Page Contents for Tulsa, Oklahoma

Statistics & Facts

Location

Weather & Climate

History & History-related items

City Attractions

Government

Organizations, Churches, and Sports.

Schools.

Miscellany

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Statistics & Facts

The Oklahoma state capital is Oklahoma City.
The population of Tulsa is approximately 381,000 (1998), 391906 (2010).
The approximate number of families is 176,211 (1990), 163975 (2010).
The amount of land area in Tulsa is 475.321 sq. kilometers.
The amount of surface water is 10.857 sq kilometers.
The distance from Tulsa to Washington DC is 1089 miles.
The distance to the Oklahoma state capital is 101 miles. (as the crow flies)
Tulsa is positioned 36.12 degrees north of the equator and 95.91 degrees west of the prime meridian.
Tulsa per capita income is $ 25,900 (1998).
Tulsa average annual rainfall is 39 inches per year
Tulsa average annual snowfall is 8 inches per year.
The average low temperature is 49 degrees F.
The average high temperature is 71 degrees F.

Location

in northeastern Oklahoma, 90 miles northeast of the state capital, Oklahoma City
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Climate

temperate. Here is a climate page for Tulsa.
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History & History Related Items

Creek Council Oak Park
1750 S. Cheyenne Ave.
The Creek Council tree, a mature post oak, marks the traditional "ceremonial ground" chosen in 1836 by the Lochapoka clan of the Creek Indians. In 1834, they had begun their involuntary migration from Alabama under the control of the U.S. government. It was a slow and painful trek and of the original group of 630, 161 died in route. In 1836 they arrived on a low hill overlooking the Arkansas River and here they marked their arrival with a solemn ceremony depositing ashes brought over the trail from their last fires in Alabama. The Tulsa-Lochapoka, a division of the Creek Nation, established their "town." The park is often referred to as Tulsa's first City Hall. As late as 1896 the Tulsa-Lochapoka gathered here for ceremonies, feasts and games. Today, commemorative tribal ceremonies are held each year. The park features an ethno-botanical garden displaying plants that were used by the Creek Indians for food, fiber, ceremonial and medicinal purposes. Interpretive signs identify the plants and provide information about their use. This park is protected by Historic Preservation zoning and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
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The founding of Tulsa

1836

The incorporation of Tulsa

1898

Attractions

The first yield sign in the U.S. was installed in Tulsa, Oklahoma at 5th and Birmingham

Tulsa has a deep water port located on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System

The Gilcrease Museum
Where the story of the American West unfolds
The Gardens at Gilcrease Museum, 1400 Gilcrease Museum Road The City-owned Gilcrease Museum houses the world's largest, most comprehensive collection of art of the American West and Native American art and artifacts. Today, using the Gilcrease collections as a guide, Tulsa Parks staff has developed historical theme gardens on 23 of the museum's 460 acres. These gardens enhance the museum's collection by reflecting gardening styles and techniques from five time periods in the American West. The history of special care for the Gilcrease grounds began with the museum's founder, Thomas Gilcrease. He was the first gardener on the grounds and in the early days of the museum visitors sometimes mistook him for the gardener. He preserved the native plants and introduced many of the mature, exotic specimen plants found throughout the grounds today. Some of the more outstanding specimens are: Harry Lauder's Walkingstick, (located south of the former Gilcrease family home), the huge southern magnolia in the Gannaway Garden, (in view from the Vista Room), and the many saucer magnolias found throughout the grounds. Thomas Gilcrease planted hundreds of narcissus, which were allowed to naturalize in the wooded areas of what is now Stuart Park. The five theme gardens that complement the museum's collection are Pre-Columbian, Pioneer, Colonial, Victorian, and Rock gardens. Gilcrease Museum is the only museum in the country to have developed gardens that reflect the periods of history represented in the collections of art and artifacts. From the Vista Room visitors look out over the park and several hundred additional acres of woods, pastures and distant hills of the Osage. On the Western frontier, vast and uninterrupted landscapes like this one were the source of inspiration for the great western landscape painters, Thomas Moran and Albert Bierstadt, whose works hang in nearby galleries. Moran and Bierstadt preserved the vision of the American west on canvas; the view from the Vista Room serves as an extension of the western museum experience by offering visitors this "vision" of the West as it once appeared to the pioneers.

The Tulsa Zoo in Mohawk Park
The Tulsa Zoo is an outstanding facility combining a zoo, aquariums, living museums and gardens. Set within 70 acres of landscaped grounds, it exhibits more than 1,500 animals. Special exhibitions include the Tropical American Rain Forest, which takes you from the flooded forest of the Amazonian basin to the cloud forests of the ancient Incas. It includes exotic species, including lungfish, howler monkeys, sloths, piranhas, jaguars, caimans and tamarins, plus many colorful birds flying freely through the exhibit. Very popular with children is the "contact area" in the Children's Zoo, open seasonally, which gives youngsters an up-close encounter with some of the Zoo's residents such as goats, sheep, rabbits, guinea pigs, donkeys and a miniature horse.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center

The Tulsa Garden Center - in Woodward Park
2435 S. Peoria
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114
Phone: 418-746-5125
The Garden Center is the greater Tulsa area's headquarters for horticultural activities. It is dedicated to providing a variety of horticultural education opportunities and experiences for a wide range of citizens, to providing a gathering place for events with a horticultural and or environmental purpose, to maintaining a horticulture library for the public, and to support, preserve and enhance the beautiful historic mansion in which it is housed. The Center is home to some 30 horticultural and nature-related groups. The center originally was one of the most elegant homes in Tulsa, sitting on 13 country acres within the city. The estate was comprised of the main house, two greenhouses and a solarium, a swimming pool, two five-room cottages and two barns. In 1954 the City of Tulsa purchased the home and 10 acres of adjoining property. The Center is open 9 am to 4 pm weekdays. The library is open 10 am-4 pm weekdays and weekends when events are scheduled. Free guided tours are available of the Garden Center Villa, Woodward Park, the Tulsa Rose Garden and other horticultural areas around the Center.

Society of Exploration Geophysicists
Geoscience Center
8801 S. Yale
Tulsa, OK 74137-3575
Phone: 918.497.5566
FAX: 918-497-5557
email
Grand Opening, 11 October 2001 during International Observance and Celebration of Earth Science Week.

Philbrook Museum of Art Philbrook Museum of Art
A 23 acre Italian Renaissance villa containing a 10,000 piece art collection from around the world.
2727 South Rockford Road
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74114
Recorded information: 918-749-7941 or 800-324-7941
For a calendar of events: 918-748-5385 or 800-324-7941, ext 385

Will Rogers Memorial
Artifacts and memories from the humorist are located 30 minutes northeast of Tulsa.
Box 157
Claremore, Oklahoma 74018
Toll-free: 1-800-324-9455
Phone: 918-341-0719

Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve
A piece of the Old West preserved. Drive through free roaming herds of bison, deer, antelope, longhorn cattle, four-horned sheep and other species. An oasis in the middle of the Osage Hills, thirty minutes north of Tulsa.

Centennial Park
1028 East Sixth St.
A centennial time capsule, interred on Jan. 17, 1998, in honor of the City's 100th birthday, is buried at Centennial Park. The time capsule, scheduled to be unearthed in the year 2048, includes items such as a prototype of the 1998 Plymouth Prowler, a City of Tulsa Financial Report, student essays on what Tulsa will be like in the year 2048 and Tulsa restaurant menus.

Redbud Valley
161st East Avenue about 3.8 miles north of I-44.
Redbud Valley Nature Preserve protects 220+ acres of unique plant and animal life. A rugged 1-mile trail loops through habitats more common 100 miles southwest and 100 miles northeast. Few areas can boast of cactus and scorpions, salamanders and sugar maples flourishing side by side. Pets and bicycles are permitted only in the parking area. Drinking water and primitive restroom facilities are available. Picnics should be enjoyed at the visitor center picnic facilities. Staying on the clearly marked trail protects the fragile habitats. The Preserve's trail is open to hikers Wednesday-Sunday, 8 am-5 pm. The Barclay Visitor Center is open 11 am-3 pm. Redbud Valley Nature Preserve is closed every Monday and Tuesday and most holidays.

Mohawk Park
on 36th Street North, a half mile east of Sheridan Road
Mohawk is a busy recreation area that offers something for everyone. The largest park in Tulsa's system - and one of the largest in the country - Mohawk contains 2,800 acres. The sprawling park was created as part of the 1924 public works project that piped drinking water from the Spavinaw Dam to Tulsa. Mohawk Park offers hiking and bridle trails, fishing and numerous picnic areas. Every year, it is the site of hundreds of events, from small family picnics to large music concerts. The Tulsa Zoo, Oxley Nature Center and Mohawk Golf Course are located inside the park.

Oxley Nature Center
in Mohawk Park
With more than 9 miles of trails covering 804 acres, the Mary K. Oxley Nature Center at Mohawk Park is one of Tulsa's treasures. The gates open daily (except City holidays) at 8 am, and close at 5 pm, although the trails are open as early as 6 am or as late as 9 pm to hikers who park outside the gates. Visitors may pick up maps and trail information at the Interpretive Building, open 10 am-4:30 pm Mondays-Saturdays, and noon-4:30 pm Sundays. The Interpretive Building houses interactive, hands-on exhibits explaining the local natural history, as well as restrooms, drinking water, and classrooms. Pets and horses are not permitted. Bicycles may be ridden only on pavement. Most areas are accessible to strollers and wheelchairs. The staff will be happy to help you plan your route. The Nature Center also offers a wide variety of interpretive programs. Details may be found in the free bi-monthly Oxley Nature Center Newsletter. All programs have a nominal fee and require pre-registration. In general, programs are open to all ages, unless stated otherwise. Children 12 and under must usually be accompanied by an adult. For more information, call 669-6644 during the Interpretive Center's hours or request information by fax at any time: 669-6653.

Woodward Park
21st Street and Peoria Avenue
Woodward is often referred to as the "jewel in the crown" of the many parks and gardens maintained by Tulsa Parks. This 40-acre park offers a stunning horticultural display almost year-round. The park is internationally known for its 4.5-acre Municipal Rose Garden. Other features include the Tulsa Garden Center, an All-American Rose Selection Test Garden, a formal English style herb garden, an iris display garden, a Victorian-style conservatory, a 3-acre arboretum, a rock garden, an azalea garden with more than 17,000 plants, a trial garden, statuary, fountains and pools. The Tulsa Garden Center and the Horticulture Section of Tulsa Parks work together to stimulate and develop interest and appreciation for horticulture and for preservation and development of the park.

Municipal Rose Garden, in Woodward Park
Constructed by the WPA using hand labor and teams of horses, the Tulsa Municipal Rose Garden was inaugurated in 1934 and is a continuing project of Tulsa Parks and the Tulsa Garden Club. The first roses for the garden were planted in 1935. Landscape architect Burton Fox designed the sloping 4 1/2 acre garden in Italian Renaissance style with a series of five terraces, rising up a gentle slope almost 900 feet. Reflecting pools with aquatic plants are featured on all terraces; junipers are hand sheared into formal, conical shapes within the garden; and the area is flanked on the south and east by a wide variety of trees. Peak bloom periods are mid-May and again in mid-October. More flowers can be seen in the spring; however, the color and duration of the blooms last longer in the fall. There are approximately 9,000 rose plants of more than 200 varieties in the garden including: floribundas, hybrid teas, grandifloras, miniatures, climbers, shrub and other species. The Tulsa Garden Club purchases replacement roses each year as a club project for the perpetuation of the garden. Identification markers for the roses are in each bed throughout the garden.

Tracy Park
11th Street and Peoria Avenue
Tracy provides another unique presentation of brilliant flowers, neatly trimmed cedars and towering shade trees. A formal garden in the park with a symmetrical arrangement of plantings and walkways draws the visitor to its centerpiece, an antique Victorian fountain.

Owen Park
560 N. Maybelle Ave.
Owen is Tulsa's oldest park. Its history began in 1904 when a stock of nitroglycerin belonging to the Western Torpedo Co. used for shooting oil wells exploded for unknown reasons. This explosion formed a crater in a ravine now known as Owen Park Lake. The City purchased the land in 1909. Throughout the years, Owen Park has become the home for interesting historical artifacts. It includes the Indian Memorial Monument and disc which marks the boundary corner of the Creek, Osage and Cherokee Nations; Tulsa's oldest house still in existence; and the Tulsa Pioneer Monument, which contains all the names of a large group of people who attended the first picnic of the organization in 1921. Today, Owen Park combines the past with t he present with a community center providing year-round recreational activities for all ages.

Veteran's Park
18th Street and Boulder Avenue
This park (formerly known as Boulder Park) was renamed and dedicated to honor those citizens who gave their lives in defense of our country. Included are tributes to veterans of various American wars, as well as a Peace Tree presented to the City of Tulsa on Oct. 25, 1991, by the Disciples Peace Fellowship of the Christian Church.

Swan Lake Park
1523 Swan Drive (southwest of Peoria Avenue and 15th Street)
This urban lake is home to a permanent collection of North American native waterfowl. Visitors have a unique opportunity to see species of geese, ducks, and swans that would otherwise be elusive and difficult to glimpse in their native habitat. The project is a cooperative effort between the Swan Lake Waterfowl Society and Tulsa Parks. The Society maintains the waterfowl and park staff maintains the shoreline habitat. Park staff feed the birds daily, so visitors are asked not to feed the birds. An information kiosk displays educational information about waterfowl and a poster identifies the birds. A lighted ornamental fountain creates a spectacular display. During winter months, the lake is a winter home for nearly 250 migratory waterfowl. A pair of trumpeter swans "rule" the lake.
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Tulsa City Government

City of Tulsa

Tulsa has had a Council and strong Mayor form of government since 1990. The Mayor and Auditor are elected at large; nine Councilors are elected from their respective districts.

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The City of Tulsa Park and Recreation Department operates a park system made up of 133 parks containing 6,105 acres. The sizes of the facilities range from Mohawk's 2,820 acres to Gunboat's one quarter acre. The department maintains 91 playgrounds, 202 sports fields, 116 tennis courts, 22 swimming pools, 22 spray pools, 20 community centers (which includes a senior center, two theaters and one fine arts center), the Greenwood Cultural Center, two 36-hole golf courses, a nature center, a nature preserve, and the zoo.
Shelters and open space are available for rent at many of the parks, as well as ballfields and multi-use rooms inside the community centers. Reed Community Center boasts a state-of-the-art gymnastics facility. For more information, call 596-PARK.

Tulsa Parks has 20 Community Centers that offer a wide variety of seasonal programs, events and activities for all ages. In addition to sports, fitness programs, arts, educational classes and social programs, many centers have multi-purpose rooms, gymnasiums and other spaces for rent. Special centers include two theaters (Heller and Clark); a fine arts studio (WaterWorks); and a senior center (Central).

The department has two fully operating theaters and a fine art center specializing in visual arts, as well as numerous visual and performing arts programs at other sites. The WaterWorks Art Studio, located in the historic Newblock Park building near downtown, offers a full palette of arts programs for young and old, as well as studio and gallery space.
Tulsa Parks' two theaters - Clark and Heller - offer opportunities to participate in all stages of theater, from lighting and directing to improvisational acting. Clark is targeted toward youth, while Heller does both youth and adult programming. Both hold performing arts summer and spring break day camps and stage a variety of dramatic performances for the public throughout the year.

Tulsa Parks operates 22 swimming pools, ranging from Olympic-sized McClure Pool, complete with water slides and concessions, to numerous free junior pools suitable for younger children. Certified swimming lessons for adults and children at all levels are offered at various sites throughout the summer. All of the pools host an entertaining array of special events and games. And for children who aren't in the mood for a regular pool but still want to cool off, one of the 21 spray pools is a fun alternative.

Tulsa Parks is host to numerous special holiday events throughout the year. One of the most popular is the annual 12th Night Burning of the Greens held each Jan. 6, in which thousands of Tulsans bring their Christmas trees to be ignited for an impressive display. Easter Egg hunts in spring draw hundreds of children to search for goodies, and the community centers offer crafts and social programs themed for other major holidays as well.

Sports and fitness programs are among the department's most popular. No matter what your age, ability or interest, there's likely a program for you. Highlights include:
League sports. The department sponsors dozens of leagues in every season, for both youth and adult, including T-ball, basketball, flag football, volleyball, tennis, gymnastics, and more.
Tournaments and special events. In addition to numerous tournaments, the department hosts special events such as fishing clinics, orienteering workshop, Hershey Track and Field program and a junior triathlon.
Sports and fitness programming at community centers. This includes everything from aerobics to disc golf to kick-boxing to tennis lessons.
Extensive sports/fitness facilities. Tulsa Parks has lighted and unlighted ball fields, sand volleyball courts, gyms, basketball courts, fishing piers, tennis courts, and over 30 miles of trials.
Gymnastics. Reed Community Center is home to an 8,000-square-foot state-of-the-art gymnastics center that is the site of hundreds of classes throughout the year as well as league gymnastics and tournaments.
Day camps
Tulsa Parks' professional recreation staff offers more than a dozen American Camping Association-accredited options for day camps all summer long, for all ages and interests. Participants in the traditional camps will enjoy bowling, skating, swimming, arts and crafts, field trips, and sessions on everything from environmental awareness to animals to international week. Those in the specialty camps can focus on fine arts, performing arts, or fun activities designed just for teens. Some centers also offer Spring Break and Winter Break day camps.
Senior programming - Many Community Centers offer social, educational or fitness programming designed just for seniors, and Central Senior Center offers programs exclusively for seniors. Central's offerings include art and ceramics classes, AARP Driving courses, computer classes, special holiday events and a full host of social activities such as dominoes, cards and dances. Tulsa Parks also hosts the annual Oklahoma Senior Olympics, an exciting seven-day sports festival exclusively for men and women age 50 and over, featuring 66 events in 22 different sports. More than 1,000 senior men and women participate in the games each fall, in archery, badminton, basketball, bowling, croquet, cycling, field, golf, horseshoes, lawnbowling, pickleball, racquetball, race walking, 5km and 10km road races, shuffleboard, softball, swimming, table tennis, tennis, track, volleyball and weightlifting.
Golf courses - Tulsa Parks manages two of the area's finest golf courses, Mohawk and Page Belcher. Each has 36 holes amidst beautiful natural settings. Both courses are open from sunup to sundown year-round. And both sport a number of fee specials that make golfing affordable for everyone. Page Belcher has two courses, Olde Page and Stone Creek, as well as a driving range, three putting greens, and a short game green. It also is home for the Tulsa Golf School. Both courses feature zoysia grass tees and fairways with pincross bent grass greens. Mohawk Golf Course's Woodbine Course and Pecan Valley Course are set in north Tulsa in the beautiful and natural Mohawk Park. Two of Tulsa's most historic and challenging courses await you here.
Activities for the disabled - All Tulsa Parks programs are open to people with disabilities, and, where possible, accommodations will be made to make participation easier for those with handicaps. In addition, Whiteside Community Center offers a weekly program for all ages with planned activities such as bowling, movies, bingo games, fun field trips, and much more. In the summer, Whiteside sponsors a special Developmentally Disabled Activities Summer Camp. And WaterWorks Art Studio will tailor special, one-on-one classes by appointment to allow people with disabilities work around their limitations to create art.
Facility rentals - Tulsa Parks has all sorts of facilities available for rent for parties, family reunions or special events. From picnic shelters to gymnasiums and meeting rooms to entire ballfields or swimming pools, there is likely a place to meet the needs of any occasion. Special event parks also are available for larger public events such as concerts or races.
Tailor-made programming - A staff of highly trained specialists can work with companies and organization to create customized programs such as golf tournaments, team-building Olympics or on-site fitness classes.
Woodward Park actually (proudly) contains several different amenities and facilities, rather than those other facilities just being stand-alone entities. Check < ahref="http://www.tulsagardencenter.com/wpdetails.html">this site for details

Special Parks Information:
The Woodward Park Complex located at 21st Street South and Peoria Avenue in Tulsa encompasses several areas including Woodward Park itself, the Municipal Rose Garden and the Tulsa Garden Center.
The Arboretum is a collection of trees and shrubs that do well in the Tulsa area.
The Conservatory is a Victorian style Lord and Burnham structure featuring rotating displays and permanent collections of cacti, succulents, and tropical plants found in major rainforest regions of the world.
The Rock Garden contains streams, pools, and statuary among thousands of blooming spring bulbs, spring annuals and summer floral plantings blooming from mid-March until Frost.
The Azalea Garden features 17,000 plants in a wooded setting enjoyed from meandering paths. Peak bloom is in mid-April.
The Iris Display Bed includes over 200 plants with a peak bloom in early May.
The Anne Hathaway Herb Garden is a formal display of culinary herbs. The smell is delicious.
The Municipal Rose Garden contains over 9,000 rose plants and more than 250 varieties over a 4-1/2 acre terraced slope. Peak blooming periods are mid-May and again in mid-October.

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COUNTY GOVERNMENT

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Tulsa County Commissioner
500 S Denver Ave
Tulsa, OK 74103-3838
Phone: 918-596-5000

Tulsa Schools

The largest school district in Tulsa is the Tulsa Public Schools. It is also the largest public school district in the entire state. Other districts in the city include the Jenks and Union Public School Districts. In 2000, the Union district had about 13,000 students enrolled with 9,300 of them in the city limits. Jenks School district enrolled over 9,200 students with about 6,900 residing in the Tulsa city limits. Tulsa

Miscellany

The population of Tulsa was:
1990 - 367,302
1998 - 381,000