilly neighborhoods. Tulsa’s general aviation airport, Jones Airport, is also in this area. The classic art deco Webster High School is here, as is the popular train-themed Ollie’s Station Restaurant, sitting next to the Tulsa rail yard.
The Riverparks system, also here on the bank of the river, includes the Riverwest Festival Park, with its floating stage amphitheater overlooking downtown. Riverwest is home to such popular events as Tulsa's Oktoberfest, one of the largest of its kind in North America, and the Gatesway Balloon Festival.
Although not in Tulsa proper, the new Riverwalk Crossing development in Jenks features specialty shops and restaurants along the west bank of the Arkansas River. The center also features fountains and an outdoor amphitheater. Plans are in the works for Bell's Amusement Park to relocate from Tulsa's Expo Square to a parcel of land near the Riverwalk Crossing complex around 2007. The Oklahoma Aquarium is also located on the west bank, a short distance away from the new retail center.
Geography and climate
Geography
Tulsa is located at 36°7'53" North, 95°56'14" West (36.131294, -95.937332)GR1 in the northeastern corner of the state, some 99 miles Northeast of Oklahoma City.
Tulsa is the main city in the part of Oklahoma known as "Green Country" due to the dense green vegetation in the area. Tulsa is a heavily wooded city split by the Arkansas River, Tulsa has abundant parks and water areas including such local favorites as Woodward Park (where it is a local tradition to kiss one's sweetheart on the bridge), McClure Park, LaFortune Park, Florence Park and Chandler Park. Tulsa has an extensive trail systems much of it along the Arkansas River as part of the Riverparks system. Mohawk Park, location of the Tulsa Zoo, (in 2004 named America's favorite zoo in a national contest), contains 2,800 acres (11 km²) and is the largest park in Tulsa and one of the largest urban parks in the country. Tulsa is also near the heart of Tornado Alley, a region known to experience more tornadoes on average than any other area in the world.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 483.9 km² (186.8 mi²). 473.1 km² (182.6 mi²) of it is land and 10.9 km² (4.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.24% water.
Climate
Tulsa lies along the Arkansas River at an elevation of 700 feet (213 m) above sea level. At latitude 36 degrees, Tulsa is far enough north often to escape protracted periods of heat in summer, yet far enough south usually to miss the extreme cold of winter. The influence of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico is often noted, frequently creating high humidity. Generally the winter months are mild, and although temperatures occasionally fall below -20°C (0°F), they seldom stay there for a very long period of time. Temperatures of 40°C (100°F) or higher are often observed from July to early September, but are sometimes accompanied by a good southerly breeze. The fall season is long with a number of pleasant, sunny days and cool nights. Primarily during the spring and early summer months, the Tulsa area is often subjected to thunderstorms, some of which contain large hail, damaging winds and an occasional tornado. The spring and early summer thunderstorm pattern also provides the area with a disproportionate share of its annual rainfall, which averages around 1000 mm (42 inches). Due to frequent periods of very heavy rainfall Tulsa has one of the most extensive flood control systems in the nation.
Demographics
Population
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there are 393,049 people, 165,743 households, and 99,114 families residing in the city. The population density is 830.9/km² (2,152.0/mi²). There are 179,405 housing units at an average density of 379.2/km² (982.3/mi²).
Diversity
The racial makeup of the city is 70.09% Caucasian, 15.47% African American, 4.72% Native American, 1.82% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.45% from other races, and 4.40% from two or more races. At least 7.15% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race, with more unregistered living within the city.
Family
There are 165,743 households out of which 28.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% are married couples living together, 12.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% are non-families. 33.9% of all households are made up of only one person, and 9.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.31 people and the average family size is 2.98.
Age
In the city, the population is spread-out with 24.8% of the population under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.4 males.
Income
The median income for a household in the city is $35,316, and the median income for a family is $44,518. Males have a median income of $32,779 versus $25,587 for females. The per capita income for the city is $21,534. 14.1% of the population and 10.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 20.5% of those under the age of 18 and 8.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
On the other hand, that median income can go a long way. In 2005, Salary.com conducted a survey finding cities where you get the most value for your salary, and where you get the least. "Rounding out the Top 5 'Profitable Cities' is the booming Oklahoma town of Tulsa. Tulsa is the second largest city in Oklahoma with 393,000 residents, and is expected to gain 30,000 more inhabitants by 2010. Tulsa isn't your typical Oklahoma oil patch town. It's one of America's top industry leaders in aerospace, oil and gas, and technology. Extremely low business and living costs, as well as a low unemployment rate, has helped power Tulsa into our Top 5."
Tulsa Metro Area
The Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) consists of seven counties in northeastern Oklahoma and more than twenty outlying cities and towns.
Counties
Cities and towns
- North: Dewey, Bartlesville, Pawhuska, Oologah, Skiatook, Collinsville, Owasso
- West: Pawnee, Bristow, Cleveland, Kellyville, Sand Springs, Mannford, Sapulpa
- East: Claremore, Catoosa, Broken Arrow, Wagoner, Coweta
- South: Jenks, Glenpool, Bixby, Mounds, Beggs, Okmulgee, Henryetta
The Tulsa-Bartlesville consolidated metropolitan area (CMSA) is created by adding the Bartlesville, Oklahoma micropolitan area which consists of Washington County in northeastern Oklahoma.
Also nearby and part of Tulsa’s media market but not part of Tulsa’s CMSA is Muskogee, Oklahoma.
Business and economy
Tulsa, while no longer the Oil Capital of the World, is still an important energy center. Other important industries include aerospace, telecom, high tech, insurance, and car rental companies.
Some of the major companies based in Tulsa include:
- AAON
- Bama Pie
- BC and BS of Oklahoma
- BOK
- Camille's Sidewalk Cafe
- Casillas Petroleum
- Dollar Thrifty Automotive
- Excel Energy
- Flintco
- Gallagher Bryce Insurance
- Helmerich and Payne
- John Zink Co
- Lowrance Electronics
- Manhattan Construction
- Matrix Services
- Mazzio’s
- Nordam
- ONEOK
- Quik Trip
- Rib Crib
- Syntroelum
- Unit Corp
- Vanguard
- Vintage Petroleum (bought by Occidental Petroleum - moving to Houston)
- Webco
- Williams
- Wiltel (bought by Level 3 - moving to Denver)
Other companies that have a significant presence or are large employers in the area:
- Allied Signal
- American Airlines (American operates the largest aircraft maintenance base in the world in Tulsa)
- Avis
- Bizjet
- Boeing
- Cingular
- Citgo (Citgo was once headquartered in Tulsa; its headquarters moved to Houston, Texas in 2004)
- Cox Communications
- Decision One
- DirecTV
- Dish
- IBM
- MCI
- McleodUSA
- Metlife
- Metris
- Quaid & Associates
- SBC
- State Farm
- U.S. Cellular
- Whirlpool
Transportation
Air
Tulsa is served by Tulsa International Airport. Eleven commercial airlines and several charter airlines serve nearly 3 million travelers annually to almost 70 departures every day.
Land
Important highways passing through Tulsa are Interstate 44, US 412, US 64, and US 75. It was also served by historic Route 66, and there are numerous reminders of this by the mid-20th century era, especially motels and restaurants along 11th Street and Admiral Place. Cyrus Avery, known as "The Father of Route 66," resided in Tulsa.
Water
East of Tulsa, in Catoosa, the Tulsa Port of Catoosa is the head of navigation for the McClellan-Kerr Navigation System, connecting barge traffic from Tulsa to the Mississippi River.
Education and science
Primary
Jenks Public Schools Broken Arrow Public Schools Bixby Public Schools Tulsa Public Schools Union Public Schools
Secondary
In addition, there are multiple parochial elementary and middle schools in the Tulsa metropolitan area. There are nine public high schools in the Tulsa school district with many more in the suburbs.
Bishop Kelley High School (private) Cascia Hall Preparatory School (private) Holland Hall School (private)
Higher learning
Tulsa is home to a large variety of colleges and universities, including:
- Langston University - Tulsa campus
- Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (Miami)
- Northeastern State University (Tahlequah, Broken Arrow, Muskogee)
- University of Oklahoma-Schusterman Center
- Oklahoma State University - College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Oklahoma State University - Tulsa
- Oklahoma Wesleyan University (Bartlesville)
- Oral Roberts University(private)
- Phillips Theological Seminary(private)
- RHEMA Bible Training Center (Broken Arrow)
- Rogers State University (Claremore, Bartlesville, Pryor)
- Spartan School of Aeronautics(private)
- St. Gregory's University - Tulsa(private)
- University of Tulsa(private)
- University of Tulsa College of Law (private)
- Tulsa Community College (four campuses)
- Tulsa Technology Center (three campuses)
Libraries
The Tulsa City-County Library system is the largest in the state of Oklahoma, containing 1.7 million volumes in 25 library facilities (map):
Regional branches
- Zarrow (West)
- Rudisill (North)
- African-American Resource Center website
- Martin (East)
- Hispanic Resource Center website
- Hardesty (South)
Tulsa Branches
- Brookside
- Central
- American Indian Resource Center website
- Genealogy Center
- Peggy Helmerich
- Kendall-Whittier
- Library @ 51st
- Maxwell Park
- Nathan Hale
- Schusterman-Benson
- Suburban Acres
Suburban Branches
- Bixby
- Broken Arrow
- Charles Page (in Sand Springs)
- Collinsville
- Glenpool
- Jenks
- Owasso
- Pratt (in Sand Springs)
- Skiatook
- South Broken Arrow
- Sperry
The Tulsa City-County Library is very active in the community, holdingevents and programs at most library locations, including free computer classes, children's storytimes, business and job assistance, and many others.
The library system provides access to dozens of online databases for reliable information on a variety of topics. Many of these are accessible from home with a valid library card number. There are many other research tools available, including an award-winning database of frequently-asked questions.
Entertainment and attractions
With the city's interesting mix of Southern settlers, Northern oilmen, and Western ranchers and thanks to Tulsa's location in an area rich withNative American history and culture, the city and surrounding areas are home to many unique museums and attractions.
Museums and cultural centers
- The Greenwood Cultural Center, which preserves the history of "The Black Wall Street" prior to the Tulsa Race Riot. www.greenwoodculturalcenter.com
- J.M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum, home of the largest private gun collection in the world, in Claremore, Oklahoma www.jmdavis.state.ok.us
- The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame www.okjazz.org
- Philbrook Museum of Art www.philbrook.org
- Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, formerly the Fenster Museum of Jewish Art. The Miller offers the largest collection of Judaica in the Southwest United States. www.jewishmuseum.net
- Thomas Gilcrease Museum of Art, Western American and American Indian art collection www.gilcrease.org
- Society of Exploration Geophysicists Geoscience Center, reflecting the city's strong connection to the petroleum industry. /www.geosciencecenter.org
- Tulsa Air and Space Museum www.tulsaairandspacemuseum.com
- The Tulsa Historical Center, next to the Tulsa Garden Center. www.tulsahistory.org
- Will Rogers Memorial in Claremore, Oklahoma www.willrogers.com
Parks, gardens and nature preserves
- River Parks, a system of parks featuring extensive trails for walking, running, and biking, and the site of several of Tulsa's largest festivals. www.riverparks.org
- The Oklahoma Aquarium, Jenks, which boasts a walk-through shark tank. www.okaquarium.org
- Oxley Nature Center www.oxleynaturecenter.org
- Tulsa Municipal Rose Garden at Woodward Park www.tulsagardencenter.com
- Tulsa Parks, The City of Tulsa manages 140 parks covering roughly 6,000 acres. www.tulsaparks.org
- Featuring nature centers, golf courses, 21 swimming pools, 156 sports fields, 115 playgrounds, 123 tennis courts, 25 water playgrounds, The River SkatePark, 60 picnic shelters, 14 community centers, fitness facilities, gymnasiums, meeting rooms and facilities, trails and more.
- Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum, north of the city in Mohawk Park www.tulsazoo.org
- Recently recognized as "America's Favorite Zoo" by Microsoft Game Studios as a promotion for their upcoming game, titled "Zoo Tycoon 2." [1]
- Tulsa's Penguins on Parade public art display [2] is a result of the addition of an African Penguin exhibit. The display is similar to those in Chicago, Seattle and other cities, and features whimsically decorated statues.
Performing arts
- Clark Theatre website
- Discoveryland! Amphitheatre, featuring performances of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Oklahoma" musical throughout the summer. www.discoverylandusa.com
- The Brady Theater, historic downtown performing arts theatre. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Cain's Ballroom, where Bob Wills helped popularize Western Swing. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places www.cainsballroom.com
- South Tulsa Children's Ballet www.southtulsachildrensballet.org
- The Nightingale Theater www.nightingaletheater.com
- Theatre Tulsa www.theatretulsa.org
- Tulsa Ballet www.tulsaballet.org
- Tulsa Opera www.tulsaopera.com
- Tulsa Oratorio Chorus www.tulsaoratorio.org
- Tulsa Performing Arts Center www.tulsapac.com
- Tulsa Spotlight Theatre www.tulsaweb.com
Festivals and events
As a culturally diverse metropolis, Tulsa has a wide variety of events year-round. A sampling of these include:
General
- Tulsa State Fair in late September and early October www.tulsastatefair.com
- The Gatesway Balloon Festival in August www.gateswayfestival.com
Cultural
- Oklahoma Scottish Games and Gathering in September www.tulsascottishgames.org
- Tulsa Oktoberfest www.tulsaoktoberfest.org
- Festival Hispano in September