It’s my pleasure to introduce this guest post from Natalie Tanner of The Educational Tourist, who was kind enough to give us a list of these wonderful free attractions from Tulsa, Oklahoma (a city I have wanted to visit and hope to visit soon). I love how Natalie approaches her family’s travels and wish I can use one of her ebooks soon for one of our trips.
Welcome to Green Country! Tulsa is in the northeast corner of Oklahoma which is known for its mild climate and beautiful scenery. With gorgeous blooming trees and plants of all types, it is easy to see why Tulsa was named America’s Most Beautiful City by Time magazine in the 1950s. There is so much to see here: Route 66, Tulsa Air and Space Museum, Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art and the Brookside area.
1. Philbrook Museum
The gorgeous building, originally home to the Phillips family, of Phillips 66 fame, has a little bit of everything! The art is from many different categories but has an especially impressive Native American art section. Take a tour, visit the grounds, and have a bite for lunch. My favorite is Rodin’s statue, ‘Adam’ just inside the front door! This wonderful museum is free to kids under 17.
2. Riverside Park System
This system of parks and biking and walking trails runs alongside the Arkansas river. Walk, bike, or roller blade along the trail and enjoy pit stops at the traditional playgrounds along the way. Find the statues or play a game of frisbee!
3. Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area
Hike in the wilderness just 7 miles from downtown! Open from dawn to dusk for hiking and biking.
4. Visit Golden Driller
Symbolizing the oil history of Tulsa is the Golden Driller. Step right up and meet the largest free standing statue in the U.S – all 76 feet of him! He stands on the Tulsa State Fairground and his shoe size is 393 DDD. Sometimes the Tulsa Driller wears outfits! In 2011, he wore a Scottish kilt. I’d love to know how much fabric that took!
5. Tulsa Garden Center
Enjoy the 5,000 plants of nearly 250 varieties on 4.5 acres. Free tours are available or you can wander around yourself. Take a picnic lunch! Roses bloom from May until the first frost (November- ish) but the best time to see them is mid-May through June and again in October. Not only is it home to scores of gorgeous flowers some say the mansion is haunted! The gardens are open all the time, but the conservatory hours are: Mon-Fri 7:30-2:30.
Honorable Mention: The Center of the Universe
This acoustical marvel is easy to miss and not well maintained but worth a visit if you can find it. It is on the Boston Street pedestrian overpass between 1st and Archer street…follow the brick path until you get to the circle. Stand in the center of the brick circle and talk. Your voice will echo much louder than you expect it to, but those on the outside of the circle hear nothing! Kooky fun for the whole family!
Natalie, The Educational Tourist, loves making family travel fun, educational and affordable! Drop by for travel tips, ebooks for kids, and custom family travel planning! You make memories with your family every day. The Educational Tourist can help you make them amazing! You can follow Natalie on Facebook.
*Any other suggestions for free things to do in Tulsa with kids?
This is a part of a series called Five Free Family Friday which is a collective guide of free family-friendly attractions from places all over the world. If you’d like to contribute with the free attractions in your home city, I would love your guest posts. Thanks!
Tulsa deserves more than on honorable mention! The summer season is upon us and that means FREE outdoor concerts! They are very relaxed and people bring chairs and blankets for hanging out and listening to the fantastic music. There are many to choose from! Get the details here: http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/music/free-outdoor-concerts-check-out-schedule-of-events-around-tulsa/article_ac69da21-2659-51c7-9c3d-b5173fdf74e2.html
I’m so glad you like them! Tulsa is a hidden gem especially in the spring when things bloom. Our first year there I would stop and take photos of trees to identify. They were absolutely gorgeous and I had never seen so many flowers on trees in my life! A photographers dream!
Natalie, The Educational Tourist
http://www.theeducationaltourist.com
I hear and read a lot about American cities and Tulsa is hardly mentioned. Tulsa looks like a hidden gem and I agree it deserves more than an honorable mention.
Lovely…
Thanks for this intro to Tulsa, Natalie & Mary! I’ve always connected your city to a religious radio program that used to broadcast the address where donations could be sent – a P.O.B. in Tulsa, OK. Had no idea there was even oil!
I bet that Golden Driller is perfect for getting your bearings – you must be able to see him for miles! Size 393 DDD??? I’ll never complain about my big (to me) feet again!
Great post on a city I know nothing about! The Philbrook Museum looks gorgeous.
As a Tulsa native…it never ceases to amaze me at just how wonderful our city is. Thanks for reminding me how lucky I am to live here, especially with so many fun things to do with my kids!!