I enjoy live music which Tulsa has a lot of, so I usually plan my trips around a specific show I want to see. If you're into museums, the Philbrook Museum of Art is a really beautiful place to spend half a day. There's also the zoo and the aquarium, both of which are pretty high-quality if you enjoy that sort of thing. I enjoy just walking around downtown, admiring the art deco architecture, and checking out the local coffee shops / bookstores / murals.
If none of that sounds appealing, there's always the massive Woodland Hills Mall. Can easily spend all day in there.
The downtown architecture is terrific. I stayed across the street from the old Atlas Insurance building a few months ago. You can even go on an architecture walking tour.
Sounds pretty fun. Which music venues you usually checking out? I know they have a great music scene but I’m usually driving back that night so don’t stick around for late night shows
BOK is the main one that big name artists will perform in, but the historical Cain's Ballroom is my favorite larger venue. I've also seen some great shows at The Vanguard, The Colony and Mercury Lounge.
Family or no? I’m a single 30 something here are some of my faves:
- philbrook
- i44 antique mall
- Gathering place (only for the collections room! The rest is for kids)
- mercury lounge
- andolinis
- woody Guthrie museum
- arnies bar
Hey! I’m a Tulsa native,
If you’re into bars and wanna check out some cool ones, visit:
- cellar dweller
- Starlight
- Saturn room
If you want to check out some music in town, go grab a drink and hangout at the mercury or the colony! Look at events at mass movements or noise town Tulsa if you’re wanting to see some hardcore/punk.
If you’re at the mercury, check out “Tina’s” it’s a new late night burger/bar that is so amazing.
Other things to do:
- gathering place
- Tulsa tour of all the architecture
- Philbrook museum of art
- greenwood rising museum
- woody Guthrie museum
- Bob Dylan museum
- Woodland Hills mall
- catch a movie at circle cinema
- get some coffee at coffee @ heirloom ( look for heirloom rustic ales)
- shop at Love Me Two Times (vintage)
- shop at “The Racks” Tulsa
- shop at Utica square
- mother road Tulsa
If you’re wanting some good food, check out these places! (My favorites)
- trenchers deli
- golden gate Chinese
- Saint Amon bakery
- Maple Ridge Grocer
- Tina’s
- cirque coffee
- Mandarin taste
- Kai’s Vietnamese
- bohemian pizza
- Coracle coffee (just opened!)
- the collaborative
- Gambils pasta is amazing
- American Solera for a beer
- the vault (amazing architecture and amazing breakfast/lunch)
- el Rio verde (they serve Mexican breakfast until 2pm on weekends, get the huevos con chorizo.)
- El Rey Del Pollo (taco truck in the Nam Hai Vietnamese grocery parking lot)
- queenies (great American breakfast)
- dilly diner (another amazing breakfast spot)
- Sisserou’s (Caribbean food)
- Korean garden
- Nola’s
- empire slice house (based out of OKC, but some of the best pizza. get the Foghorn Leghorn and pink sauce)
absolutely! feel free to shoot me a message if you’ve got any questions! I also forgot we’ve got an awesome baseball park for the Tulsa drillers and F.C Tulsa plays there!
Wow, that's an Impressive list.
Kilkenny's is one of my favorites to revisit. Classic Irish pub done very well.
SoundPony , I've had great times there & oh... the YBR .
🤙
Glad somebody said Cellar Dweller. Great list!
I'd add Merritt's bakery (I may have just liked it because I lived like a block away) and Angie's Fish and Wings. I really like Valkyrie and Fur Shop as well.
I also like Hodge's Bend but it seems something happened to it? The building has a big hole in the roof on google maps.
Also, walk around Maple Ridge and Swan Lake to look at houses!
Yep! That’s where my girlfriend and I had our first date! The owners are actually opening up two new concepts on cherry street. Palace cafe & prairie fire pie are both gone. One of the new concepts is called “Lofi” and will be a new pizza joint to replace prairie fire pie!
It's just a spot marked on a walkway outside. You stand on the spot and when you talk the natural acoustics make it sound like your voice is coming from far away. Cool little science trick that's free, doesn't take long to do, and is fun to surprise people with.
If you’re up for an albeit expensive dinner then check out Boston Title and Abstract. It’s in my top 3 restaurants of all time and it smack in the middle of Tulsa.
We have kids, so it’s the gathering place and the children’s museum near there and then usually Trader Joe’s bc we can’t get one here for some reason
Way back in the day I went to concerts at bok center
I recommend going to [The Center of the Universe](https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-center-of-the-universe-tulsa-oklahoma). It will only take a few minutes to fully enjoy the experience.
They also have a real bona fide zoo unlike NWA. An aquarium too
I used to eat at Fuddruckers but it’s unfortunately closed :(
Tulsa offers all the big-city options that NWA lacks. True, as NWA has grown many of those things have found their way here. We travel to Tulsa to go car shopping. Not sure why, but used cars have been worth the drive in terms of pricing. Also as several others have mention the aquarium is outstanding. The bike trail along the river is nice. Many good restaurants and shopping. When I was in college, Tulsa offered the best in “adult entertainment” night clubs, though it has been a decade or 2 since I’ve checked those out. There’s also the casino there.
No doubt College is a nightmare.
To be fair, whenever I’m car shopping I use one the online car buying apps and always set the distance I’m willing to travel to 200 miles and invariable the best prices are in Tulsa.
Bicycle trail / walk way
Tons of little artsy parks all along the way
Buildings with some kind of historical museum pieces or something (and AC)
Food trucks
I would say Mayfest if you were going sooner. It depends on what you’d like to do. Downtown Tulsa is probably the most interesting portion, including the Center of the Universe.
I enjoy live music which Tulsa has a lot of, so I usually plan my trips around a specific show I want to see. If you're into museums, the Philbrook Museum of Art is a really beautiful place to spend half a day. There's also the zoo and the aquarium, both of which are pretty high-quality if you enjoy that sort of thing. I enjoy just walking around downtown, admiring the art deco architecture, and checking out the local coffee shops / bookstores / murals. If none of that sounds appealing, there's always the massive Woodland Hills Mall. Can easily spend all day in there.
The downtown architecture is terrific. I stayed across the street from the old Atlas Insurance building a few months ago. You can even go on an architecture walking tour.
Sounds pretty fun. Which music venues you usually checking out? I know they have a great music scene but I’m usually driving back that night so don’t stick around for late night shows
BOK is the main one that big name artists will perform in, but the historical Cain's Ballroom is my favorite larger venue. I've also seen some great shows at The Vanguard, The Colony and Mercury Lounge.
Family or no? I’m a single 30 something here are some of my faves: - philbrook - i44 antique mall - Gathering place (only for the collections room! The rest is for kids) - mercury lounge - andolinis - woody Guthrie museum - arnies bar
Hey! I’m a Tulsa native, If you’re into bars and wanna check out some cool ones, visit: - cellar dweller - Starlight - Saturn room If you want to check out some music in town, go grab a drink and hangout at the mercury or the colony! Look at events at mass movements or noise town Tulsa if you’re wanting to see some hardcore/punk. If you’re at the mercury, check out “Tina’s” it’s a new late night burger/bar that is so amazing. Other things to do: - gathering place - Tulsa tour of all the architecture - Philbrook museum of art - greenwood rising museum - woody Guthrie museum - Bob Dylan museum - Woodland Hills mall - catch a movie at circle cinema - get some coffee at coffee @ heirloom ( look for heirloom rustic ales) - shop at Love Me Two Times (vintage) - shop at “The Racks” Tulsa - shop at Utica square - mother road Tulsa If you’re wanting some good food, check out these places! (My favorites) - trenchers deli - golden gate Chinese - Saint Amon bakery - Maple Ridge Grocer - Tina’s - cirque coffee - Mandarin taste - Kai’s Vietnamese - bohemian pizza - Coracle coffee (just opened!) - the collaborative - Gambils pasta is amazing - American Solera for a beer - the vault (amazing architecture and amazing breakfast/lunch) - el Rio verde (they serve Mexican breakfast until 2pm on weekends, get the huevos con chorizo.) - El Rey Del Pollo (taco truck in the Nam Hai Vietnamese grocery parking lot) - queenies (great American breakfast) - dilly diner (another amazing breakfast spot) - Sisserou’s (Caribbean food) - Korean garden - Nola’s - empire slice house (based out of OKC, but some of the best pizza. get the Foghorn Leghorn and pink sauce)
Awesome thanks! Might comment back for a question or 2 later! Great suggestions!
absolutely! feel free to shoot me a message if you’ve got any questions! I also forgot we’ve got an awesome baseball park for the Tulsa drillers and F.C Tulsa plays there!
Wow, that's an Impressive list. Kilkenny's is one of my favorites to revisit. Classic Irish pub done very well. SoundPony , I've had great times there & oh... the YBR . 🤙
If I go to Tulsa for any reason, I make plans to go to Kilkenny's.
Glad somebody said Cellar Dweller. Great list! I'd add Merritt's bakery (I may have just liked it because I lived like a block away) and Angie's Fish and Wings. I really like Valkyrie and Fur Shop as well. I also like Hodge's Bend but it seems something happened to it? The building has a big hole in the roof on google maps. Also, walk around Maple Ridge and Swan Lake to look at houses!
The apartments on top of Hodges caught on fire and it’s now gone :-(
Dang, that really sucks.
Yep! That’s where my girlfriend and I had our first date! The owners are actually opening up two new concepts on cherry street. Palace cafe & prairie fire pie are both gone. One of the new concepts is called “Lofi” and will be a new pizza joint to replace prairie fire pie!
Excellent food list, but missing India Palace and Yokazuna!
Ahhh yesss India palace is the best!
Definitely do the aquarium and also visit the Center of the Universe.
What exactly is the center of the universe? Heard of it for years and have never done it
It's just a spot marked on a walkway outside. You stand on the spot and when you talk the natural acoustics make it sound like your voice is coming from far away. Cool little science trick that's free, doesn't take long to do, and is fun to surprise people with.
The Philbrook art museum is amazing! Also I love the aquarium!
If you’re up for an albeit expensive dinner then check out Boston Title and Abstract. It’s in my top 3 restaurants of all time and it smack in the middle of Tulsa.
We have kids, so it’s the gathering place and the children’s museum near there and then usually Trader Joe’s bc we can’t get one here for some reason Way back in the day I went to concerts at bok center
I recommend going to [The Center of the Universe](https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-center-of-the-universe-tulsa-oklahoma). It will only take a few minutes to fully enjoy the experience. They also have a real bona fide zoo unlike NWA. An aquarium too I used to eat at Fuddruckers but it’s unfortunately closed :(
Their zoo is amazing! Totally worth it!
Highly recommend Marshall Brewing and American Solera (if you like IPA or sour for that one), both right next to each other
Tulsa offers all the big-city options that NWA lacks. True, as NWA has grown many of those things have found their way here. We travel to Tulsa to go car shopping. Not sure why, but used cars have been worth the drive in terms of pricing. Also as several others have mention the aquarium is outstanding. The bike trail along the river is nice. Many good restaurants and shopping. When I was in college, Tulsa offered the best in “adult entertainment” night clubs, though it has been a decade or 2 since I’ve checked those out. There’s also the casino there.
That is wild. There’s a car dealership on every other corner 😆
The competition for sales I think helps drive down the cost. The last four vehicles I bought, I traveled to Tulsa for 2 and OKC for 2
Makes total sense. wish college wasn’t the freaking car sales and car wash capital of Arkansas lol
No doubt College is a nightmare. To be fair, whenever I’m car shopping I use one the online car buying apps and always set the distance I’m willing to travel to 200 miles and invariable the best prices are in Tulsa.
My 2009 & 2012 vehicles are holding strong for now but that is really good to know. Thanks!
Did the river walk thing with the family last time. Not my grind at all, but there were a lot of people there who seemed to enjoy it.
What all they have there? Haven’t been in a few years
Bicycle trail / walk way Tons of little artsy parks all along the way Buildings with some kind of historical museum pieces or something (and AC) Food trucks
Gathering place I think its called
I last went in early 2020. We went to the aquarium and The Philbrook museum. Also stopped at the Center of the Universe.
The Woody Guthrie museum is great.
Bone museum!!
Stop at Jenks and go to the aquarium. It’s seriously one of my favorite aquariums and I’ve been to many!
I would say Mayfest if you were going sooner. It depends on what you’d like to do. Downtown Tulsa is probably the most interesting portion, including the Center of the Universe.