This Quirky Midwest City Claims to Be the Center of the Universe

Tulsa, Oklahoma—also known as T-Town, Tulsey Town, the 918, the Buckle of the Bible Belt, or Green Country—is a small city with a surprising amount of culture, charm, and unexpected delights. Since the 1920s, Tulsa has been a major player in the oil industry, so all the cash from mining that black gold has helped infuse the city with a vibrant arts scene, noteworthy food and drink establishments, and some genuinely unparalleled architecture.
‌
The zig to Oklahoma’s zag, Tulsa has long been a more eccentric, artsy, and offbeat urban bubble in the state’s northeast region, known as Green Country. Sandwiched between the Ozark Mountains and the Osage Hills, with the Arkansas River cascading through it, the city is as unexpectedly lush as the name suggests, but the surprises here go well beyond the greenery.

As singular a city as they come, Tulsa is the kind of place that differentiates itself at every turn. Like an amalgam of different towns and cultures smooshed together, it’s a city where you can find a Hollywood-style Walk of Fame, scores of James Beard-worthy restaurants, a Lord of the Rings-looking cave house, a museum inspired wholly by a Tom Cruise film, enough Art Deco to rival South Beach, and a skyscraper designed as a near-exact replica of New York City’s World Trade Center—albeit precisely half the size.

Tulsa is unlike its nearby bigger sister, Oklahoma City, which feels decidedly modern and metropolitan in comparison. Tulsa is more like the Portland of the Great Plains: endearingly weird and unconventional, unafraid to color outside the lines and take risks. Like many cities in politically conservative states, Tulsa shines as a beacon of diversity, inclusion, eccentricity, and open-mindedness that might not be the first thing that pops to mind when thinking of Oklahoma.

Oh, and Tulsa is apparently the Center of the Universe…if you know where to find it. Okay we’ll tell you: a nondescript walkway downtown, marked by a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it concrete circle. If you stand in the middle of the circle and speak, your echo will reverberate at a much higher pitch, while anyone outside the circle supposedly wouldn’t hear a thing. Whatever the unexplained reason for this weird acoustic vortex and whether or not Tulsa is indeed the center of the universe, it’s clear that this is one city not lacking in quirks waiting to be heard, seen, tasted, and discovered.

Travel time:
4 hours from Dallas, Texas

Tulsa is remarkably one of the most epic cities for Art Deco architecture, with 63 listed buildings—from houses and hotels to theaters and towers—spanning the metro area with many buildings accessible to the public. Tulsa also boasts other noteworthy architecture that is worth experiencing. Case in point: the Cave House. Situated on a tree-lined hill, the building acts as a by-appointment mini-museum offering tours of its funky confines, absurdly steep stairs, and narrow hallways seemingly designed for hobbits. It’s also reportedly haunted by a ghost who steals keys, so keep an eye on your pockets.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is the BOK Tower, a 667-foot, 52-story skyscraper that bears a striking resemblance to New York City’s World Trade Center. That’s because it was designed by the same architect, Minoru Yamasaki & Associates, and stands exactly half the height of the Twin Towers, steel columns and all. The appearance of the building may elicit goosebumps or moments of silence because it can transport anyone who watched the September 11, 2001, events unfold on television.

Circle Cinema is an indie arthouse theater and art gallery that’s been screening flicks since 1928, making it the oldest movie house in town. Now a non-profit theater (the only historic arthouse theater of its kind in Tulsa) that also features guest speakers, educational events, panel discussions, and community-conscious programming, it’s the kind of place where you can feel good about seeing Inside Out 2 for the sixth time.
Then there’s the Circle Cinema’s Walk of Fame out front, a Hollywood-esque ode to actors, musicians, and filmmakers who have connections to Oklahoma in one vague way or another. Honorees run the gamut from the expected (Kristin Chenoweth, Reba McEntire) to the much less expected (Gary Busey, Ron Howard). Heck, next time you’re at trivia night, it may come in handy to know that Brad Pitt was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma.

One of the most famous films ever made in Tulsa, Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders was such a big deal that the 1983 movie now has its own museum. Thanks to its cult following, the house that served as a primary filming location has transformed appropriately enough into The Outsiders House Museum. Diehard Coppola stans can go behind-the-scenes in an intimate setting filled with memorabilia and rare photographs. Perhaps Martin Scorcese’s Killers of the Flower Moon will one day have a Tulsa museum of its own, too.

Music is also part of the DNA of Tulsa’s culture. It’s a city rich with rock & roll lore and home to both a Woody Guthrie Center (a museum and archive) and the Bob Dylan Center. Rolling Stone even thinks Tulsa’s got the musical stuff to become the next Austin. You’ll hear live music all over town on any night of the week, but make sure to schedule your Tulsa trip around a concert at the iconic Cain’s Ballroom, which celebrates 100 years of music in 2024.

Want to learn an artistic skill while you’re in town? Tulsa Glassblowing School in the Tulsa Arts District offers fun workshops if you have time to spare. Or, because you’re road-tripping already, take a tour of Tulsa’s segment of historic Route 66, where you’ll find incredible retro signs and motor lodges, the Golden Driller statue, and the delightfully oddball Blue Whale or Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios. The latter is a wonderland of odd sundries and larger-than-life figurines in an old gas station as an elaborate homage to Route 66 and the all-American road trip.

For a deeper, more intimate dive into Tulsa’s musical pastimes, swing by The Church Studio, a historic stone church-turned-recording studio for Leon Russell and Shelter Records. The building itself dates back to 1915, serving as a series of different churches until Russell purchased it in 1972 and turned it into a workshop for musicians, songwriters, and singers, including the likes of Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Buffett, and Tom Petty.

Today, the stone-clad relic is a kind of museum, open to the public for historic tours that showcase the origins of the Tulsa Sound. This singular musical genre—credited to the likes of Leon Russell—fuses elements of rockabilly, blues, country, rock & roll, and swamp rock.

Tulsa has emerged as an up-and-coming food lovers’ paradise. Steakhouses are nothing new in this chicken-fried part of the country, but how about a Lebanese-owned, supper club–style steakhouse? At Jamil’s Steakhouse you can order a rib-eye with a side of tabouli, za’atar-spiced barbecue sauce, a sampler of ribs and bologna, then baklava for dessert.

On the more contemporary side of things, nestled in the alleyways of the eclectic Arts District, Bull in the Alley takes a speakeasy-style approach to steak. Instead of the typically sprawling and flashy steakhouse template, you’ll see no signage and no social media presence, just a minimalist website as secretive as a Beyoncé music drop. An easier-to-find eatery nearby also worth visiting, The Tavern makes an ideal stop for brunch, Sunday night fried chicken, or an indulgent tasting menu at the Chef’s Table in the heart of the high-energy kitchen. For something a little more low-brow, it wouldn’t be a proper visit to Tulsa without checking out Coney Island Hot Weiners, the city’s oldest hot dog restaurant, where they make their killer chili fresh every day.

Tulsa is also surprisingly home to one of the country's coolest, real-deal tiki bars. Saturn Room has the masterful mixology and immersive kitsch of the best tiki bars in the country. Duet Jazz Restaurant serves a full menu, but pop in for live music on the patio and a few craft cocktails for an enjoyable break from city exploration. Pick your favorite songs from the jukebox at the best kind of dive bar, Caz’s Pub, where cheap, stiff drinks bring smiles to faces and spontaneous dance moves the longer you stay. Or go to a nightclub with a real dance floor, a lively LGBTQ hangout called Club Majestic Tulsa.

Live the art deco life while you’re overnighting in Tulsa with a stay at the circa-1927 Tulsa Club Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton. Similarly, Ambassador Hotel Tulsa, Autograph Collection (built in 1929) and the Mayo Hotel (built in 1925) also offer a seamless blend of historic architecture, modern amenities, and a little luxury after a long day on the town.

Want more Thrillist? Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.